“We needed to produce an efficient, extremely robust, and completely dust-free floor grinder – and fast!” These were the words Martin Persson, product manager at Scanmaskin, used to describe the challenge facing his company. Based in Lindome, Sweden, Scanmaskin also manufactures industrial vacuum cleaners, grinding and polishing tools, and other related products. With a major trade fair lined up in 2018, the company was under pressure to develop their new floor grinder in as little time as possible.
Pooling knowledge to meet high demands
Despite the short time frame, Scanmaskin had high expectations for the new product. The floor grinder needed to be able to handle potential obstacles, such as bolts, without taking any damage. It needed to be sealed to prevent dust, dirt, or moisture entering the components and accelerating wear. And it needed to meet customer demands for efficiency and long service intervals.
Scanmaskin decided the best way to meet this challenge was to collaborate with suppliers, consultants, and retailers. Persson explains, “We put great emphasis on service levels and had developed a principle of operation ourselves that required a very robust seal to function at all.” For this reason, Scanmaskin approached SKF to work on a number of proposals. Together, they chose a sealing solution that had previously been successfully tested in chemical mixing equipment – a very aggressive operating environment.
A reliable solution for an award-winning innovation
Early in the discussions, SKF and Scanmaskin specialists from various fields determined the solution needs. Instead of the standard bearing and sealing solution, the floor grinder required a hub unit for the wheel bearing. The sealing solution had to protect the driveline from contamination, while resisting damage during drive belt changes and not generating too much heat. For this reason, the solution chosen was the HDS SKF Duralip, a radial seal with enhanced exclusion capabilities. To improve the wear properties compared to rubber, SKF developed and used a modified nitrile rubber in the solution.
“A hub like this has an excellent seal, is easy to install, and is incredibly strong – which is important considering the impact from the machine.”
– Nils Manne, application engineer at SKF
In just four months, the two teams had reached their goal and launched the new product, the Scanmaskin World Series, in time for the trade fair in Las Vegas. The hard work paid off, as the World Series was very well received and orders for the product rolled in. Not only that, but Swedish trade association Professionell Demolering awarded the product with a prize for Innovation of the Year.
Product highlights in summary
- 20 years estimated product service life – twice as long as previous product generations
- 1,500 hours average service interval
- Withstands tough environments, preventing contamination from concrete dust, dirt, and water