The Railway Sales Unit of SKF, the knowledge engineering company, operates a successful onsite tapered roller bearing unit (TBU) exchange service, cutting the time and cost of replacing entire railway vehicle wheelsets. Because the modern range of railway axle bearings are bearing units, they can be fitted complete, as a preset lubricated bearing assembly on the wheelset at the depot or under a train.

The SKF TBU exchange service provides onsite bearing exchanges for customers operating railway vehicles on cartridge bearings of 120 mm to 160 mm in diameter. Exchanging the cartridge bearings for TBUs onsite allows both bearings per wheelset to be exchanged in as little as one hour depending on size; allowing the vehicles back in service as quickly as possible. By exchanging the bearings onsite, which typically costs around 20% of the price of a replacement wheelset, significant time and cost savings can be realised for railway maintenance depots caring for fleets of trains. With passenger train fleet utilisation increasing, this service is proving invaluable for train operators.

SKF hold stocks of bearings to suit most applications operating in the UK to support this service. Staff performing the service are trained and assessed competent to meet stringent railway industry standards for staff engaged in safety critical work. Flexible working arrangements allow same day or next day service at times to suit the maintenance depot staff.