The life of a bearing starts way before its production. Selecting materials and components, incorporating knowledge, planning the manufacturing process and extensive testing and inspection procedures are all the processes that have to be done before the product reaches production stage.
And when the product finally reaches production, the story is far from over. Quality inspection and quality assurance needs to be carried out regularly for every batch to make sure that all of our quality standards are met. Only after that can we be confident to provide our customers and partners with bearings that meet the required specifications.
The ever increasing complexity
No matter your background, you have probably noticed that modern products are becoming more and more complex. They have to meet strict environmental codes, have an optimised lifespan and provide that extra functionality to win the market.
As the complexity of products increases, parts like bearings play even a bigger role. Just imagine how lower friction translates to lower power consumption and finally lower carbon footprint of a product. It’s a race of decimal numbers where everything counts.
What about the quality of bearings?
In the consumer market it’s relatively easy. People usually want the highest quality they can afford. That can be a legitimate stance in the industry market too, however we don’t see that approach very often. And there’s a good reason for that. It’s called cost optimization.
That’s why most manufacturers and distributors provide different specifications and quality ranges. Let’s take a washing machine for example. With a washing machine that has a MSRP of €1.000 the manufacturer can afford to use more expensive parts. But it’s a different story for a washing machine that will be sold for €300. And nobody expects that these two will be of the same quality.
Quality that fits the purpose
That’s why we have specialised in providing our clients and partners with the quality they need for a certain application.
We always strive to establish close cooperation with a client so that we can move from “Which bearing is of the right quality?” question to “What quality will suit my application?” approach.
Because every bearing application has its own operational and environmental conditions and requirements, the quality has to be based on the application’s relevant characteristics.
A bearing may have a long list of excellent characteristics and is objectively considered as a high quality bearing. However if those characteristics are not relevant for the application, poor performance or even a failure in application may happen.
Imagine a bearing optimised for high speed, low torque and clean environment operation that will be used in applications where lots of dust and other pollutants are expected. Selecting a bearing with characteristics that fit the application is therefore essential to ensure reliable operation and user satisfaction.
Take advantage of our expertise
At Codex, a wide range of bearings characteristics are measured and evaluated daily in our in-house testing facilities and independent external labs. For example:
- material characteristics and heat treatment process (material analyses, hardness, depth of hardening, corrosion resistance);
- bearing geometry (dimensions, clearance, contour/shape, roughness, roundness, roller elements grade);
- function (running accuracy, noise, vibration, torque);
- technical cleanliness;
- and many more.
If assistance is needed, Codex Quality Team is ready to help you with expertise, data, measurements and calculations.
