It’s not every day that you get to say that you changed your industry for the better. At Pelonis, we are quite proud of our new and revolutionary Sealed Bearing System (SBS).
SBS is a cost effective and high performance, environmental DC fan bearing solution. It increases cooling fan life by actively reducing damaging oil leaks and dust contamination. In order to understand the real impact of SBS, you first need to take a quick look inside the manufacturing of DC fans.
Bearing Systems
Axial fans are made with two main types of bearings: ball and sleeve. Both have their advantages and draw backs. Traditional ball bearing based fans last longer, have a higher level of heat endurance, and run quieter at higher speeds. However, they are also quite expensive to produce.
Although AC and DC motors both convert electrical energy to mechanical energy, DC motors are powered with a battery or a converter rather than a direct power source.
While an AC motor speed is controlled by a shift in the frequency, a DC motor is controlled by the current itself. In today’s industry, you often see DC motors being the preferred option of the two.
DC motors in fans have greater torque and use less energy. In fact, most DC motors use 70% less energy, which means less damage done to your power bill. This also translates into the DC motor being easier to start, stop, and accelerate with six speed settings.
One of the most significant benefits of this functionality is that the motor is easier to install with the electrical components housed in one place on top of the motor. There is no switch cup or canopy, so those that find these extra components tedious will appreciate the convenience.
Although these motors may cost more initially, these quieter and lighter fan motors are an obvious choice. Ease of installation, greater control, and more advanced technology make the DC motor a better value.
In turn, sleeve bearings have shorter life spans, and create greater friction, but they are much less expensive.
Because they are not made with as high a level of precision, sleeve systems are much more susceptible to damage from oil leakage and dust. Over the years, people have tried, and mostly failed, to resolve some of the inherent problems of the sleeve bearing.
One of the main factors is heat. High temperatures deteriorate the sleeve bearings because the powdered metals simply cannot withstand extended exposure. As time goes on, heat increases, and the precision steel ball bearings are made to withstand it.
One of the other significant issues is friction. Friction can be a fan killer, since even ball bearings have limits to how much friction they can withstand. Sleeve bearings have broad line-contact between the shaft and bearing. As the back and forth sliding motion continues, the friction increases far more than the ball bearings, which are point-contact. This means minimal friction.
This is where SBS comes in to play. Pelonis’ SBS resolves all of these problems by using a special sealer, which keeps oil in, and dust out. Therefore, we have created a system that combines the cost effectiveness of sleeve bearing with the lower noise and higher shock and dust resistance of a ball bearing system.
With thicker, high-additive lubrication, there is less evaporation. This, combined with a lower oil content, means that our lubricant gives the superior ball bearing design the long-lasting edge you’re looking for.
Pelonis’ customers have found that our SBS is a very practical solution for DC fan application that requires the benefits of both sleeve and ball bearings.
