SKF Shows Off Its Cleveland Solution Factory
SKF USA Inc., a provider of bearings, seals, lubrication systems, mechatronics and industrial services, recently hosted an open house at its SKF Solution Factory in Highland Hts., Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland. The 71,000 ft.2 facility, which opened last August, features a product showroom (shown here), training center, cafeteria, warehouse, and manufacturing shops.
Jon H. Stevens, vice president, SKF Solution Factory - North America, explains that the SKF Solution Factory – Cleveland, one of a growing network presently numbering 22 worldwide, has three purposes: engineering, knowledge sharing, and “a workshop where we put solutions together for customers.” The solutions can include custom redesign of components and re-engineering of processes, such as lubrication.
Poul Jeppesen, president and CEO of SKF USA, uses the training center to give an overview of the company and its goals. One of the company’s strategic drivers is sustainability, demonstrated by the SKF Care program that focuses on businesses, employees, environment, and the community.
“Sustainability is a big part of us; it’s in our DNA,” Jeppesen says. The Cleveland Solution Factory, for example, an existing structure built in the 1970s, was renovated with a goal to conserve energy and reduce water consumption. It has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
One of the special features of the Cleveland factory is the ability to manufacture machined seals in small quantities that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive for molded solutions. The onsite warehouse inventory includes 170 standard profiles in 20 types of standard elastomer and urethane materials, plus 50 specialty grades, such as PTFE and extreme-temperature food-grade urethanes. Experienced technicians can turn out seals up to 26" in diameter in the facility, and turnaround can be a matter of days compared to months for delivery of molded seals, according to Kevin O’Sullivan, key account manager at SKF.
Cleveland Solution Factory Manager, Edward Zitney Jr., shows a machine tool spindle in the receiving department, where its condition is thoroughly documented upon arrival. The Cleveland factory has capabilities to repair, rebuild, and/or upgrade machine tool spindles with dedicated in-house spindle service facilities and engineering support equipped to handle almost any spindle brand and type. Zitney points out the department’s crane can lift spindle assemblies weighing up to five tons.
SKF officials note the factory’s spindle remanufacturing capabilities include advanced spindle analysis and testing, engineering, precision grinding, machining, parts repair and manufacture, motor design and manufacture, custom modifications, balancing and vibration analysis of complete assemblies, and spindle component balancing. These capabilities would not be possible without the teams of experienced, highly skilled engineers and technicians who provide the knowledge to help create unique customer solutions that can include the redesign and upgrade of OEM parts.
Andy Hoy, the North American director for the SKF Machine Health Reporting Program (MHRP), describes the benefits of the predictive maintenance program, which is based on vibration analysis. Following the model of cell phone service providers, the SKF Microlog Advisor data collecting device, an example of which he holds in his hand, is provided free with a subscription to the service. “The reports generated from the data indicate what’s wrong with the machine, how bad it is, and what should be one about it,” Hoy says. He believes the main benefit of the program is “peace of mind with the data to support it.”
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