New Ratings Show REALI-SLIM® Bearing Life Often Much Longer than Previously Published


MUSKEGON, MICH. ... JANUARY 11, 2007 ... After extensive testing, KAYDON Corporation Bearings Division has introduced higher dynamic capacity ratings for its REALI-SLIM® thin-section bearings based on an improved calculation methodology developed specifically for thin-section bearings. These make bearing life projections more accurate and result in life projections for many REALI-SLIM® bearings that exceed previously-published figures... by five times, in some cases.

The increased ratings are derived from a new calculation methodology that integrates the calculations with actual test data instead of simply estimating bearing life, as other manufacturers do. KAYDON Corporation Bearings Division is believed to be the first thin-section bearing manufacturer to use this methodology. The dynamic capacity improvements for REALI-SLIM® bearings vary with type and size, with increases for Type X (4-point contact) ranging from 31 to 77 percent.

These ratings have been published by KAYDON Corporation Bearings Division in a new edition of its Catalog 300 and are included with the company's REALI-DESIGNTM software, which is available for download at www.kaydonbearings.com. The new Catalog 300 features the expanded REALI-SLIM® product line and describes how it can create space, save weight and improve performance in demanding and critical applications. It also includes the key information needed to select a bearing for a specific application.

As part of the validation process, KAYDON Corporation Bearings Division also tested several competitors' thin-section bearings. The actual dynamic capacity of those bearings was found to be up to 72 percent lower than their published ratings.

KAYDON Corporation Bearings Division is a leading global manufacturer of standard and custom thin-section bearings as well as turntable and higher-level bearing assemblies for manufacturing and process industries. The company, which invented the thin-section bearing in 1943, is headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan.

For further information, contact:
Alistair Crannis, (231) 755-3747 x378
acrannis@kaydon.com

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