Indianapolis Automotive Plant Production Halted by Contaminated Bearings

Automotive plants are fast-paced. The employees and machines work at speeds that would make Indy Car driver Helio Castroneves cringe. But when something goes wrong with one element of production, things slow to a snails pace. Automobile parts sit still on the plant floor and money is lost.

Time for a Pit Stop
In 1998, one Indianapolis automotive plant experienced firsthand just how bad things can get when something goes wrong. The plant's automotive transfer line - which produced power steering components - had failed due to spindle bearing contamination. Four identical spindles, which played a critical role in the transfer line, were all experiencing contamination problems as the result of high volume coolant and confined space guarding. Records showed the spindles at the plant were failing within six months. The plant was in desperate need of a solution.

Their solution was found through Cincinnati-based SETCO. SETCO, an independent manufacturer and rebuilder of precision spindles and slides, had just released a new product that would serve as the perfect remedy for the plants ills - the AirShield spindle seal.

Along with the plant's approval, SETCO decided to retrofit one of the failing spindles with the AirShield. By retrofitting just one of the spindles, the other three could serve as a benchmark to show the AirShield's improved reliability and effectiveness at eliminating contamination problems.

Resume Racing
Like any other beta test project, start-up was crucial. Operating conditions had to be closely monitored and documented so the results could be accurately analyzed. It didn't take long before the AirShield spindle seal outperformed the other three

After more than 3 years of heavy transfer line production,
this AirShield equipped spindle operated without
mechanical failure. During inspection it was documented
the bearings were in pristine condition with no signs
of wear or contamination.

The Universal AirShield is available in a range of standard sizes - from 25mm to 250mm (.98" to 9.8" ID). As standard, the AirShield has a 3-year limited warranty (2-years on rebuilds) against bearing contamination.

spindles, as they continued to fail every four to six months. The AirShield equipped spindle continued to operate as if it were brand new.

In May of 2001, the AirShield was taken offline as the plant experienced an increase in power draw. The concerned plant managers suspected the spindle contamination had returned. With SETCO present at the customer's facility, the spindle was disassembled. Unaware of what they would find, most of the plant managers assumed they were going to see bearing failure as the root cause of the problem...but they were wrong.

Cruising Into Winner's Circle
The failure analysis concluded that the cause of the problem was in fact not bearing related at all. Rather, a chip had gotten lodged between the housing and the arbor outside of the seal area, and as a result of friction, the lodged chip caused the increase in power draw. When the spindle was disassembled, and the AirShield removed, they saw that the bearings and the inside bore were in pristine condition, and there was no sign of contamination.

The AirShield equipped spindle was in production for over three years and operated without failure. A company spokesperson stated, "Considering the AirShield spindle ran seven times longer than the other three spindles, and would have ran for a lot longer, the beta project was an absolute success and a testimonial that the AirShield eliminated the #1 cause of spindle failure - bearing failure due to coolant ingress and contamination."

SETCO offers a range of spindle rebuild and management services, including spindle inventory management, rebuild parts kits, spindle engineering, spindle performance upgrades, predictive maintenance services, on-site spindle repair, replacement spindles, spindle repair training seminars, vibration analysis and more.