Correct storage and daily maintenance directly protect precision size and surface integrity of silicon nitride balls before installation, avoid unnecessary surface scratch, dirt adhesion and hidden damage during stockpiling, and guarantee consistent performance after assembling into industrial equipment.
For finished precision-grade silicon nitride balls, sealed moisture-proof packaging is the first storage requirement. Qualified products leave factory with anti-rust oil film and vacuum plastic packaging, users should keep original sealed package intact before formal installation and avoid unpacking randomly in open humid warehouse environment. Unpacked spare silicon nitride balls need to be stored inside sealed dry plastic box with desiccant to prevent workshop floating dust and humid air from adhering spherical surface and forming hard-to-clear dirt layer which scratches raceway during later assembling.
Storage environment needs strict temperature and humidity control, indoor warehouse temperature kept at normal room temperature range from 10°C to 28°C and relative humidity controlled below 65%. Avoid placing silicon nitride ball inventory beside acid-base chemical raw material storage area and outdoor open-air warehouse; corrosive volatile gas and dew condensation will pollute polished spherical surface and affect assembly matching precision of high-grade silicon nitride balls.
During picking and transportation, avoid direct hard collision between silicon nitride balls and iron tool or rough metal container. Operators wear clean soft glove to take precision balls instead of bare hand contact; sweat and grease left by bare hand stick on ball surface and form stubborn contamination layer after long-term storage. Large-batch ball shifting chooses soft plastic turnover box instead of iron bucket to prevent surface collision scratch.
Long-term stocked silicon nitride balls need periodic inspection every three months: take partial sample to check surface cleanliness and spherical integrity, clear accumulated dust on packing box outer surface and replenish failed desiccant inside sealed container in time. Before formal assembly, clean silicon nitride balls with specialized alcohol cleaning fluid and blow dry with clean compressed air to remove surface residual impurity before putting into bearing assembly.
Standardized storage maintenance effectively prolong spare part shelf life of silicon nitride balls and avoid economic loss caused by precision damage before equipment installation.
