Skip to main content
Slewing rings in wind turbines

WIND TURBINE BEARINGS ARE RE-MANUFACTURED … saving both time and money

KAYDON® re-manufactured bearings perform like new but cost much less, a benefit discovered by Duncan Plant and Construction, the Antrim-based specialist in wind turbine operation management and maintenance.

Duncan Plant’s wind farm customer had asked to source a complete set of replacement wind turbine blade bearings as they were worn and damaged. These were originally supplied by Avon Bearings that is now part of the KAYDON® Group.

In the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, KAYDON® is represented by longstanding factory representative, R. A. Rodriguez, whose Industry Manager Dave Young suggested the re-manufacture option. “This is a time and cost-saving alternative that proved ideal for this customer,” he said. “Re-manufactured bearings still offer unsurpassed quality, have a full-year warranty and are available on fast turnaround.”


The worn Avon double row ball slewing ring type bearings were critical elements of a Zond 550kW wind turbine. They have an outside diameter of 1062mm and are 125mm deep with tapped holes on the outer ring and drilled holes on the inner ring. All three bearings exhibited signs of corrosion on the raceways and had been subject to a degree of structural damage.

Via R. A. Rodriguez, KAYDON® provided a Class ‘A’ refurbishment of the bearings at the former ISO-certified Avon plan in Ohio, USA. All were restored to an ‘as new’ condition and returned to Duncan Plant complete with condition and action report.

Such has been the success of this project that Duncan Plant has been asked to arrange the systematic re-manufacture of further Zond wind turbine blade bearings at the wind farm. Ultimately all blade sets will be refurbished in this way giving the customer many more years of power generation capability without the time and expense of outright renewal.

 

Want to talk?

For more information about precision components and engineering
solutions contact R.A. Rodriguez UK on 01462 670 044 or email us at info@raruk.com.