Premature bearing failure in equipment is a significant issue for seafood, meat and other food processors. Emerson Bearing Boston, a bearing company catering to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) markets around the world, has announced the availability of Stand-Off Series Mounted Bearing Units, "super" bearings that can handle severe service environments, particularly those applications that are a challenge to the survival of the bearing. Severe service environments in the food processing industry are those that have conditions which contribute to the premature failure of the bearing, such as chemical, submerged or wash-down environments, vibrating or impact environments and those with high or low temperatures. For example, an environment processing food that goes into fryers. The bearing goes into the hot oil with the chicken nuggets or fish cakes. Survival of the Fittest...Bearing Emerson Bearing now offers corrosion resistant Stand-Off Series Mounted Bearing Units. With food processing requiring frequent wash downs of machinery often leading to premature bearing failure, these field-retrofittable integrated bearing stand-offs perform the task to a higher level, and allow users and inspectors full access to the space between the bearing and the frame. In this whole new approach, it eliminates any area between the bearing and housing where dirt and bacteria may accumulate, thereby enabling OEMs and users to better meet stringent sanitation standards for cleaning and inspection. Plastic caps for these bearings are also available through Emerson. Food processing that involves fryers, another severe environment, requires bearings that can endure extremely high heat and withstand submersion in hot oil. Emerson Bearing also carries a special Fryer Bearing, which is a flange bearing unit that has a C4 fit which allows for thermal expansion. "If wash down or chemicals cause premature bearing failure, or if food safety and contamination is an issue even though USDA and other programs are in place, these new sanitary bearings are ideal," explained Steve Katz, president of Emerson Bearing. "Other factors, such as changing a bearing more than once a year or greasing a bearing at least once a week, are also indicative of the need for these 'super' bearings for severe service environments."