News from SMB Bearings

Engineering at sea

Bearings 14-01-2019

Heat, contamination and unpredictable weather constantly threaten to disrupt the performance of offshore oil and gas facilities. These unforgiving conditions can be detrimental to the performance of drilling equipment, pumps and extraction machinery — but what steps can be taken to ensure quality engineering at sea? Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings, explains why, sometimes, it’s the little things that count.

Ceramic vs hybrid bearings

Bearings 14-12-2018

Approximately 27,000 ceramic tiles cover the exterior of the NASA Space Shuttle — a reusable spacecraft that carries astronauts in a low orbit around Earth. Acting as a thermal barrier to the 1650 degrees Celsius generated by atmospheric re-entry, the tiles illustrate the impressive resistance of ceramic materials. The impressive properties of ceramics are also being used in bearings. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of precision bearing specialist SMB Bearings, explains the specifications, capabilities and differences of full ceramic and hybrid bearings.

Keeping vibration analysis happy

Technology 07-12-2018

Implementing condition monitoring can reduce the frequency and cost of equipment maintenance. Specifically, vibration analysis can provide valuable insight into machine condition, flagging up problems before extensive damage occurs. Chris Johnson, managing director of ball bearing supplier SMB Bearings, explains the steps machine builders should take to reduce the likelihood of bearings being the root cause.

An update from Ian Emery

Business 06-11-2018

What a year for Ian Emery, RC heli pilot. How has he got on in 2018, with his stock of SMB's bearings on tow?

Demystifying CCTV cameras

Bearings 31-10-2018

Britain is the most watched nation in the world — home to just one per cent of the world’s population, but 20 per cent of its CCTV. To support this developing infrastructure, CCTV bearing supplier SMB Bearings, helped the market leader of network cameras, with a common CCTV camera issue — bearing outgassing.

Could Brexit put the brakes on?

Business 23-10-2018

Brexit challenges the ease-of-access between Britain’s automotive manufacturers and its parts suppliers. So, how can automotive manufacturers prepare for the potential turmoil?

What goes into an LMP2 engine?

Technology 22-10-2018

The Le Mans 24-hour race is a high endurance, day-long race that puts the world's best race cars to the test. In 2017, jaws dropped when an LMP2 car was placed second and third overall. But, why was this a poignant moment for this engine type and why is this significant to the design and development of these race car engines?

Radial and thrust forces in bearings

Bearings 17-09-2018

Where accuracy is required, it is important for engineers to consider the forces acting on a bearing. Here, SMB Bearings explains.

Food-safe lubricants: Avoiding recalls

Bearings 03-09-2018

During 2018, some of Britain’s biggest supermarkets were removed dozens of frozen items from their shelves due to a deadly outbreak of listeria, costing the market thousands in recalls. But it’s not just bacteria that poses a risk.

Bearing Brexit in mind

Business 03-08-2018

Amid Brexit negotiations, SMB Bearings welcomed Member of Parliament (MP) for Witney, Robert Courts, to its Oxfordshire warehouse on Thursday 26, July.

Designing for cleanrooms

Technology 15-06-2018

There's a lot to consider when designing a robot for a cleanroom application. You're bringing together two genres of priorities, that of the robot; to be precise, smooth and long-lasting, and that of the environment; to prevent contamination in accordance with industry standards.

Grasping the next generation of robotics

Technology 15-06-2018

The Amazon Picking Challenge, set by global online retailer Amazon, challenged roboticists to create a robot that can pick and stow twelve products from a shelf, into a bag. The Shadow Robot Company, designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art anthropomorphic robot hands, addressed the challenge with the help of precision bearing specialist, SMB Bearings.