Bearings and power transmission product distributor Bearings International (BI) – a member of Hudaco Group – highlights the cost benefits of its KML bearings offering amid local economic conditions.

The current economic climate, characterised particularly by the suppressed mining sector, has resulted in an emphasis on cost reduction, which, as a consequence, has led to some misguided attempts to lower costs by procuring products “on the basis of price and nothing else”

However, BI business unit head Ross Trevelyan says users who have tried these inferior products have since returned to using more reliable distributors and product ranges.

KML, he points out, has proven to be a second-tier brand that does not sacrifice quality, while offering significant cost benefits. “We have managed to negotiate better pricing, in line with the current economic climate, for agriculture-specific as well as mounted ball bearing units, and are happy to have passed these discounts on to the market.”

He notes that the KML brand offers a range of mounted and unmounted bearings and bearing housings, which cater for an array of applications, including automotive, materials handling and processing equipment, as well as in the agriculture sector.

While the mining sector remains important for the company, the marketing strategy for the KML brand will focus on the agriculture sector for now, primarily because “agriculture is where the brand really shines”, Trevelyan notes.

He stresses that BI will be ready to offer products and specialised solutions to mining stakeholders once the sector improves.

Mining Offering
Some of BI’s core mining solutions include products from electric and pneumatic vibrator manufacturer OLI, as well as bearings specialist FAG.

With a centrifugal force of up to 26 000 kg and multiple voltage options, the OLI range is suited to various applications, from food and beverage to mining, foundries and recycling.

Trevelyan notes that the use of premium-grade aluminium alloy, cast iron and steel alloy ensures that the OLI range is ideal for heavy-duty applications in harsh conditions.

“It is part of our strategy of being a total solutions partner for our customers to stock some of the best products and brands from around the world, and OLI definitely falls into this category.”

Meanwhile, FAG’s SNS housing is one of the “highest- quality” housings on the market and is often used in conveyor- pulley bearing housings and pinion housings. “We can safely say this is a unit that is up to the most challenging applications,” states Trevelyan, adding that it is mainly used in materials handling equipment and crushing and grinding mills.

He states that the unique housing design increases the longevity of the spherical roller bearings fitted in the housing by up to 50%. “This is achieved through optimised load distribution in the bearing [when] the bearing and housing geometry [interact]under load.”

Other benefits include lower maintenance and downtime costs of the entire machine or plant, as a result of increased bearing longevity, as well as greater strength and shock resistance, owing to the use of spheroidal graphite cast iron.

“The highly robust housings are suitable for aggressive operating environments such as those in the mining sector. Additionally, the different sealing variants allow for a level of customisation in terms of adapting to an environment with particular contaminant and dust conditions,” concludes Trevelyan.