On track with cam follower bearings

Aug 20, 2023

Cam followers, or track followers are utilised everywhere – from washing machines and dishwashers to sewing machines and lawn sprinklers. They also often play a critical role in packaging and food processing. Cam follower bearings, therefore, are also an essential component in food processing and packaging operations.

Thanks to over a century's worth of expertise, NTN manufactures cam followers of the highest calibre. This level of quality is why NTN's cam followers are the product of choice for Motion, whose bearings business, CBC, has been working with NTN since the late 1960s.

This joint venture between CBC and NTN – two businesses committed to the bearing industry – has helped Motion strengthen its position as a supplier and distributor within Australia and given NTN an unmatched national footprint.

With more than 50 years behind the joint venture, Australia's industries can rely on Motion and NTN to continue to provide world-class bearing products, along with outstanding technical expertise, for many more years to come.

Motion's national business development manager for Food and Beverage, Leon Stefanec, says that NTN's cam followers are stud-type track roller assemblies, each comprising of a thick-walled outer ring that encompasses integral rollers.

Cam follower bearings are capable of handling intermittent shock and heavy loads, making them ideal for high stress manufacturing facilities. Further, the bearings also feature a soft core, allowing the cams to undergo extreme shock loads without risk of fracture or fissure.

"NTN's cam follower is designed to operate with its outer ring rolling on the track," says Stefanec. "Because it's run in direct contact with the track, the outer ring is designed with a thick wall capable of withstanding a high impact load."

"The bearings are used in a wide variety of applications due to their ease of installation and reliable performance," he says.

Renowned for its production of anti-friction technology, NTN's bearings are made to be smoother than the surface of a mirror.

The unique relationship between NTN and Motion through the joint venture agreement, bodes well for customers across all market segments in Australia – particularly within the food industry – providing access to the highest quality bearings, as well as NTN expertise.

Thanks to the high-quality standards across all levels of the Japanese food industry – from the processing to dining – NTN is prepared to live up to its reputation and ability to manufacture bearings which comfortably meet the standards of the Australian food industry.

Therefore, NTN's bearings are designed specifically to withstand high humidity and be resistant to corrosion caused by wet environments. The bearings are equipped to handle the impact of cleaning agents and regular washdowns as well as abrasive contaminants and the need for restrictive lubrication use – all of which are common in food processing facilities.

"NTN focuses highly on quality throughout the whole process, from design all the way through to manufacturing," says Stefanec.

"Motion's close relationship with not only NTN but our customers allow us to give a direct contact to the plant, shortening the lead time process from conception, design and delivery."

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