GRAPHALLOY® Bearings Save Maintenance in a Mussel Processing Line

A mussel processing plant in the Northeast had a recurring maintenance problem on its processing line. The facility needed to constantly grease its bearings because the equipment was exposed to salt water, mussel liquid, and caustic washdown.

The plant processes mussels, oysters, and clams for shipment to restaurants. These wet and washdown conditions created a difficult operating environment for conventional greased bearings.

The maintenance team needed a bearing solution that could operate reliably in wet, corrosive conditions without frequent lubrication.

• Exposure to salt water and shellfish liquid
• Frequent caustic washdown
• Difficult-to-grease conveyor locations
• Need for FDA acceptable bearing materials
• Ongoing maintenance required by conventional greased bearings

Frequent lubrication was time-consuming and difficult to sustain in the plant’s harsh seafood-processing environment.

A GRAPHALLOY representative visited the facility to review the application and discuss a maintenance-free bearing solution for the mussel processing line.

GRAPHALLOY recommended 845 stainless steel pillow blocks with GRAPHALLOY inserts. The self-lubricating inserts were selected to handle wet conditions, caustic washdown, and the need for food-processing-compatible materials.

The maintenance manager agreed to test the GRAPHALLOY bearing assemblies on the processing line.

After more than six months in operation:

• The GRAPHALLOY bearings were still working well
• No routine greasing was required
• The bearings remained maintenance-free
• The assemblies were still looking good in service

The facility was pleased with the result and began looking at replacing additional bearings with maintenance-free GRAPHALLOY solutions.

GRAPHALLOY bearings are designed for demanding applications where conventional lubricated bearings can fail or require excessive maintenance.

Benefits for seafood processing and washdown conveyor systems include:

• Self-lubricating operation
• Reduced maintenance and lubrication requirements
• Performance in wet and caustic washdown environments
• Suitability for tough-to-grease locations
• Availability in NSF-certified and FDA acceptable grades

For conveyor applications involving temperature extremes, caustic washdowns, wet environments, or difficult lubrication access, GRAPHALLOY may provide a long-term maintenance-saving solution.