Bearing Packing Machine Video: Complete Guide

Executive summary

Bearings are made of high-carbon chromium steel, and the ground raceways rust quickly when humidity changes in transit. A bearing packing machine passes VCI film, paper or stretch film through the bearing bore with a rotating ring. The bearing turns at the same time, so the whole ring is sealed at even tension. This page covers the cycle, the FPB-400 data, how to pick film width for the bore, and how overlap sets wrap time.

In standard orbital packaging operation, the bearing ring is seated directly on driven polyurethane support rollers while top press rollers clamp it securely in place. Once initiated via the PLC control interface, the bearing rotates continuously as the orbital ring shuttles the packaging material through the central bore, applying an even, multi-layer protective wrap around the cross-section without intermediate manual handling.

Table of Contents

Why bearings need sealed packing

A bearing that rusts on a raceway is scrap. High-carbon chromium bearing steel (such as 100Cr6 / AISI 52100) possesses high surface sensitivity; anti-rust oil alone easily migrates or dries out over long sea transits, and loose plastic bagging allows moist ambient air to circulate and condense under thermal cycling.

VCI (Vapour Corrosion Inhibitor) packaging material continuously volatilises anti-corrosion chemical molecules into the enclosed space, but it provides dependable passivation only when the outer wrap is tight, consistent, and completely free of air pockets or edge tears. Manually hand-wrapping a 300 kg industrial bearing is slow, physically hazardous, and inevitably uneven. An automated machine wrap applies identical overlap and constant mechanical tension to every piece, ensuring the bearing never leaves its driven support rollers until it is completely sealed against moisture and airborne contaminants.

The wrapping cycle

  1. Position: The bearing is placed onto the polyurethane-coated support rollers and centred automatically via centralized positioning; optical and proximity sensors confirm the workpiece location.
  2. Set: The operator inputs the workpiece outer diameter (OD), inner diameter (ID), and cross-section width via the touchscreen, or calls up one of up to 6 stored programs.
  3. Wrap: The orbital ring guides the packaging material through the open bore while the support rollers rotate the bearing, creating an even spiral overlap around the entire ring.
  4. Cut: The packaging material is cut off cleanly at the completion of the wrapping cycle.
  5. Unload: The fully wrapped, corrosion-sealed bearing leaves the station via manual pick-up or transfers directly along the integrated outfeed conveyor.

FPB-400 data

The following technical specifications represent the verified manufacturer ratings for the standard FPB-400 orbital bearing wrapping station:

Item FHOPE FPB-400 bearing packing machine
Bearing ID 300–800 mm
Bearing OD 500–1,200 mm
Bearing width 100–400 mm
Bearing weight 100–500 kg
Packing material Crepe paper, PE, stretch film, knit belt, PVC
Ring speed 30–70 r/min
Wrapping speed 30–50 s per piece
Overlap 20%–90%
Power 2.5 kW, AC 380 V 50 Hz
Stored programs Up to 6

Specification reference: As published on the official FHOPE FPB-400 product page [manufacturer rating]. Custom voltage supplies are configured on request.

Smaller bearings use the dedicated FPBS-200 bearing wrapping machine [manufacturer rating], which is engineered specifically for manual bench loading of rings with ID Φ120–Φ270 mm, coil radial thickness (OD − ID) < 190 mm, width 40–130 mm, and workpiece weight 5–70 kg (cycling at 20–35 s per piece with ring speeds up to 100 r/min). Heavy-duty bearings exceeding these envelopes (such as mill and slewing rings up to OD 5,000 mm / 12,000 kg on FPCA-6000 systems) are confirmed upon engineering quote.

Film width and the bearing bore

The packaging material roll mounted on the rotating orbital ring must pass cleanly through the bearing bore with sufficient mechanical clearance on every transit cycle.

On one customer project involving VCI wrapping for compact bearings with bores from 150 mm on a compact wrapper, the customer initially proposed a 59 mm wide film roll. FHOPE application engineers conducted a physical path review and recommended 50 mm wide material instead to ensure the orbital shuttle head maintained an essential operating safety margin. A wider roll holder assembly can physically strike the precision-ground internal raceway or chamfer if the heavy ring sits even marginally off-centre during roller indexing.

With the 59 mm roll assembly, bearings with 150 mm bores in that range could not be wrapped safely without risk of surface contact. As a baseline reference for smaller machines, standard compact wrappers like the FPBS-200 specify film rolls with OD 60–100 mm, ID 30 mm, and a dedicated 40 mm material width.

Rule: Choose the widest film that still clears the smallest bore with margin.

Workpieces within ID 300–800 mm and 100–500 kg route to the FPB-400 platform; smaller ring geometries (ID Φ120–Φ270 mm, 5–70 kg) route to the FPBS-200, while bespoke envelopes outside these parameters are reviewed upon quote.

Overlap and wrap time

Cycle time is governed by orbital ring rotational speed, workpiece rotation, and the programmed material overlap rate (adjustable between 20% and 90% via inverter):

Ring turns = π × mean diameter ÷ (film width × (1 − overlap))

(Note: The following calculation serves as an engineering application example [derived] based on project correspondence.)

For a bearing with OD 800 mm and ID 500 mm:

  • Mean diameter = (800 mm + 500 mm) ÷ 2 = 650 mm
  • Workpiece circumference = 3.14 × 650 mm ≈ 2,041 mm

When applying 100 mm wide packaging material at a 50% overlap rate:

  • Effective advance per ring revolution = 100 mm × (1 − 0.50) = 50 mm
  • Total ring turns required = 2,041 mm ÷ 50 mm ≈ 41 turns
  • At an orbital ring speed of 60 r/min, total wrapping time = 41 turns ÷ (60 r/min ÷ 60 s) ≈ 41 s (falling cleanly within the nominal 30–50 s machine rating).

If switching to a narrow 50 mm VCI roll at the same 50% overlap, the advance per turn drops to 25 mm, doubling the required revolutions to approximately 82 turns and extending cycle duration to roughly 82 s. While a higher overlap percentage delivers superior vapor-phase barrier sealing against maritime salinity, it increases material usage and cycle duration; overlap should be set according to projected storage duration and logistics exposure.

Selection checklist

Before requesting an engineering proposal or line quotation, compile the following six operational parameters:

  1. Bearing ID, OD, width and weight range?
  2. Bearings per shift?
  3. VCI film, paper or two materials on one bearing?
  4. Smallest bore, to set film width?
  5. Manual loading or inline conveyors?
  6. Labels or outer box after wrapping?

Safety

FHOPE bearing wrapping stations are engineered in strict conformity with harmonised European safety directives:

  • EN ISO 12100:2010: Safety of machinery — General principles for design — Risk assessment and risk reduction.
  • EN 415-10: Safety of packaging machines — General requirements.
  • EN 60204-1: Safety of machinery — Electrical equipment of machines.

The high-speed rotating orbital ring is fully enclosed within interlocked physical safety guarding. All operational fault conditions (including material run-out, emergency stop activation, or inverter faults) are pinpointed on the touchscreen operator interface and indicated via a multi-tier audio-visual alarm stack.

Engineering FAQ

Q: Can two films go on one bearing? A: Yes; an inner VCI layer for direct anti-corrosion contact and an outer stretch film layer for external mechanical scuff and moisture protection can be applied in sequential passes, configured per project specification.

Q: Does the machine need to be reset for each size? A: Only OD, ID and cross-section width need to be entered into the terminal; pre-configured recipes can be stored across up to 6 stored programs for quick single-touch job changeover.

Q: Can it link to the bearing line? A: Yes, the station can be integrated seamlessly with powered infeed and outfeed roller conveyors, indexing stoppers, and upstream automated line PLC handshakes for fully unmanned start-and-stop wrapping.

Q: What if the film breaks? A: Optical film tension and break sensors detect material absence immediately, arresting ring rotation and showing the exact fault cause on the control panel while illuminating the red beacon.

Next step

  1. Send your bearing sizes, weights and wrap materials to info@fhopepack.com.
  2. We match the wrapper platform (FPB-400 or FPBS-200) and packaging film width directly to your smallest bore envelope.
  3. We reply within 24 hours with a formal engineering layout proposal and quotation.

Sources

  • FHOPE product pages: FPB-400 and FPBS-200 bearing wrappers [manufacturer rating]
  • FHOPE project correspondence on VCI film width for bearing wrapping [derived]
  • International Safety Standards: EN ISO 12100:2010; EN 415-10; EN 60204-1
  • The bearing wrapper shown above

Last reviewed: 2026-10-20

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