Transforming Bearing Reliability in a Greek Paper Mill

For one paper mill in Greece, frequent bearing failures were causing significant disruptions, leading to unexpected downtime, increased maintenance costs, and declining production efficiency.

Despite multiple attempts to address the issue, including advice from third-party service providers, the problem persisted. It wasn’t until the maintenance team adopted a new approach using ultrasound technology that they finally resolved the issue, leading to remarkable improvements in their operations.

The challenge: Unexplained bearing failures
The maintenance department at the paper mill was grappling with a perplexing problem. Bearings that should have lasted much longer were failing after just one month of operation. This frequent need for replacements was not only costly in terms of materials and labor but also caused substantial downtime, which disrupted production and threatened the company’s bottom line.

Initially, the team suspected that the type of bearings used might be the issue. They followed advice from external service providers and switched to bearings with less internal clearance. However, this change did not solve the problem. With failures continuing at the same rate, it became clear that the root cause lay elsewhere.

The discovery: Over-lubrication identified as the culprit
The breakthrough came after a presentation by REA Hellas, which introduced the maintenance team to the potential of ultrasound technology for monitoring bearing lubrication and condition. Curious to explore this further, the paper mill decided to invest in an ultrasound device called the LUBEChecker and invited REA Hellas to conduct an on-site assessment of their lubrication practices.

The assessment revealed a critical issue: every bearing was being over-lubricated, causing premature failures. This discovery was a turning point. The team now had a clear path forward—by optimizing lubrication through precise monitoring, they could significantly extend the life of their bearings and reduce the associated costs.