How To Avoid Hidden Costs By Using Precision Bearings?
TCO is a recognized method of calculation. In today's economic situation, TCO is more important than ever. This accounting method evaluates the overall value of a component or solution, weighing its initial purchase cost with overall operating and life cycle costs.
Lower-value components may seem more attractive at first, but because they may require more frequent maintenance, they may give a false economic sense, and these associated costs may add up quickly. On the other hand, higher-value components may have higher quality, more reliable functions, and therefore lower operating costs, thereby reducing the total cost of ownership.
Even if the component only represents a small part of the total cost of the machine or system, the total cost of ownership may be severely affected by the design of the sub-component components. One component that can have a significant positive impact on TCO is the bearing. Today's high-tech bearings provide many improved functions, which can reduce TCO. Although the overall price of the bearing has risen, it still brings benefits to OEMs and end users.
The entire cost of life consists of the initial purchase price, installation cost, energy cost, operating cost, maintenance cost (routine and planned), downtime cost, environmental cost and disposal cost. Considering these factors in turn can greatly help reduce the total cost of ownership.
Cooperation with suppliers
It can be said that the most important factor in minimizing TCO is to involve suppliers from the very beginning of the project. When specifying parts (such as bearings), it is critical to work with the part manufacturer at the beginning of the design process to ensure that the part meets the specific purpose and will operate with minimal loss and provide a lower total cost of ownership without Hidden costs.
Low loss
Friction torque and friction loss are the main contributors to system efficiency. Bearings that exhibit wear, excessive noise and vibration will be inefficient and consume more energy to run.
One way to efficiently use electricity and reduce energy costs is to consider low-wear and low-friction bearings. These bearings can be designed to use low-friction grease seals and special cages to reduce friction by up to 80%.
There are also some advanced features that can add more value to the entire life of the bearing system. For example, super-finished raceways can improve bearing lubrication film generation, and anti-rotation features can prevent bearing rotation in applications where speed and direction change rapidly.
Including bearing systems that require less power to drive, will be more energy-efficient and save considerable operating costs for operators. In addition, bearings exhibiting higher friction and wear may cause premature failure and associated downtime.
Reduce maintenance and downtime
The cost of downtime due to planned and unplanned maintenance can be very high and can increase rapidly, especially if the bearing is in a manufacturing process that runs 24/7. However, this can be avoided by choosing more reliable bearings that provide high performance over a longer service life.
The bearing system includes many components, including balls, rings and cages. In order to improve reliability, each part needs to be carefully inspected. In particular, lubrication, materials, and coatings need to be considered so that the bearings can be optimally configured to provide excellent long-life performance.
Precision bearings designed with high-quality parts will provide excellent reliability, help reduce potential bearing failures, require less maintenance and reduce downtime.
Simplified installation
Buying from multiple suppliers and dealing with them may incur additional costs. By specifying and integrating components from a single source, these costs in the supply chain can be simplified and reduced.
For example, for bearing components, such as bearings, gaskets and precision floor springs, designers usually contact several suppliers and have multiple sets of paper work and inventory, which requires a lot of time for processing and placement in the warehouse space.
However, a modular design can be provided by a single supplier. Bearing manufacturers can integrate surrounding components into a final part, which greatly simplifies the customer's installation process and reduces the number of parts.
Value-added
Improved design can have a significant impact on reducing TCO, because design savings are usually sustainable and permanent. For example, it is unlikely that the price of a bearing supplier will be reduced by 5% at this reduced price within five years. However, in the same five-year period, it is more ideal for operators to reduce assembly time/cost by 5%, or reduce maintenance costs, breakdowns, inventory levels, etc. by 5%.
