What is a bearing induction heater?

When installing a bearing it's sometimes necessary to heat it up. A hot bearing expands & slides over a shaft much easier than a cold bearing. In fact, tolerances are so tight on some equipment that a bearing can't be installed without heating it beforehand.

There are a variety of methods used to heat up bearings, some of the less-optimal methods include ovens, open flames, & oil baths. However, a purpose-built bearing heater will often do the job quicker, safer, more efficiently, and with less mess. Among the best types of bearing heaters are induction heaters, which brings us to our question, what is a bearing induction heater?

An Induction bearing heater uses electromagnetic induction to heat electrically conductive materials such as metal bearings. The heat is created inside of the bearing itself so there is no external heat source. This is similar to induction cooking where only the pan / pot gets hot and not the stove-top. There are many benefits to using induction over external heat for bearing instillation. We have listed some of those benefits below.

(Example of an Induction Heater: The Simatec Volcano IH 025)

Benefits of an Induction Style Bearing Heater:

• Safety: Only the bearing & area near it will get hot, not the entire surface. There are no open flames or hot liquids, which reduce accidents.
• Ease Of Use: Induction heaters are usually smaller & simpler to operate. You position the bearing, attach a probe, turn it on & set the temp.
• Faster: Bearings heat quicker than a hot plate, oven, or oil bath.
• Efficiency: When connected to a temperature probe, an induction heater can get the temperature of your Bering just right. It heats more evenly than other methods.

(Pictured: the Simatec Simatherm IH 070 Induction Heater)

So now you know a bearing induction heater is a specific type of bearing heater and is widely preferred due to the wide range of benefits. Also, they come in various sizes & shapes so you can get one for nearly any application.

You can see all our Bearing heaters and hot plates here. If you have any questions feel free to check our resource center or contact us.