Rotary Kiln Maintenance

Seminar

Kiln Bearings

Kiln Bearings
FLS Bearing Type RA - 1958
Design
FLS Bearing Type RB - 1974
Design
Fuller Bearing

FLS Kiln Support Type RA

FLS kilns have supports with self aligning bearings in

spherical sockets.

FLS Bearing Type RA

Felt Oil
Seal

Oil
Oil Tray
Scraper

Heat
Shield
Oil
Scoop
Thrust
Plate
Oil Level
Gage

Spherical Socket
with Water Jackets

Bronze
Bearing
Liner

FLS Bearing Type RA

Heat Shield

Stop Block

Inspection
Port

Water
Piping

Type RA Oil Seal and Scraper

Felt Seal
Rubber
Oil
Scraper

FLS Bearing Type RA

Inspection Ports
Oil Flow

Oil Flow

Thrust
Contact/Gap

The FLS type A bearing has three inspection ports for

monitoring lubrication and thrust direction.

Oil Tray
Tray
Slope
Adjusting
Screws
Scoops

Oil scoops dip into the sump and carry oil into the oil tray.
Holes in the tray allow oil to drip onto the shaft. The tray
slope is adjustable to permit downhill flow of oil.

FLS Kiln Support Type RB

Thrust Ring

The RB support is similar to the RA support, except there is

no thrust plate and the bearing takes the thrust load on a
thrust ring.

FLS Bearing Type RB

Oil
Scoops

Adjustable
Oil Tray

Oil Seal

End Cover
with
Inspection
Door

Thrust
Ring

Bronze
Bearing Liner
Bearing
Base

Spherical Socket with

Water Jacket

FLS Bearing Type RB

Heat
Shield
Inspection
Port
Oil Tray

Retainer
Clamp
Dowel
Pin

Temperature
Detector
Water
Piping

Type RB Oil seal

Grease
Fitting

The RB bearing has a split rubber oil seal which requires

monthly greasing.

FLS Bearing Type RB

Fuller Kiln Support

The Fuller support has rigid (nonspherical) bearings.

Fuller Bearing
Oil Tray

Inspection
Port

End Cover
Thrust
Washer
Oil Scoop
Oil Level
Indicator
Bronze
Bearing Liner

Bearing Liners

FLS Bearing Liner Details

Liner Clamps

Liners and sockets are clamped to prevent from rotating out

of the housing.

Liner Clearance

Liner side clearances should be checked with a feeler

gage at all four liner corners after installing a new liner.

Bearing Tolerances

Bearing Tolerances
Side
Clearance

Oil
Film

Insufficient side clearance will prevent oil from being drawn

into the bearing. Excessive side clearance will result in the
load being spread over too small an area, with a reduction of
the oil film thickness at the bottom of the shaft.

Checking Liner Contact

Before installation of a new liner, apply Prussian blue to the

shaft to check liner to shaft contact. The liner, installed in the
socket, is lowered onto the shaft and slid back and forth
longitudinally to pick up the dye at the liner contact points.

Checking Liner Contact

A well-fitting liner will pick up the blue only in the

center down its entire length.

Checking Liner Contact

This liner shows less than full contact along its length,
indicating a high spot in its center.

Checking Liner Contact

High spots are removed by scraping the bronze away

at the heavily blued areas.

Bearing Lubrication

Lubrication Film

Tiny surface asperities are kept from contacting

each other by a good oil film.

Hydrodynamic Lubrication

As one surface slides over another, a wave of oil

wedges them apart, creating an oil film.

Hydrodynamic Lubrication

When the shaft rotates, oil is drawn in between the

journal and bearing. The shaft lifts and a lubrication
film is established.

Elasto-hydrodynamic Effect

Under extreme forces, plastic deformation occurs

and surface area in the contact zone increases.
Lubricant viscosity multiplies under extreme
pressure. The result is a thin but stable oil film
capable of keeping surfaces separated.

Boundary Lubrication

When speed or oil viscosity is too low, or when loads

are excessive, surfaces may contact. Boundary
lubrication conditions are said to exist.

EP Additives

Extreme pressure and anti-wear additives in the oil

react to the high heat and pressures at the surfaces
to form a low-friction chemical film, thus preventing
surfaces from seizing.

Oil Film Thickness

L=

Oil film thickness increases with viscosity and speed and

decreases with load. A good film thickness is three times
the surface roughness.

Viscosity

Viscosity, or the resistance of a liquid to flow, is the most

important property of lubricating oil. Oil viscosity changes
drastically with temperature.

Viscosity

Oil viscosity is selected based on equipment operating

temperature range.

Viscosity Index

Viscosity index is a relative measurement of how viscosity

changes with change in temperature. Oil with a higher
viscosity index can maintain its viscosity over a wider
temperature range.

ISO Viscosity Grade

International Standards Organization
designation for oil viscosity grade.
Measured as Centistoke (cSt) at 40 C.
Becoming more common than SSU
(Saybolt Seconds Universal).
Multiply ISO VG by 5 to approximate
SSU at 100 F.

Viscosity
Equivalents

Kiln Bearing Lubricants

Gear oils with EP additives
Viscosity
ISO VG 460
ISO VG 680

ambient temperature
below 5 C
above 5 C

Synthetic oils are preferred over

mineral oils, due to their increased
viscosity index, lower pour point and
effectiveness at high temperatures.

Oil Level Indicator

Check oil level daily. Note that the level in the uphill
bearing indicator is different than in the downhill bearing.
Make sure that the oils scoops dip into the oil.

Inspection of Oil Flow

At start-up, especially after a long shutdown, oil is added

manually to ensure that there is lubrication before rotation
starts.

Bearing Lube Pump

Bearings can be equipped with lube pumps to

provide oil to the tray prior to kiln start-up.

Bearing Circulating Lube System

A circulating lube unit can filter and cool the bearing oil. This
one-pump unit serves one kiln support. It is equipped with four
flow switches, one for each bearing of the two-roller support.

Bearing Temperature RTD

Oil film temperature can be measured with an RTD

(resistance temperature detector), which slides over the
journal as the shaft turns. Temperatures above 80C
indicate a lubrication problem

Hot Bearings
Check cooling water supply.
Check that a bearing heat shield is in place.
Check oil cleanliness.
Check the oil viscosity. Switch to a higher viscosity
(ISO V.G. 1000) if oil temperature exceeds 80-90C.
Use synthetic oil instead of mineral oil.
Check thrust load and reduce by adjusting roller
skew accordingly.
Check liner smoothness. Replace if necessary.
Check shaft smoothness. Re-machine if necessary.
Check liner to shaft contact.

Lubrication Failure

Lubrication Failure

Severe Lubrication Failure

Catastrophic Lubrication Failure

Catastrophic Lubrication Failure

Catastrophic Lubrication Failure

Catastrophic Lubrication Failure

Catastrophic Lubrication Failure

Rigging

Rigging for Fuller Roller Assembly

Rigging for Fuller Bearing

Feed End
Stamp

Bearing End Cover Removal

Bearing inspection can be facilitated by the preparation

of two 24 rods on which to slide off the end cover.

Rigging for FLS Bearing Liner

FLS Kiln Support Type RA

Lifting Eyes for
Cover Only!

Warning! Do not use cover lifting eyes to lift FLS bearings.

They are designed only to lift the covers off the bearing
housing.