High-quality railway bearing service at RBI

摘要

Bearing maintenance within the North American railroad industry is a major activity In which some 1 million combined reconditioned and new tapered roller bearing units (TBUs) are mounted each year. Roller Bearing Industries Inc. (RBI) is one of the leading bearing service companies supplying reconditioned freight and locomotive bearings to the North American rail industry. The North American railroad market remains focused on freight transportation, which moves an average of 2.5 trillion tonnes of freight annually - equivalent to 12,500 trains, with 50 freight cars each, with a payload of some 100 tonnes per car, going all the way around the world. Most technical and quality standards for North American railroads are governed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), specifically in the AAR Manuals of Standards and Recommended Practices. This rail market comprises eight Class I and 35 Class II railroads. The difference between the two categories is based on total yearly operating revenues: Class I railroads have operating revenues that exceed 262 million US dollars annually, and Class I railroads have operating revenues that range between USD 21 million and USD 262 million annually. Freight cars are loaded with cargoes ranging on average from 60 tonnes to 115 tonnes and operate at speeds ranging from 40 km/h to 130 km/h. Topography and environmental conditions vary drastically, and thus have a tremendous impact on freight car equipment wear and tear.