Chris Johnson, SMB Bearings, UK, reveals the steps needed to ensure quality engineering that endures unforgiving offshore conditions.tothe sea floor. Therefore, these risers are often exposed to extremely ‘aggressive environments and canbe fly submerged ‘Although specifically developed tobe used underwater the design should also consider the consequencesif seawater were to infiltrate the device and encounter its internal components. For instance, the pins of the articulated joint of driling risers are mounted on bearings, which ‘must also be fully submergble ané resistant to corrosion. Otherwise, ‘the device will not operate effectively when underwater. Selecting the right parts ‘Generally, large-scale machinery found on offshore rigs, suchas marine ise tension systems and cranes, are specially engineered foruseinthese environments, Having been designed by a specialist marine engineer and manufactured bya marine-fcused orginal ‘equipment manufacturer (08) this machinery wl be bul with the unpredictable offshore envronmentin mind, ‘smalercomponents however, ar often purchased from suppers that may not specialise in marine engineering ~ or understand how these emironments would interact wth certain components or materials Another problem coud acer intemal components for ofhore equipment are replacedncoretyFornstanc, ailing rier may have been supplied with corrosion resistant bearings that can operate when {uly submerged. Howeves an engineer were to replace one ofthese beings with an unsuitable version, this coud cause the ert. any bearing distributors supply a magnitude ofbesrings toa wide range ofindusties. For marine environments stainless steel bearings immediately spring to ming, but which grade of stainless steel? While the materials wellknown forts corosion resistant properties, this doesnot necessarily mean tisideal for ofshore cil and s2sappliatons {40 grae stainless tel, orinstance,isknown forts resistance todampeenvonments, Bearings made ofthis material are regulary Ceramic bearings Full ceramic bearings not tobe confused wih hybrid cero Bering con bemade rom Zrcanium Did (20, slean Wid (SiN) and ean fom in tmperatires ranging rm 200°C t 00". SMB earings craic raring are avalable 3 fll complement no cage) rw a age made rom ptythererterktone (PEEK) or plyctafuoroetiyene (PTFE These enon mgt, non-condotve and igh corson resistant to ost. tenia Plasticbearings Sab Beings rang of plas beatings re supped om UK tock ard are ‘Scoion resstart non magnet no-condutve ad macht on sel Dea Awl ein se Sandgate bt akeatves re ae [peat corsion retnce ogesiveenonens sch asthe chemes Ins. he snr ng of ple enngs resin wi oss or 56 stale se bl te ter beng more popaarin ood pret 16 stainless steel bearings “The 16 bearing range can withstand temperatures of upto 500C Of supplied without cages) an is igh restate seawater, sl prey and chemin The ‘ay iflerence been 316 stiles stel bearings ond other stale steel beatings the aon ofmatdenum tote meta an oy that Slencantly enhances te corrosion rertanes of te bearing. Se i Figure 1. (0) Ceramic bearings. (o) Postic bearings.) Stonless see bearings ‘44 [oltietd Technology July 2019 Used n environments subject to washdown and exposed to water, such 28s food and beverage manufacturing. Despite this, 440 stainless steel actually has very poor resistance to salt water Insalt water or salt spray environments, 316 stainless steel bearings are a beter option. fat, these are commonly recognised asmarne grade bearings. Despite this, they should only be used in ‘marine applications above the water ine, orn flowing, oxygenated water. Full ceramic bearings made from zirconia or siicon nitride can provide even higher levels of corrosion resistance and are often used fully submerge. Bearings might seem a smallthing considering the scale of many offshore rigs. However failure of even the smallest bearing can bring operations toa grinding halt-a costly risk for a muitimiion-pound industry Ensuring quality and compliance Materials nt the only factor to consider when choosing a bearing foruseon anofshore cil orga facility. Customers should also enquire about other technical capabilites, sucha the load rating and tolerances ofa bearing, to ensureit can withstand the envonmentin which tmust operate Environmental esponsibility, such as adherence withthe Reston of Hazardous Substances ROHS) recive, should also be considered for electrical and electronic equipment at thes sites Aaheringto these regulations ensures that te operations wil comply with increasingly stingent nronmental regulations fo ofshore ig When checking thi, ts also worth investigating whether the bearings used comply wth other standards, sich stove related to ual contrl ISO 901 and 1S014001 are noteworthy standordsto lock otf Naturally, R isnot ester to choose the most expensive bearing on the market, bu selecting high-quality bearing could save on epairand maintenance cst nthe ature Minimising maintenance Reducing the need for malntenance saves time and money hile decreasing risktoany onsite maintenance engncersbattingte tlements. ut, how can small components contribute to maintenance reduction? When selecting bearing, customers should ask forthe predicted span. nado, are the materials an lubrication sitabefor a marin envionment? Can the bearing run unlbrcated wth an acceptable itespan as nthe case of fl-ceramicbeaings? These are important considerations when speciyng bearings that wl un contiauouly wth ite ono maintenance. Thatbelng sa the lubiaton requirements would depend onthe specif application of the bearing ts load andthe condionsin which twill operate Sore bearing lubricants, for example ae natverywatereitant and may eventualy be washed outina wet rvronment, hence theinereasinguse offul-eramic earings in marine environments Other lubricant spectcatons, such as viscosity and speeding, 2° alsohave alnocion eect onthe lifespan ofa bearing. However, requirements or ths can only be determined according tothe exact appition in which bearing wl be sedi rigeare vast facts, and not every bern willbe the same “The unforgng conditions of fshor= ciland gas rigs can wreak havc on the machinery Used on these sts. Hower there are ways to ensure that ever te smallestof components can assist ate! than nde the smooth runing" dicate.