Another Gartech Quick Ref, this time on bearings found throughout Gartech products including the Gartech Glue System and patented Gartech yokes.
Gartech Quick Ref
Throughout our designs, we’ve incorporated the use of bearings for greater function, improved endurance, and part tolerance. These components are key to getting the best results. When they start to show wear, they should be replaced. Neglected bearings lead to bearing failure and damaged parts.
Gartech Heads & Yokes
Gartech Yokes
(CYR 1 S, CYR 1-1/8 S, or CYR 1-1/2 S.) Our patented yoke design is one of the easiest parts to inspect for bearing wear. If a bearing begins to lose its blackened finish and “shine” then wear has begun. The yoke roller bearings should always turn freely by hand. If you notice grooves in the pockets of the yokes that resemble the size and shape of the bearing, some adjustments should be made. When ridges or grooving appear on the working surface of the bearing, the bearing needs replaced.
Ignoring these components leads to failure of the yoke and, when neglected long enough, damage of the head or wear plate. While we do not recommend letting the bearing act as a driver in the head, it does act as a guide to maintain hardware alignment on the panel. Using healthy bearings reduces misalignment and premature wear.
Read more on setting and maintaining a yoke.
Gartech Glue Systems
Gartech Glue Shafts
(Shown above as Item No. 15 and Item No. 8 in the illustration below.) Located behind a seal on both the upper and lower Glue Shaft, are two high-performance bearings (that’s four total glue shaft bearings). We use bearings with the closest possible tolerance to reduce runout of the wheel. A cheap, loose-tolerance bearing is like wearing a belt that doesn’t fit. It creates more problems and fails in its purpose.
In the same manner, when a close-tolerance bearing fails, you’ll see problems. Glue Wheel runout is a common symptom. Maintaining these bearings lets the Glue Wheel rotate in a smooth, concentric manner; just as they were designed and manufactured to perform. When checking these bearings, also check the keys on the glue shaft. If they show wear, replace them too.
Gartech Pivot Pin
(Shown as Item No. 29 above.) These two bearings function when the lower Glue Wheel extends away from the upper Glue Wheel during Idle Mode. They fail less often than other bearings, but they do sustain wear and abuse. When these bearings begin to fail, the lower arm assembly, which includes the shoe, the wheel, and the glue shaft, suffer. While there are other factors that contribute to damage to this assembly, it’s bearing failure that leads to mechanical failure.
Gartech Idler Pulleys
Idler pulleys are used to route the timing belt through the Gartech Glue System. Their bearings are lightweight but allow for the rapid motion necessary in maintaining wheel speed. When they fail, damage to the timing belt begins and changes in wheel speed become noticeable.
Low-cost Maintenance
The bearings listed here are some of the most affordable replacement parts in our product line and are inspected each time we perform a service call. We also use only sealed bearings throughout our systems to prolong the life and durability of our parts.
Need more info? Contact us through this site.
Thank you.
You might have missed this entry on our mechanical glue system assemblies.