Jun 21, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Timken will launch a paper industry bearing training class in September. Held at Timken's Tyger River facility in Union, South Carolina, the training will help paper mills and roll shop operators reduce downtime and improve machine performance by maximizing the efficiency of their mill's bearings. "We're dedicated to improving our customers' performance. By sharing our knowledge of friction management, customers will get the greatest performance out of Timken products. And, continuous improvement is a core value in the forest products industry," says Todd A. Thorsen, industry manager -- forest products. "This training is an in depth look at how mill operators can improve machine uptime through sound maintenance of all types of bearings, including Timken tapered, spherical and cylindrical products. The paper and forest products team plans to extend the scope of this training to include more modules." A combined schedule of in-class and hands-on training covers every phase of bearing performance in the mill -- from pulp to finish. The training equips mill operators to better understand how bearings are manufactured, removed, installed, maintained, lubricated, inspected, repaired and analyzed. Timken's service and application engineers and metallurgist from its forest products team will facilitate this training. Class sizes are limited to 12-15 individuals to allow personalized instruction. "We recognize that bearings in the hands of a trained operator become better products," added Rich M. Miskell, senior service engineer. "With this in mind, the training is not manufacturer specific. Rather it heightens the operators' knowledge and understanding of vital machine elements so they are reaping the benefits and not misusing them in any way -- be it our product or a competitor's."