Bearings are a critical component of pumps and motors, and are typically designed to operate for many years. However, when they do fail prematurely, it’s often due to lubrication loss and contamination. The VB45-S bearing isolator from Inpro/Seal is designed to provide permanent bearing protection for the bearings found in the oil-lubricated pumps and motors used in many water treatment applications.

The IP66-rated bearing isolator comes in at only .625 inch in length, making it a small but appreciated safeguard.

“This product is a fit for any rotating equipment application that can benefit from increased bearing protection,” says ­­­­­­Neil Hoehle of Inpro/Seal. “Typically, the most likely application is in pump bearing housings in large pump systems.”

Inpro/Seal’s bearing isolator design consists of a unitized stator and rotor that form a compound labyrinth seal with no wearing parts, ensuring permanent equipment protection. The stator is typically pressed into the bearing housing, while the rotor turns with the shaft. The bearing isolator serves as an effective replacement for contact seals such as lip seals, mechanical seals and magnetic seals. Those types of seals have a finite life expectancy, eventually wearing at the point of contact or grooving the shaft. As a result, they no longer effectively seal the bearing enclosure, making rotating equipment unreliable, and opening the door to catastrophic failure due to bearing degradation.

“It is a great fit for water treatment systems, as equipment reliability is paramount,” says Hoehle. “Bearing protection for rotating equipment such as pumps is one of the best investments you can make for increasing reliability.”

The VB45-S ensures premium protection in such a small design envelope by utilizing multiple design features. The VBXX Interface and oversized contamination chamber blocks contaminants from entering the bearing housing, while the enlarged D-Groove protects against oil loss by capturing oil on the shaft and returning to the bearing housing. The VB45 Chamber houses the VBX Ring to inhibit the transfer of vapor contamination created by the heating/cooling of the bearing enclosure. After the most extensive testing, development and launch process of any previous bearing isolator from Inpro/Seal, the product officially launched in December 2016.

“Sales have been expanding exponentially since launch, and feedback has been universally positive,” says Hoehle. “Many customers are switching from our previous model, the established industry standard, to our new VB45-S design.” 800/447-0524; www.inpro-seal.com