The LKAB mine in Malmberget, Sweden, is one of the most modern operations in the world. The company extracts iron ore from underground mines going down as far as 900 metres. The mine runs non-stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In a test of SKF sealed spherical roller bearings, LKAB found that they could virtually eliminate the need for re-greasing, and no longer needed to invest in a central lubrication system. Bearing service life for an open bearing that was continually re-greased, was almost the same as for the SKF sealed spherical roller bearing. While the cost for the sealed spherical roller bearing solution was initially higher, the reduced grease handling cost compared to open solutions made breakeven possible to reach in just one year, and over a five-year period LKAB achieved significant cost savings. Additional savings were realized by reducing downtime related to bearing replacement.
