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BearingFood industry

NTN Food-Grade Bearings – When Downtime Is Not an Option

NTN food-gred bearings offer the trifecta of reliability, hygiene and maintenance-free operation in the most demanding manufacturing environments. The Sentinel series, as well as stainless and thermoplastic bearing units, are specifically designed for the needs of the food processing industry.

Read our article to learn how NTN’s food industry bearings support production line safety, compliance and long-term cost reduction.

Why is the food industry a special requirement?

The food industry environment is one of the biggest challenges for bearings:

  • Multiple daily high-pressure washing
  • Steam, alkaline and acidic chemicals
  • Food contact
  • Difficult to reach lubrication points
  • HACCP, NSF-H1, ISO 22000 requirements

Conventional greased UC units can quickly break down in such an environment – soaking, contaminating or falling out of production.

NTN Sentinel Series – the maintenance-free alternative

  • 100% stainless steel construction

Steel rings, bearing housings, mounts are made of SUS304 or SUS440C stainless steel – no coating, no flaking, no contamination.

  • LUBSOLID® and Solid Grease technology

The solid lubricant does not leak, does not wash out and does not need to be reapplied. The lubrication is NSF-H1 certified and FDA-compliant.

Two types:

  • Spot Pack: for high speed
  • Full Pack: in a closed, washed environment
  • Reinforced sealing

The nitrile LL seals and stainless steel dust shields (SCO/SCC) protect the bearing from water, disinfectants and contaminants.

NTN stainless steel units – when is the ideal choice?

The use of stainless steel bearing units is highly recommended for machines subject to continuous washing (e.g. bottling plants, dairies, poultry processing), difficult to access lubrication points, HACCP and audited production environments, and in steam and hot water disinfected production lines.

Advantages:

  • completely maintenance-free
  • audit-proof, certified
  • no grease leakage, no contamination

Disadvantages:

  • higher price
  • requires precise shaft preparation

Product designations:

Success story: stainless steel self-aligning bearing units with LUBSOLID® inserts

POV: A large poultry plant processing 175,000 birds a day experienced problems with the poultry cage washing machines and cage unloading system due to the failure of SUCF206 roller bearings. The equipment was damaged by corrosion and cleaning agents. Losses: €231 per minute.

The customer wanted to increase the reliability of the bearings also during high pressure washing, thus increasing profitability.

NTN’s suggestion was to use stainless steel bearing units with additional housings and stainless steel inserts with LUBSOLID® lubrication: SUCF206FG1. This is the perfect solution against corrosion and exposure to high pressure washing.

Savings achieved:

  • Reduction of bearings consumption: €74 200
  • Reduced maintenance: €31 200
  • Improvement of availability €15 080
  • Total: €120 480/year
ntn élelmiszeripari csapágyak baromfi

NTN thermoplastic units – if cleanability is the main concern

The PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) housed bearing units in the NTN range are also made with LUBSOLID® inserts, but the housing material is plastic, smooth, non-porous and antibacterial.

Suggested applications:

  • highly chemical, chlorine-containing cleaning environment
  • machines where the bearing is on a visible surface
  • light load machinery units, e.g. packaging lines, sorting machines

Advantages:

  • Very easy to clean
  • Lightweight, chemical-resistant housing
  • Same LUBSOLID® lubrication as stainless steel

Disadvantages:

  • Cannot withstand high shocks or heat
  • Lower clamping torque (max. 50 Nm)

Product designations:

Success story: thermoplastic self-aligning bearing units with LUBSOLID® inserts

POV: A French fries manufacturer replaced 432 MUCNFL205 bearings on a potato calibrator. The bearings were leaking water and affecting the application.

The customer was looking for a solution to optimise the sealing of the bearings and increase their lifetime.

NTN’s suggestion was to use thermoplastic bearing units and stainless steel inserts with LUBSOLID® lubrication: SUCNFL205FG1.

The number of bearings required was reduced from 432 to only 72, an 82% improvement.

Savings achieved:

  • reduction of bearings consumption: €27 936
  • reduced maintenance: €5 580
  • availability improvement €1 277 100
  • total: €1 310 616/year
ntn élelmiszeripari csapágyak sült krumpli

Which NTN food industry bearing should be installed where?

Viewpoint Stainless-steel bearing unit(LUBSOLID®) Thermoplastic bearing unit
High mechanical loads
Heat load / steam
Cleanability
Acidic/alkaline environment
Lightweight machine unit ⚠️
Maintenance-free
For a price-sensitive project ⚠️ higher price ✅cheaper
Audit-proof compliance

 

Decision-making aspects – what not to ignore

Certification

  • NSF H1, FDA, ISO 14001 compliance
    Audit risk reduction

Sustainability

  • Less lubricant, less hazardous waste
  • 100% recyclable parts
  • Can be integrated into ESG and CSR strategies

TCO-based return

  • Less intervention → less downtime
  • Smaller spare parts stock → simplified procurement
  • Longer life → reduced bearing wear

Portfolio cleaning

  • UC size compatibility
  • Fewer items – easier stock management

NTN bearings for the food industry are not just components, but investments in stable, audited and sustainable production.

Have a look at the catalogue >> HERE <<

If you have any questions, would like a custom quote or simply want to be sure about your next exchange, get in touch with our team!