What If There Was An Easier Way To Remove Bearings From A Shaft?

What If There Was An Easier Way To Remove Bearings From A Shaft?

With each day, technology and product innovations become more centered around convenience and adding ease to our daily lives. In the industrial world, this translates to discovering new ways to achieve greater operational efficiency, whether that’s improving machine systems or streamlining conventional processes, like the removal of a bearing from a shaft.

Our goal is to help workers achieve optimum efficiency by evaluating current industry practices, procedures, techniques or routines and asking the question: “what if there was an easier way?”

The Challenges of Bearing Removal

For hundreds of years, figuring out how to remove bearings from a shaft has been a time-consuming maintenance challenge. This is due to the burrs that are formed when the setscrews are torqued onto the shaft.

Additionally, inefficient standard methods used over time to remove the bearings have added insult to injury, contributing to countless hours of extended downtime, shaft damage and frustration.

how to remove bearings



Hammer and Drift Method

The most recommended, but not commonly used, standard method uses a hammer and drift. This method utilizes these tools to pound down the burr created by the setscrews during installation. This comes at the cost of leaving scratches and/or gouges on the shaft.

how to remove bearings

Bearing Puller Method

Another standard method requires a bearing puller. However, adequate space must be available for it to successfully remove the bearing. Similarly to the hammer and drift method, this can also leave scratches and/or gouges on the shaft.

Destructive Methods

how to remove bearings

When the hammer and drift and bearing puller methods fail, destructive methods are used as a final attempt to remove a bearing from the shaft. These various destructive tactics use instruments such as: hand-grinders, acetylene torches or big hammers. The force used by these objects also commonly result in unnecessary shaft damage and sometimes personal injury.


An Easier Way To Remove Mounted Bearings

If you’ve tried any variation of these methods and are looking for an easier way, Regal offers a bearing removal solution that requires no “method” at all━the Sealmaster® TIME SAVING™ Performance Ball Bearing. It has patented axial grooves that extend the entire length of the inner ring bore at setscrew locations. This design provides clearance from the burrs, ensuring easy removal in either direction.

sealmaster axial groove mounted ball bearing

Sealmaster TIME SAVING Performance Ball Bearing

A New Removal Process

  • Loosen the setscrews
  • Pull the bearing off the shaft

    *Note: In cases of excessive fretting corrosion, a hammer and drift or bearing puller may be needed to assist the removal.

With no impact to ball path roundness, load and speed rating, or bearing performance, the Sealmaster TIMESAVING axial groove mounted ball bearing allows for easier bearing removal to reduce your extended downtime, while maintaining efficient performance.

Additionally, the axial groove design minimizes the damage to your shaft, previously caused by standard and destructive removal methods – reducing unnecessary replacement costs and extending shaft life.

Example of Removal With Standard Bearing
Example of Removal With Standard Bearing
Example of Removal With Axial Groove
Example of Removal With Axial Groove

Learn More About How To Remove Bearings With Sealmaster TIME SAVING Performance Mounted Ball Bearings

Mechanical Power Transmission has been a cornerstone of the IBT Industrial Solutions business since the company was founded in 1949. For more information on how to remove bearings, or to speak with one of our experts about keeping your applications up-and-running, send us a message or give us a call at 913-677-3151 today!

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