Hank Aleliunas Joins RBI OEM Group

RBI Bearing USA announced Hank Aleliunas has joined the OEM Business Development group of RBI-USA. Hank is a seasoned veteran of the bearing industry who brings over 30+ years of sales and sales management experience to RBI. Hank formerly worked as a Regional Sales Manager for NTN Bearing. We are excited to have Hank as part of the RBI team and we wish him great success in his new position. Hank can be reached at his direct line (630) 873-1288 or by e-mail haleliunas@rbibearing.com Shanghai Port Congestion We received an email from our freight forwarder the other day concerning severe congestion at the Shanghai port - as you can see from the pictures above, they are giving us a "heads up" that delays could occur while they attempt to resolve this problem. The above photos were taken at the highway and exits of highway to Shanghai ports on June 29th. Shanghai WGQ terminal 2 has just announced closing temporarily to clear all the containers and trucks under process inside the terminal. The other 5 terminals (including YangShan Terminal) are also suffering from similar situation but they still open for containers loading/unloading temporarily. We can't say with certainty our shipments will be affected, but it's a good bet that some of those containers in the picture did not make the original ship they were intended for. We will keep you updated as we receive more information.

Did You Know?

...that our RBtech Premium bearings bearings are used in the Sears Kenmore Progressive Vacuum Cleaners? Consumer Reports rated two of these this models #1 and #3 out of all vacuum cleaners tested in April 2007.

RBI Monthly Prize Package Giveaway!
	JUNE 2007 WINNER Dan Vest Midpoint Bearing Ontario CA

A monthly look at recent events in China
Click the title to read the story

U.S. businesses set sights on Chinese tourists
Donuts take a bite from Asian food market
2008 games; Hello toilet, bye W.C.
China to allow hyphenated names

How should bearings be stored or handled?
by Mike Mortensen - Director of Engineering RBI-USA

It is important that bearings are stored and handled properly. Regardless of manufacturing quality, bearings that are stored or handled improperly run the risk of performing poorly when used.

Ideally, bearings should be stored in a cool and dry environment. If bearings are stored in an environment that is too hot or cold, the lubricant's physical characteristic may be adversely affected and the lubricant may not effectively lubricate the bearing during operation. If the environment is not dry, then the moisture in the air can cause the bearing steel to corrode. Often during packaging, the bearings are covered with a light rust preventative oil to prevent this corrosion from occurring. As with many precision components, it is critical that bearings are not exposed to any sort of dust or water.

Careful consideration must be made as to how the bearings are stored. It is advised that the bearing cartons should not be stacked too high in order to avoid damaging the protective packaging or the bearings within.

Often overlooked, the mishandling of bearings can adversely affect bearing life and performance. Bearings should only be removed from the packaging when they are ready for mounting into the application. This limits the risk of contamination of the bearing. Because skin contains moisture, oil, acids, and salts, bearings should not come in direct contact with bare hands. In order to avoid internal damage, bearings should not be dropped or exposed to excessive vibration during shipping.

Have a question or topic you would like to see covered? Click here to let Mike know!

For those who can't get out of bed in the morning

Clocky Alarm Clock
Nanda ,  2006

Clocky is the alarm clock that can jump down from up to 2 feet and run away and hide if you do not get out of bed on time. After one snooze cycle, Clocky will roll and move around the room with randomly patterned alarm beeps. Clocky's wheels can be disabled if you want a conventional alarm clock. Features an early low battery warning. Contact: Momastore.org