The Analysis on Hydrodynamic Bearings Performance in High-Speed Modules of Wire Rolling Mills.

The present article addresses hydrodynamic bearings performance in high-speed modules of wire rolling mills and is searching for the possibilities to increase the reliability of their work. In order to determine the performance parameters of hydrodynamic bearings, such as the minimum thickness of the lubricant film, the friction coefficient and the temperature of the lubricant heating, we used the calculation method based on the standard method as the parameters depend on the main production and operational factors. This allowed us to reveal that the most important factors are the speed and the temperature of the lubricant input while the load and the lubricant input pressure affect the parameters of the bearings to a small extent. At the lubricant input temperature of more than 85°C, there is a risk of the bearing damage in the last unit modules due to the violation of the laminar flow conditions. According to the results of the analysis, it is recommended to keep the input temperature of lubricants within the range of 60–80°C. The observance of the proposed recommendations for existing bearing design and actual technological parameters enables the longer operation life of the module, reduction in the downtime related to the need for repairs, and reduction in the repair expenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]