skf will supply United States Steel with an integrated seals, lubrication and bearings solution for their hot strip mill table rolls in Granite City, Illinois. The solution will help increase machine availability whilst at the same time reduce energy and grease consumption.

“U.S. Steel is known for The Carnegie Way, a disciplined approach to value creation and reliability-centered maintenance. We are very pleased to be able to support U.S. Steel by providing solutions that contribute to significant cost savings and improved machine reliability through our expertise in bearings, seals and lubrication technologies.”

Operating under extreme conditions, components used in hot strip mill table rolls are constantly subjected to high temperatures and contamination, which can result in corrosion and, ultimately, bearing failure.

SKF’s integrated solution, being installed on over 800 rolls in the facility, combines three technology platforms to counter the effect of these conditions.

SKF seals combine a low wear rate with an effective seal, significantly reducing lubrication needs, as well as allowing for the installation of an SKF open spherical roller bearing. Open spherical roller bearings operate with less friction than the previously used sealed bearings, contributing to improved energy efficiency.

Ole Kristian Joedahl, Sales and Marketing Director, Industrial Market, says, “U.S. Steel is known for The Carnegie Way, a disciplined approach to value creation and reliability-centered maintenance. We are very pleased to be able to support U.S. Steel by providing solutions that contribute to significant cost savings and improved machine reliability through our expertise in bearings, seals and lubrication technologies.”

Aktiebolaget SKF (publ)

SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2014 were SEK 70 975 million and the number of employees was 48 593.