A leading U.S. steel mill was seeking a way to reduce maintenance and extend the lifespan of their equipment. Frequent re-greasing and premature wear of traditional bearings were creating excessive downtime and escalating operational costs. The customer needed a solution that could deliver long-term reliability, especially in high-temperature, high-wear applications where traditional bearings tend to fail.

EIS introduced the customer to a greaseless bearing solution known as High Temp Bearings, a PTFE sleeve bearing specifically engineered for harsh industrial environments. These bearings are designed to operate without lubrication, reducing the need for regular maintenance and the risks associated with grease contamination—both key benefits in steel mill applications where uptime is critical. 

After an extensive one-year trial, the performance of the greaseless bearing exceeded expectations. The sleeve bearing not only held up but also showed promise in helping reduce both labor-intensive maintenance and downtime risk across operations.

After a successful one-year trial, the U.S. steel mill moved forward with an initial production order of PTFE sleeve bearings. This order marks the first step in what could become a million-dollar initiative to replace traditional greased bearings across the facility with more reliable, low-maintenance alternatives. 

With the bearings still performing flawlessly in the field, EIS is now engaging additional contacts at the mill to identify further opportunities—particularly in other high-temperature areas of the operation.