Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2022 2 Bnjune 070722
2022 2 Bnjune 070722
com
P918438 - 2022/02
2022
JUNE
ISSUE 35
Launch Loads
in
Space
Applications
Full ceramic bearings can be used from -200C to +800C depending on the bearing
material. They can be used without lubrication in the presence of highly aggressive
chemicals and are non-magnetic.
316 stainless steel bearings and plastic bearings are used in low load/speed
applications that are too corrosive for the standard 440 grade stainless steel. Plastic
is non-magnetic and 316 stainless steel has a negligible response to magnetic fields.
For an overview of the benefits of these different bearing types, visit our website at
smbbearings.com/downloads and see our “Bearings for Harsh Environments”
brochure. Alternatively, ask us to mail you a copy.
SMB
BEARINGS
+44 1993 842555
sales@smbbearings.com
www.smbbearings.com
Stainless Steel
Housing Units with
End Caps
Stainless Steel Housing Closed End Caps
SF204-ECC, SF205-ECC, SF206-ECC, SF207-ECC,
208-ECC/ SFL204-ECC, SFL205-ECC, SFL206-ECC,
SFL207-ECC, SFL208-ECC/ SP204-ECC, SP205-ECC,
SP206-ECC, SP207-ECC, SP208-ECC.
Publisher This new edition of BearingNews Magazine Dr.-Ing. Rahul Dahiwal, the R&D Project Managerat
BEARINGNEWS COMMV offers readers a fresh perspective on an Gebr. Reinfurt GRW who discusses the incredibly
Camille Huysmanslaan 27/15 innovative new strategy that is shaping the interesting topic of bearings for space applications.
2020 Antwerpen - BELGIUM bearing industry. Today, 3D printing has
become a game changing manufacturing What’s Rolling..
Phone : +32 (0)489 32 85 21
Fax : +32 (0)3 303 52 82 method thatoffers a cascade of benefits.
E-mail : info@bearing-news.com What’s rolling further in the bearing industry.
Web : www.bearing-news.com In traditional BearingNews fashion, this issue Learn details about key companies and trends,
delivers a series of powerful interviews with industry announcements, product developments, expansion
experts. First, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Poll, Executive efforts, growth initiatives, and other impactful
: linkedin.com/company/bearingnews
Director at the Institute for Machine Elements, industry news. All this and more can be found
: facebook.com/BearingNewscom
Design Engineering and Tribology from the Leibniz in this issue of BearingNews magazine.
: twitter.com/Bearing_News
University of Hannover, discusses FVA’s international
: youtube.com/channel/
UChCnbcmjFPbLEkLZGdjEXIw academic Bearing Conference; BEARINGWORLD. I hope that you will enjoy it!
In a subsequent interview regarding this event,
The information contained in this magazine is for general Mr. Martin Correns, The Principal Expert, R&D
purposes only. The information is provided by BearingNews.
We make no representations or warranties of any kind, Analysis Methods Fundamentals at Schaeffler
express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy,
reliability, suitability or availability. Any reliance you place Technologies AG & Co. KG reveals why Schaeffler,
on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including a global bearing supplier and leading company in
without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage,
or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or bearing research and technology, has chosen to
profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this
magazine. become a primary sponsor for the conference.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted Further in this issue, Mr. Raimond Breuker, Director,
in any form or by any means, electronic or printed, without
permission in writing from the publisher/editor. SKF Wind Industries, discusses his company’s new Kenan M. Özcan
high durability gearbox bearing for wind. And the Editor in Chief
The BearingNEWS is final highlighted interview in this series is with
a member of the EPTDA
Editorial Team
Art Director Thomas Johnson
Diydem Deniz Koç Mia Mctigue Rodriguez
Dize Purde
Subscriptions
Project Coordinator
info@bearing-news.com
Merve Zhunuskanova
Bearings
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COMPANY:
SIX SIGNS YOUR BEARING LUBRICATION PROGRAM
IS ON TRACK 10
page
COMPANY:
RKB IS INCREASING ITS MARKET SHARE
IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY
Dodge products along with extensive engineering and application knowledge. The
13
close collaboration between the two companies has allowed Race Transmissions, page
which serves the UK and Europe as well as further afield, to amass the largest
COMPANY: stockholding of Dodge bearings and transmission products outside of North
RACE TRANSMISSIONS
America and valuedRENEWS
TO SUPPLY Qualifying
DODGEtoPRODUCTS
at £1,300,000AGREEMENT
and growing.
“We pride ourselves on our user-friendly approach”, adds Race Transmissions’ Tony
30
Harris. “Our team’s vast knowledge of the many applications using Dodge products page
ensures that we can offer an incredibly rapid turnaround for product purchases and
INTERVIEW:technical support.
THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC BEARING CONFERENCE:
BEARING WORLD 2022
Although it has been operating in the UK bearings market for
34
36 years, Race Transmissions was formed in 2016, following
a restructuring, which saw it divest its lubrication business.
Since then, Race has grown the business in excess of 200
percent, which led to Dodge Industrial, Inc. offering the
company the opportunity to renew its Authorized Dodge
lling...
page
INTERVIEW:
SCHAEFFLER AT THE FOURTH EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ACADEMIC BEARING CONFERENCE: BEARING WORLD 2022 40
page
APPLICATION:
TOUGH BEARINGS MEET THE DEMANDS OF
THE SEMI-CONDUCTOR SECTOR 45
page
COMPANY:
HYBRID & SPECIAL BALL BEARINGS FROM ITALY 49
page
CASE STUDY:
ENERGY EFFICIENT BEARING DESIGN THREE BEARING
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS TO REDUCE FRICTION
50
page
APPLICATION:
BEARINGS FOR STEEL MILL ROLL NECKS 52
page
APPLICATION:
NSK INNOVATION OVERCOMES LONG-STANDING
BEARING CHALLENGE IN THE MINING INDUSTRY
55
page
COMPANY:
A SYSTEMATIC VALUE APPROACH TO DRIVE GLOBAL GROWTH
IN THE BEARING INDUSTRY 58
page
COMPANY:
MONDIAL GROUP EXPANDS
ASIA OPERATIONS 62
APPLICATION: page
BEARINGS FROM NKE FOR WIND TURBINE GEARBOXES
AND GENERATORS 67
Six Signs your
Bearing Lubrication Program
is on Track
At SDT Ultrasound Solutions we are At SDT Ultrasound Solutions, we take pride your bearing lubrication program is on the
meticulous about bearing lubrication. We in the lubrication programs we’ve helped right track.
know one lubrication mistake can mean turn down the path of success. Through our
hours, even days of unplanned downtime… training, technology, and services we’ve If your organization was prone to over-
because we’ve seen it happen. Lubrication helped plant personnel across the globe lubrication, there's a good chance grease
related failures are especially difficult to plan grease millions of bearings right. After being consumption will drop. Bad procedures
for because one wrong move can rapidly turned down the path of bearing lubrication lead to bearings routinely receiving more
deteriorate the condition of a bearing, excellence you will notice several noticeable lubricant than they're designed to handle.
causing failure within hours of the mistake. differences. The following are 6 signs your The excess ends up being pushed into the
bearing lubrication program is on track. motor casing or purged onto the floor.
With any luck, the necessary parts for
repair will be in stock, but that isn’t always Over lubrication happens when re-greasing
the case. Seeing how most lubrication 1. A Change in the Quantity of intervals are scheduled based on time
related failures are unplanned, there’s a Bearing Lubricant Consumed instead of condition. Control lubrication
chance repair parts won’t be on hand. The tasks with ultrasound to monitor condition
longer the downtime persists, the more Maintenance departments track their grease and maintain optimal friction. The time
money will be lost due to this failure that consumption to monitor and control costs. between greasing intervals increases,
shouldn’t have happened in the first place. A change in consumption is a sure sign that resulting in less grease used per bearing.
10 Bearing News
2. Fewer Bearing Lubrication in step with your greasing excellence. More confident inspectors making the right
Related Failures calls and inflecting a positive culture
5. Save Time. Combine Acoustic throughout the organization.
Do you track failures and perform Bearing Lubrication and
root cause analysis? Condition Monitoring
Organizations with optimized bearing You worked hard for these results. It's Are you ready to become
lubrication programs experience fewer time to use your data for more than just a LUBExpert?
lube-related failures. Less fixing and bearing lubrication.
firefighting translates to more creative time If you’ve noticed these 6 key indicators
for maintenance. Use that time to bring more Acoustic lubrication is the proven method of a successful bearing lubrication
machines into the bearing lubrication program. to ensure precise bearing lubrication. program, then congratulations! Your
New technology from SDT, LUBExpert, lubrication program is on track, and
Additionally, with ultrasound you find many combines the power of onboard lubrication you’re well on your way to
non-trendable defects. For example, broken guidance with Four Condition Indicators becoming a LUBExpert! Register.
or blocked grease pipes and incorrectly fitted for bearing condition assessment.
grease paths prevent lubricant from reaching
the bearing.
Bearing News 11
KUKKO // Pull forward
KUKKO.COM
is increasing its market share
in the Marine Industry
Understanding the specific attributes and in producing bearings that meet the ever- work of large structures, typically for the
distinctive requirements of each industry increasing demands of our customers. exploitation of resources such as oil and gas
is a core principle of the RKB business in a marine environment. The shipyard
model. It generates a broad range of A relevant example in this respect is the sector, instead, refers to the shipbuilding and
commitments regarding actual knowledge progress RKB achieved in the marine ship repair activities. Over the years, RKB
of the customers’ production flow, bearings’ industry, where we now cover the following successfully met the special requirements
applications and outputs. Consequently, as applications: of various manufacturers, including some
RKB serves a broad range of industries all world market leaders, in these segments, by
over the world, we have developed in-depth • Jacking systems offering reliable and effective bearings.
knowledge and expertise in each of them. • Winches
• Cranes Following regular deliveries to leading
In our view, the effective coverage of • Deck equipment companies in the marine industry, RKB
multiple industries and businesses is also • On-board auxiliary machinery consolidated its position as a major worldwide
important from another perspective. Being • Propulsion equipment (thrusters, supplier of special rolling bearings for this sector.
a supplier for a limited range of sectors retractable thrusters, waterjets, and pods) From recreational watercraft to frigates and large
may turn into vulnerability and risks if the • Propulsion systems ships, RKB continues to provide bearings with
respective industries enter a stagnation or • Intermediate shaft line bearings competitive operational and ROI performance.
recession period. The merits of this broad • Main shaft bearings
coverage approach were confirmed, and, as • Marine gearboxes RKB offers products for countless maritime
a result, the positive impact in the current • Marine engines, generators, applications, including bearings for
challenging market environment increased. alternators, electric motors intermediate and main shafts, which are
• Fin stabilizers crucial parts of a vessel that transmit power
RKB has been connected to various • Rudder lines to the propellers.
technological developments in practically • Vertical-axled rotating machines
every industry it covers and serves throughout • Steering systems Last but not least, in a time with long-lasting
its more than 80-year presence in the bottlenecks in the supply chains, we rate as a
bearing industry, dating back to 1936. To As known, the marine industry can be competitive advantage our extended network
maintain our competitiveness and organic divided into two major segments. Marine and of well-stocked bearings warehouses, which
growth, we invested significant resources offshore engineering involves production and effectively guarantees just-in-time deliveries.
Bearing News 13
Data Collector
Detect, Measure, Analyze
Ultrasound and
Vibration
UAS3
Ultrasound Solu�ons Powerful flexibility to
organize your condition
sdtultrasound.com monitoring strategy Analysis Software
APPLICATIONS
Confirmation of the agreement comes following a difficult time in which parts of the market have struggled against
the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and now, facing new uncertainties surrounding the military conflict in
Ukraine. The extension to the agreement reflects the strength of the partnership between the two companies, and
their ongoing resilience in adapting and thriving within a challenging market.
For customers, being an authorized Dodge distributor provides a guaranteed badge of quality and integrity. It offers
peace of mind that accredited companies such as Race Transmissions can be trusted to deliver authentic
Dodge products along with extensive engineering and application knowledge. The
close collaboration between the two companies has allowed Race Transmissions,
which serves the UK and Europe as well as further afield, to amass the largest
stockholding of Dodge bearings and transmission products outside of North
America and valued at £1,300,000 and growing.
Counterfeit spare parts are a growing problem in the UK, while the so-called “grey
market” sees old products that may be months or years out of date being rebadged
and illegally pushed back onto the market by unauthorized distributors. According
to Ellingson, this can put customers at risk: “While the products may be genuine,
purchasers do not necessarily know how the bearings have been stored, in what
conditions and for how long. This will affect the warranty and can lead to the
manufacturer being unwilling to support the product. Being a legitimate, authorized
distributor guarantees that customers will always receive genuine Dodge products
with valid warranty periods.”
Race Transmissions supplies and supports the full range of Dodge bearings –
including mounted E Type taper roller bearings, Grip Tight, E-Z Kleen and the S2000
series spherical bearings. According to Race Transmissions’ Chris Fell, the company
is well poised to continue delivering for its customers: “We have a ready-stocked
UK warehouse, and our fleet of vehicles is supported by overnight carriers to ensure
speedy, efficient delivery worldwide. We offer just-in-time delivery, so no one need
wait for anything. We’re very pleased to have been given the opportunity to deepen
our relationship with Dodge and are optimistic about developing our partnership
in the future.”
“We pride ourselves on our user-friendly approach”, adds Race Transmissions’ Tony
Harris. “Our team’s vast knowledge of the many applications using Dodge products
ensures that we can offer an incredibly rapid turnaround for product purchases and
technical support.
EQUIVALENTS OFFERED TO
LINKBELT, SEALMASTER, TIMKIN, SKF, MOLINE, FAFNIR, REXNORD, BROWNING, RHP
via Martiri del XXI 110 bis 10064 Pinerolo (TO) - Italy
info@consulting-trading.com
We help make our customers more successful! www.consulting-trading.com
Fersa Bearings lays first stone of
new technological campus
for engineering and innovation
Bearing manufacturer Fersa Bearings
is building a new engineering and
innovation laboratory for the Fersa Group
in Zaragoza, Spain. The foundation stone
for “Fersa Lab” was laid on 25 February
2022. With an investment of 14 million
euros, the new complex will consist of two
buildings constructed on a 6,800 square
metre site opposite the Fersa Group's main
headquarters. The project is scheduled to
be completed in the first quarter of 2023
and will become an innovation reference
centre for the company's sectors.
Bearing News 19
An Interview on -
Launch Loads in
Space Applications
GRW has been developing and researching for many years the use of bearings
in space applications. The company has achieved a tremendous experience and
lessons during these years and is producing different bearings and components
thanks to their highly skilled and well-equipped R&D department. In this
interview we had the chance to discuss the analysis and recommendations
for design optimization with Dr.-Ing. Rahul Dahiwal, the R&D Project Manager
at Gebr. Reinfurt GRW. His answers to the questions can be considered as a
general guideline and recommendation which can help the space community
to avoid early design errors, to optimize their solution and assist in selection of
the correct bearing for the space applications.
Q: Can you tell us more about your on some internal development projects
history at GRW, your background like finding sustainable dry lubrication
and current activities? solutions (coatings) for bearings that can
withstand harsh environmental conditions.
I am a mechanical engineer by profession I also apply Lean Project Management
graduating from Pune University, India techniques to enhance our departmental
with a bachelor's. To pursue further studies capabilities through digitalization. Here, I
I came to Germany where I completed my intend to deploy advanced computational
master's and acquired a Ph.D. from the tools for the static (FE) and dynamic (Multi-
Technical University of Kaiserslautern. As Body) simulation and analysis of rolling
a Scientific Researcher at the university bearings. This will help to provide our
from 2014 to 2020, I was in the bearing customers with the quick and best solution
research group and worked on several in their early development phase and help
research and development projects during them to find the right bearing selection.
my research activities. I did my Ph.D. in
cage wear influence on bearing life in Q: You quoted on an earlier discussion
solid lubricated rolling bearings. All these that “the systematic analysis of the
qualifications and expertise helped me to effects of launch loads is a key part of
get started with Gebr. Reinfurt GmbH & the process to select the best bearing
Co. KG. I have been employed with GRW Q: On which project are you currently solution for a given application”.
since January 2021 and work as a specialist working on?
of ball bearing in the product development Can you brief us more in-depth
department / R&D. I am responsible for Currently, I am handling multiple about what you exactly mean?
managing development projects, where Technical Projects with a prime focus
I support relevant departments in the on designing bearing solutions in space If you have a systematic approach,
early development stage. As a technical applications. The applications include irrespective of the complexity of the
contact person to suppliers as well as On-Board subsystems for communication problem you can come to an accurate
to our customers, I provide support for satellites like reaction wheels, LIDAR solution more quickly. After all, a bearing
their queries and am actively involved in sensors, Gyros or Gimbal mechanisms, itself looks like a very simple component,
performing simulations and experiments. and actuation systems, for example, on although internally it is actually a complex
solar panels. Besides these, I am working system that involves decades of engineering
22 Bearing News
— Dr.-Ing. Rahul Dahiwal,
the R&D Project Manager at Gebr. Reinfurt GRW
research covering many branches from Q: Are the simulators and software
metallurgy to materials and tribology. To which are currently used in the industry
solve such a complex system you have sufficient for an accurate analysis and
to marry well the experimental work design optimization?
together with the theoretical or simulation
work. Launch loads in space applications Is there still room and need for
illustrates this perfectly as they are usually improvement? Implementation of AI?
underestimated or overlooked during
the selection of bearings. Under such Well, I would say that we have good
momentarily acting high static loads, if a support in the industry for an accurate
bearing fails to cope, it results in serious analysis and design optimization, but at the
consequences such as an entire system same time, there is room for improvisation.
failure followed by a mechanical failure. To Whilst there are certain bearing analysis
avoid such things one should systematically programs available at large companies
perform static calculations, simulations or a few research institutes, they are not
with advanced bearing simulation tools, commercially available. Most of them are want to make them freely available. That
and conduct experiments for verifying the intended for internal use or are available is why, on behalf of small to medium scale
results with the experimental data taken within the research community because the enterprises, there is potential for further
into account the real operating conditions. organization that developed it has already development of such analysis tools, their
In this way, we can beat this challenge. put a lot of research, money, and time access, and commercialization strategy.
into developing such software. It does not If we talk about AI, though it is a sort of
Bearing News 23
— Turin, Italy - October 2015: Technicians working on the ExoMars probe module, for a European mission to Mars, at the Thales Alenia Space plants (Shutterstock)
intelligence in the end it is artificial. AI important for the bearing load capacity of navigation, and communication. For
works on data analysis and complex user- the bearing. Also critical is the lubrication instance, satellites play an important role
developed algorithms. Their intelligence is selection that suits the environment and here. Autonomous driving is the classical
based on the size and accuracy of the data fulfills the operating conditions. As a example for communication satellites.
available. To generate accurate and huge super precision ball bearing manufacturer,
data, you again have to seek help from GRW's portfolio contains a wide range of Recently NASA has also commercialized
simulations and experiments. But, I find it material and lubrication selections. Besides SpaceX activities and appointed them to
personally very interesting and challenging conventional lubrication, we possess the send their astronauts into space. Human
as well, as we see the ongoing research in expertise to offer around thirty coating space travel is looking more certain and will
this direction for the prediction of bearing solutions intended to lubricate the bearing happen in the next couple of years for sure.
failures. As bearing experts we must track under harsh environmental conditions and Nevertheless, whatever goes into space has
the progress and if necessary take the protect the bearing surfaces against wear, some rotating mechanisms, and whatever
corrective actions in the right direction. fatigue, and corrosion. Once the bearing rotates needs bearings for its support. As
is selected, it must pass through bearing I have already mentioned in my published
Q: Which are the important phases of qualification techniques by performing article the prediction is that around 1400
the Methods and Techniques for fundamental simulations and tests like noise small satellites per year will be launched
Bearing Design and Selection? testing, friction torque testing, and use an over the next ten years. Therefore, it is clear
adequate quantity of lubrication. At every how much business potential there is
A critical part of bearing design and level GRW makes sure that we make the in this industry.
selection is to become familiar with the right choice for the customer application.
exact operating conditions. These are
nothing but loads, speeds, and environment Q: How do you see the human and
(temperatures etc) they are operating industrial activities in space increasing
under. Based on this information we can in the future?
select a suitable bearing size. The second
most important thing is the right material There are many advancements going on in
selection for bearing components like the space domain. Space applications are
rings, cage, and rolling elements, which is being widely used for earth exploration,
24 Bearing News
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shipping
—The danger zone of the excavator is located directly at the point, where the
service personnel attach the measuring device during a manual measurement.
Bearing News 27
—This is how Liebherr's bearing clearance
monitoring system works.
More safety: No service personnel the right connection make it happen. The electronics components, and software. The
needed in the danger zone sensor connection box receives the data from high-quality components are used in cranes
the sensors attached to the slewing bearing and earthmoving machinery, in the mining
The focus of digital remote clearance and supplies the entire BCM system with industry, maritime applications, wind
maintenance lies on personnel safety. "A power. The gateway stores the sensor data turbines, automotive engineering or in
distinct disadvantage of all common wear and updates for the BCM. This allows using aviation and transport technology. Synergy
measurement methods is the necessity for the system autonomously even in regions effects in s other product segments of the
service technicians to mount dial gauges without data connection. This is the case Liebherr Group are used to drive continuous
or other measuring devices directly on the in mines, for example, as these often do technological development.
slewing bearing in the danger zone under not have the necessary mobile reception. A
the excavator or other machines," explains direct connection via Bluetooth makes the About the Liebherr Group
Wolfram Halder, Product Manager of the measurement process possible from a safe
slewing bearings business unit. "The Liebherr distance and without a network connection. The Liebherr Group is a family-run technology
BCM system makes this unnecessary, as the Smart, integrated and remote, the BCM company with a highly diversified product
measuring devices are already permanently system is a small helper with great effects. portfolio. The company is one of the largest
installed on the bearing." Another advantage construction equipment manufacturers in the
is flexibility in terms of time. Currently, About Liebherr-Components AG world. It also provides high-quality and user-
machine operators commission external oriented products and services in a wide range
service providers to measure the bearing In this segment, the Liebherr Group specialises of other areas. The Liebherr Group includes
clearance. This makes them dependent on in the development, design, manufacturing of over 140 companies across all continents.
the experience and schedule of third-party high-performance components in the field of In 2020, it employed around 48,000 staff
companies. "With digital maintenance for mechanical, hydraulic and electric drive and and achieved combined revenues of over
slewing bearings by Liebherr, measurements control technology. Liebherr-Component 10.3 billion euros. Liebherr was founded in
can be carried out at any time outside the Technologies AG,based in Bulle (Switzerland), Kirchdorf an der Iller in Southern Germany
danger zone, independently of external coordinates all activities in the Components in 1949. Since then, the employees have been
service providers," explains Wolfram Halder. product segment. The extensive product pursuing the goal of achieving continuous
range includes diesel and gas engines, technological innovation, and bringing
Measurement within a few minutes: injection systems, engine control units, industry-leading solutions to its customers.
This is how the BCM by Liebherr works axial piston pumps and motors, hydraulic
cylinders, slewing bearings, gearboxes and More information about Liebherr can be
How does it work? The right technology and winches, switchgear, electronic and power found at www.liebherr.com
28 Bearing News
CERAMIC
BEARING
SPECIALISTS
A P P L I C AT I O N E X P E RT I S E
C U S T O M E N G I N E E R I N G & FA B R I C A T I O N
SINCE 1987
.
Fo
r 3 u nd
5 y
ear o aro
s, w or ld g
e ha
ve been k i n g the w
ma
SCAN TO
SEE WHY
Innovative
New Gearbox Roller Bearing
for the Wind Energy Industry
Interview: Raimond Breuker, Director, SKF Wind
In this exclusive BearingNews interview, Mr. Raimond Breuker, Director, SKF Wind
Industries, discusses his company’s new high durability gearbox bearing for wind.
SKF’s development raises the torque density in wind turbine gearboxes by reducing
bearing and gear size up to 25% while at the same time avoiding premature failures
through improved robustness and rating life.
Importantly, Mr. Breuker, a key player within the wind industry, offers pivotal
insights into the methodology and importance of introducing this product into the
continuously innovating wind industry. He further explains current industry trends,
future outlook, and how SKF manages to reliably drive performance increases that
go well beyond current capabilities.
30 Bearing News
Q: Can you tell us more about your
current position at SKF?
Bearing News 31
Raimond Breuker,
Director, SKF Wind
32 Bearing News
In a drivetrain of a turbine there are a number
of bearing positions, that today, are
mechanically the limiting factor. The wind
gearbox industry is of course looking into a lot
of different options and technological
improvements in order to increase the power
density of their gearboxes. This is also at the
heart of their innovation programs, and this
high durability gearbox bearing will enable
them to take the next step. We are targeting
a number of areas within the gearbox,
especially the planet positions as well as the
high-speed output shaft position with this
offer in order to achieve the performance.
Q: How does SKF reliably drive At SKF, we invest in what we call data There are a number of things that I expected
performance increases into driven maintenance optimization, where from the WindEurope Conference. First of
the wind market? we capture data from a turbines control all, and maybe the most relevant, after 24
system and condition monitoring systems, months or longer of the Covid-19 pandemic,
This industry is continuously innovating at and use this data to apply smart algorithms there have been very few of these industry-
the frontiers of the current capabilities. We to be able to predict much further ahead wide networking opportunities. It is
are increasing power ratings and increasing when each component needs to be serviced. strengthening connections, increasing the
the size of these turbines. It is important Having robust products with an improved level of networking, increasing the level of
that in order to keep that innovation pace, predictability of remaining life through data energy and excitement by all the main
any technology that is brought to the engineering opens up a lot of possibilities. players being in one location. I think it
market has a certain maturity level before Effective data engineering delivered in was a very important opportunity for key
we start to apply this in a broad sense. conjunction with a product release, in players within the wind industry to
Besides effectively designing the product, the aftermarket for example, provides the physically connect again.
Bearing News 33
The International
Academic
Bearing Conference:
BEARING WORLD 2022
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Poll,
Executive Director at the Institute for Machine Elements,
Leibniz University of Hannover.
FVA – The German Research Association for drive technology is organizing the
fourth International Bearing Conference on July 5 - 6 in Würzburg, Germany.
We discussed and tried to reveal the story behind FVA’s International Bearing
Conference BEARINGWORLD during an interview with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard
Poll, who is the Executive Director at the Institute for Machine Elements, Design
Engineering and Tribology from the Leibniz University of Hannover.
36 Bearing News
Q: What made you decide to get so Q: What is your role in the bearing (which are the focus of other conferences).
intensely involved in BEARING WORLD? community, and what is your Specifically, this means: reliability, fatigue
professional background? life prediction, failure mechanisms,
The origin of Bearing World was a condition monitoring, materials and
memorial colloquium in Hannover Several of my relatives worked in the heat treatment, lubrication, friction
in 2012 for my predecessor, Prof. Dr.- bearing industry, including my father. I and energy savings, and much more.
Ing. G. Paland, who had dedicated his was born in Schweinfurt, and as a student
professional life – both in industry and in I spent several periods in bearing factories. Q: In your opinion, how important is the
academia – to rolling element bearings. During my mechanical engineering exchange between research and industry?
This was the starting point for my studies and as a PhD student at RWTH
colleague prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Sauer and Aachen University, I was involved in First of all, I want to stress that a lot
me to organize an annual rolling element student projects and research related of profound and scientifically sound
bearing research colloquium, alternating to rolling contacts. Since 2004, I have research is done internally by the bearing
between Kaiserslautern University and worked in application engineering, industry. Ideally, research at universities
Leibniz University Hannover. Following research, and product development in is complementary and has its specific
a proposal from FVA, this event was the bearing industry in Germany, The strengths. Typically, the word “university”
transformed into the Bearing World Netherlands, and the U.S., before joining implies that there is a wide variety of
Conference with international participation Hannover University as a professor specialized institutes and laboratories,
both from universities and industry. This in mechanical engineering. There, I which makes it possible to bundle many
took place for the first time in 2016 in continued the long tradition of research resources for truly interdisciplinary
Hannover, coinciding with my twentieth on rolling element bearings, mainly in research projects. Ideally, these projects
anniversary as professor and director of the the context of FVA research projects. are triggered by existing or envisioned
Institute of Machine Design and Tribology future technical applications. Taking
at Hannover University. The second Q: Can you tell us more about the part in these research projects prepares
conference was then held two years later presentations that were selected for young engineers for success in industry,
in 2018 in Kaiserslautern. Unfortunately, BEARING WORLD 2022? where they are able maintain a fruitful
Covid 19 made it impossible to continue dialogue with university research. This
in Hannover in 2020, so we are now Once again, we are covering a wide variety implies a steady exchange of information,
making a new start in 2022 in Würzburg. of topics related to rolling element bearings either by giving directions or by taking
and, to a lesser extent, plain bearings responsibility for applying research results.
“
“ E-mobility combined with renewable
energies and the reduction of friction
losses is one way to limit CO2.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Poll
Bearing News 37
Q: What are the differences
between mechanical engineering
academic research in different
countries and regions?
38 Bearing News
Metals
?
Energy
Electric motors,
fans and pumps
W H A T Off-highway
Mines and
minerals
OU R
CUSTOMERS Pulp and
paper
AR E D O I N G
Power
Marine, shipyard transmission
and offshore
Chemicals and
plastics
and you?
RKB Europe SA
Executive Headquarters and Technological Center
Via Primo Agosto 1· 6828 Balerna Phone +41 91 260 09 30· Fax +41 91 260 09 50
P.O. Box 16· 6830 Chiasso 3 info@rkbeurope.com· www.rkbbearings.com
Switzerland VAT No. CHE-113.327.770 Follow Us: @rkbeurope
at
the Fourth Edition of
The International Academic
Bearing Conference:
BEARING WORLD 2022
Bearing News 41
considered in long term planning and pursuing the reduction of the total carbon control, machining process optimization,
measures are taken to adapt. footprint of our products, from raw material increased machine safety and reliability, and
over manufacturing and heat treatment to better planning of scheduled maintenance.
Regarding new business models, there are use phase and refurbishing and recycling.
approaches like selling operating time Schaeffler Group Europe already sources Obviously, smart bearings can also allow
or reliability instead of selling components, 100% of its electricity from renewable for condition monitoring and fault detection,
however the actual market demand for sources, and worldwide, Schaeffler Group however in stationary machines, the use of
such new business models seems to be aims to produce climate neutral by 2030. external sensors is generally more economical.
rather small and concentrated to very For this, Schaeffler has developed the
specific applications. Q: Are digitization and artificial OPTIME sensors that, thanks to its simple
intelligence important for bearing plug & play installation, allow for
Q: How can your company contribute technologies? comprehensive condition monitoring
to the reduction of Co2 emissions? in an easy and affordable way.
Artificial intelligence is certainly used in the
I think it is not about what we can, but what analysis of big data, like data from test fields, It should be noted that in most applications,
we actually do. Energy efficiency is the core condition monitoring, digital twins or from properly dimensioned and lubricated rolling
business of the rolling bearing industry. manufacturing, to gain additional insight bearings require very little attention, so we
Looking at the Schaeffler brands, FAG was and optimize processes and algorithms certainly not envision condition monitoring
founded on the idea of improving the ball- and for predictive maintenance, however to be used in every application, but rather in
milling process which significantly reduced there is no room her to go into details. machinery where predictive maintenance
frictional losses of ball bearings, INA was and early fault detection can contribute to
founded on the idea of cage-guided needle Regarding digitalization, we will most likely a reduction in total cost of ownership.
bearings with greatly improved efficiency. not see digital components in the majority of
our bearings, but there are cases like smart Q: Considering recent trends, do you
Since then, considerable effort has been bearings, where significant added value can feel that we need a new type of
devoted to the further optimization and be provided.In a broader sense, the general engineering education?
reduction of friction. Today we have proliferation of digital devices enables the
very sophisticated calculation programs provisioning added value by new services Basing education concept on recent trends
enabling us to precisely predict rolling like the Schaeffler Grease App for mobile may not be the best approach, since these
bearing friction and thus to optimize phones, “Origin Check” for verification trends may already be over once the new
bearings for the application conditions, of original products, or Optime as a very education is established and the first
and these programs have been used in affordable condition monitoring system, students have finished their exams.
the last decade to significantly reduce and there is certainly more to come.
energy losses in numerous applications, In Germany we have a very successful
from automotive over railway bearings to Q: What are smart bearings, and tradition of engineering education that
large industrial climate compressors. how are they being implemented? focusses on solid and broad knowledge,
which has enabled engineers to easily adapt
On the energy generation side, we are Smart bearings are rolling bearings with to new challenges and acquire the necessary
one of the leading suppliers of rolling embedded sensors. At Schaeffler, we have knowledge. This broad knowledge approach
bearings to the wind industry, where we developed rolling bearings for measurements should be maintained and probably even
have taken significant efforts to optimize of speeds, loads, temperature, acceleration, strengthened.
our bearings for improved reliability. We or even lubricant condition, that allow for the
are also a significant supplier of drives realization of additional functionality and What we should do is starting one step earlier
and components for electro-mobility, so added value without the need for additional and focusing more on getting the best and the
we actively contribute to all efforts in the components or design space. brightest to consider studying engineering.
transition to a decarbonized economy. For this, it would be helpful to put more
For example, our “Spindle Sense” bearings emphasis on MINT- subjects in secondary
A further reduction of the CO2 footprint allow for the measurement of deflection of education, but we as engineers should also
can be achieved by use of recently machine tools spindles in operation with be more vocal in illustrating our contribution
introduced high performance materials sub-micrometer-precision in 5 axes, and for to society, economy and especially to
like Mancrodur or Cromadur, which allow detection of collision or overload within 2 decarbonization. The biggest challenge for the
either for life-extension and thus reduced microseconds. Such a functionality would be next decade will be reliable generation and
carbon footprint in production, or mainly nearly impossible to realize with conventional distribution of renewable energy, this requires
for downsizing or reducing the number of sensors in the given design space. huge efforts in solid mechanical and electrical
rolling elements, which can significantly engineering, however the role of engineering
reduce the energy losses in the application. By providing data in a precision that was in this challenge is not sufficiently reflected in
previously not accessible, these smart media and public discourse.
And last but not least, we are actively bearings allow for new concepts of precision
42 Bearing News
makes things possible
www.cpmbearings.com
HQ located in Jiangyin, about 2 hours driving from Shanghai.
Total capacity 15 million tons and peak year 2 million tons of
bearing steel sales. The strategic supplier and partner for all
the leading bearing makers. The bearing steel products are
widely used in Automotive, wind-power energy, high-speed
railway and other premium industrial applications.
World’s
Most Competitive
Special Steel Group
Jiangyin Xing Cheng Special Steel Works Co., Ltd. • Daye Special Steel Co., Ltd. • Qingdao Special Iron and Steel Co.,Ltd.
www.citicsteel.com
tracy.wang@citicsteel.com +86 510 80675575
https://citicsteel01.en.alibaba.com
Tough bearings meet the demands of
The semi-conductor sector
When machinery must deliver a safe, reliable performance even in the most extreme
and aggressive environments it’s not just the performance and resilience of the key
components in the system that’s crucial to operational success. Unrivalled technical
support and a clear understanding of the challenges can make a big difference,
especially if provided by a team of outstanding engineering talents.
The Nuclear research, aerospace and semi-conductor industries are a few examples
of where the demands placed upon components are often classified as ‘extreme’ and
where overall performance is often regarded as ‘cutting edge’. Furthermore, the ability
to overcome supply issues (especially with semi-conductors) is a major factor in the
demand for more automated processes.
Bearings are a key component in many of these systems and Oxfordshire based
precision bearing specialists CARTER MANUFACTURING have an excellent reputation
for their competence and understanding. Their diverse engineering talents are drawn
from the local cutting-edge technical environment of ultra-high vacuum, cryogenic,
motor sport and space exploration industries. Due to their success in these markets,
they’ve recently opened locations in the USA and Spain to better support their customers.
Bearing News 45
Choosing the right Materials with the absence of metal-to-metal contact, serious issues for both the applications
means lubrication is not required. This helps and the semi-conductors they manufacture
Carter offer a range of bearing products to minimise maintenance and reduces the which is why mini cam followers in
specifically aimed at very aggressive risk of contaminating the environment. stainless steel are the preferred option.
environments including thin section Whilst each material has its specific
bearings, ceramic bearings, plastic Hybrid and Ceramic Bearings benefits the Carter team offers consistent
bearings, stainless steel cam followers and technical support to ensure each and every
linear bearings. Traditionally, bearings These materials are regarded as being at application has the best bearing option.
are manufactured from 52100 Chrome the cutting edge of bearing technology as
Steel but this is limited in its ability to they provide mechanical benefits that were
be used in applications where severe otherwise thought impossible. Carter offers
environmental conditions exist (such as bearings using these high performance
extreme high or low temperatures). materials backed up by years of experience
in pushing these bearings to their limits,
A good example is semiconductor gaining unrivalled experience in the
manufacturing acknowledged as being one process. The result is bearings which can
of the most aggressive processes, so the better cope with the combination of reduced
choice of bearing ring materials is crucial. lubrication, higher speeds and higher loads.
Bearings for these applications are invariably Stainless Steel Cam Followers
housed in areas where they need to
withstand highly corrosive liquids, gases and The surge in demand for semi-conductors is
plasmas, often at elevated temperatures or in well documented and as this industry grows,
vacuum conditions. This is why Carter offers so does the need for even more automated
various bearing options made from stainless processes which in turn increases the
steels such as 440C and 316 and also even need for the right components to maximise Stainless Steel Linear Bearings
more exotic nitrogen-enriched stainless production volumes. A good example of
steels, such as Cronidur® 30 or XD15NW. this is the use of stainless steel Mini Cam Precision is crucial within the semiconductor
Followers. Different from standard roller industry and in many cases the work piece
bearings, mini cam followers feature a must translate motion during production.
rigid shaft with a built-in needle roller When within a vacuum chamber, material
bearing resulting in important benefits out-gassing must be eliminated without
for semi-conductor manufacturing and compromising performance. Carter’s range
other applications. Semi-conductor of stainless steel linear bearings is perfect for
manufacturing equipment often has vacuum compatible motorised translation
limited space, so the components used stages and actuators. These can be provided
in these applications need to balance with ceramic rolling elements, with special
performance with space constraints. dry film or vacuum compatible lubrications.
Moreover, the design can be equivalent to
As their name suggests the benefit of market leading technology, or completely
miniature cam followers is whilst they customised to suit a particular application.
require a smaller footprint, they are
designed to handle greater loads and provide Carter Bearings are well established as
Exploiting the Benefits of Plastic optimum performance, without taking leaders in the bearing industry thanks to a
Bearings up too much space or being too heavy. combination of innovation, expertise and
the ability of their staff. Today, they enjoy
Carter also offer plastic bearings made Thanks to their extra thick outer ring and the the position of being able to build upon
from PEEK, Acetal and PTFE with design addition of a shaft, mini cam followers can leading-edge technology having invested in
features to ensure continued operation handle heavy radial loads and intermittent state-of-the-art CAD systems, FEA analysis
while submerged or exposed to liquids with shock loads. Also, the use of a soft-core and unique bearing life calculation software.
suspended particles. An important benefit of stud, like a dampener, means these parts
these high performance plastic bearings is can handle extreme shock and therefore The result is they offer the widest portfolio
that they offer high heat capability (typically minimise the risks of part fracture. of high-precision bearing solutions along
180ºF to 450ºF) over conventional plastic with outstanding customer support.
or steel bearings. Also, they are Lube- Corrosion resistance in semi-conductor More details about these bearings can
Free due to the natural lubricity of today’s manufacturing is also important as rust be found at www.carterbearings.co.uk
engineering polymers and this, combined and other harmful particulates can cause
46 Bearing News
Hybrid & Special
Ball Bearings
from Italy
Skills, reliability and over half a century of
history it consolidate CPM among the leading
Italian companies specialized in the design and
production of customized special bearings, in
medium and high series.
Design and production of special bearings Made in Italy quality exported More durability, more smoothness
in a dimensional range between 10 mm all over the world
of bore and 800 mm of external diameter: Among the many projects developed by
this is what CPM, founded in 1967 and Each project is followed in CPM directly CPM, the most recent one also stands out
recognized as a reference point in the by the technical office, collaborating with for the construction of a bearing required by
sector, has been involved in for over half the customer from the earliest stages of an important customer active in the sector
a century, is carried out in the modern product development, making available of the production of machines for food
and well-equipped factory in Nova its high know-how, gained in over 50 years canning. The request for a custom execution
Milanese, on the outskirts of Milan, in the of experience. The company has all the arises from the need of this important
province of Monza and Brianza, with the primary certifications such as: ISO 9001, customer of ours to want to increase the
support of a staff of over 185 employees. IATF 16949, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001; the duration of the application achieved by
production is carried out strictly in Italy and using standard bearings. In addition to
The production process, from design there are many sectors of use: from power this need, another decisive feature for this
to production, up to the logistics of the transmission, to textiles, from medical to type of application concerned particular
finished product takes place completely food, just to name the main, prevalent and attention to the smoothness of the bearing
internally, with the advantage of being historical ones, as well as the most recent itself. In response to these requests, CPM's
able to constantly monitor the quality of but no less important biking sector (with technical department has therefore studied a
the bearings produced and offer a service applications in the amateur and professional special solution for a high-precision, double
that meets the highest expectations. segments).The adoption and internal row angular "hybrid" ball bearing, made of
development of Lean Production represents stainless steel with ceramic balls and "for life"
The company has an operational structure a further fundamental point to be perfectly lubrication. All the construction features have
that consists of five warehouses, for a adherent and consistent with our company been aimed at increasing its life and reducing
total of 20,000 m2 of production area (of claim, that is, "Your needs ... Our actions the rolling torque and, therefore, improving
which 10,000 are covered), in which the !!".This with the precise aim of being able the smoothness of the bearing, a fundamental
various departments are located, and to best meet the customer's needs, with feature in use. Thus, every single element
where the turning, grinding, lapping and ad hoc solutions specifically designed and of the bearing has been optimized, from the
assembly operations are carried out. developed according to precise performance geometry of the races to the type of cage, from
requirements. Producing locally and the profile of the screen to the food grade
Even the heat treatment, one of the thinking globally resides in the company's grease up to the optimization of the axial
fundamental phases of the production cycle, DNA and represents the added value that play. The first aspect related to the geometry
is followed internally by Carbotempra, a has led it to constant and significant growth, of the races is a fundamental parameter for
company owned by CPM, equipped with firmly continuing to believe in the quality improving the life of the bearing. This last
high-performance automated lines and of a made in Italy product now exported peculiarity is very important since, in the
specific latest generation high-performance all over the world. Quality that is found special use, the bearing works in a continuous
furnaces with a low environmental impact. in each of the nearly 4 million special cycle. Therefore, the extension of maintenance
This allows us an optimal and even more bearings that are manufactured every year intervals is essential to ensure high
rigorous management of the order timing in the Nova Milanese plants, destined for production. After an initial phase of successful
of the various projects, as well as a more the national and international market. tests, the bearings went into service with
accurate attention to process quality. complete satisfaction of the final customer.
Bearing News 49
Energy efficient bearing design
Three bearing design considerations to reduce friction
It is estimated that a ten per cent reduction of friction in all large bearings in use would
provide an energy saving equal to the output of 18 large power stations. Cutting friction
in bearings of any size is a key method to improve energy efficiency. Here Chris Johnson,
managing director at miniature bearings supplier SMB Bearings explores the bearing
design possibilities for increased efficiency in industrial applications.
In recent years, bearing manufacturers bearings are so ubiquitous — with a huge the rolling elements and the raceways or
have increasingly focused on creating number of installed bearings in industry the cage. By reducing the roughness of the
energy-efficient bearings — making use of — that this overall energy consumption contacting elements, friction will be reduced.
new materials, lubrication techniques and and potential energy savings should not Furthermore, the osculation of the bearing at
advanced geometry designs to reduce losses be ignored. Let’s take a closer look at both the inner and at outer rings significantly
without sacrificing the load carrying capacity. three bearing design considerations to effects the friction by reducing the contact
decrease friction and increase efficiency. area and thus the microsliding of the contact.
However, energy losses in bearings are
not considered the primary focus of plant Advanced materials According to a 2021 study, friction-optimised
optimisation efforts because they are already designs can have a significant impact on
considered a high efficiency component. Energy-efficient bearing designs focus the reduction of the global energy losses of
On the other hand, some argue that primarily on reducing the contact between bearings. Based on the design of one bearing
50 Bearing News
manufacturer, a preliminary estimation of Carbon-fibre reinforced nylon is one of the graphene becomes readily available, we will
this reduction is about 0.15 – 0.20 per cent of most popular combinations for nylon-printed examine this form of lubrication more closely.
global energy consumption. materials. It offers many of the same benefits
as standard nylon including high strength and As well as not being harmful to the
Traditionally, steel has been the material stiffness, but it produces significantly lighter environment, graphene flakes that are added
of choice in bearing design, but polymer- components. Surface coatings can have a to the surface of a bearing can last a considerable
based materials, such as PTFE and nylon, significant effect on bearing friction reduction. amount of time, due to the ability of the flakes
offer many benefits when used in less Coatings such as molybdenum disulphide and to reorient themselves during the initial wear
demanding environments. These benefits tungsten disulphide increase wear resistance, cycles, providing a very low coefficient of
include corrosion resistance, reduced need fatigue durability, and reduce friction during friction (COF).
for lubrication and a reduced weight. bearing motion.
In a study on the potential of graphene as a
Geometry Lubrication new emerging lubricant, researchers estimated
that the reduced loss of energy to friction
Geometry considerations such as special A proper lubricant will reduce friction between offered by new materials would yield potential
cage designs and the number of balls in a the internal sliding surfaces of the bearing’s energy savings of 2.46 billion kilowatt-hours
bearing influences the amount of friction components and reduce or prevent metal-to- per year, equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil.
generated, as this determines the number metal contact of the rolling elements within
of frictional contacts during operation. The their raceways. While this is a good way of By optimising each element of a bearing’s
geometry, as well as the process by which the reducing wear and preventing corrosion, there design to consider friction, it is possible to
retainer is manufactured, have an influence are new materials that, when used on bearings, reduce bearing friction. By multiplying this
on the friction generated. For example, dramatically reduce friction compared to the saving for each bearing in a machine, plant or
opting for a 3D printed retainer in nylon lubrication and surface treatment options industry, significant energy savings can be
(PA66) or another polymer material can help that are currently on the market. The material realised.
to reduce the weight of the whole bearing. in question is graphene.
For further information about SMB Bearings’
In some cases, ceramics offer a feasible alternative The process of adding a graphene coating range of products and services visit
to metal. They have properties that offer similar to bearings would be relatively simple and www.smbbearings.com or email
benefits to metal, but they’re much lighter too. similar to adding a traditional lubricant. When sales@smbbearings.com
Bearing News 51
Bearings for
Steel Mill Roll Necks
Introduction
Background
— Figure 1
The challenge
52 Bearing News
The solution
Bearing News 53
The Superior Quality Bearing Manufacturer of China
is Looking for New Distributors Worldwide
China's well-known and largest bearing manufacturing company ZWZ Group is
expanding its global distributors network by announcing new distributors
cooperation plan. The company is currently present in more than 100 countries and
aims to increase this number in the coming period by appointing new distributors.
Bearing News 55
To allow important accessibility, the head, and more convenient solution. The adapter
tail, drive and tensioning pulley on mining sleeve has a cylindrical bore to slide over
and quarrying conveyors traditionally the end of the conveyor belt roller shaft,
relies on open bearings. However, the short while the outside diameter of the sleeve
service life of these bearings frequently features a taper to match that of the bearing
threatens the uptime of operations. bore. At the end of the adapter sleeve is
a thread, where the application of a nut
Widespread problem serves to push the bearing on the taper.
In Australia, mining is a pillar of the country’s To know how much the spherical roller
economy, where downtime and costly repairs bearing requires pushing on the tapered
represent a danger to bottom-line profitability. surface, maintenance professionals use a
Like in many other regions of the world, feeler gauge to check the bearing’s internal
mining companies across Australia experience clearance. This strategy ensures there is no
expensive maintenance and lengthy conveyor over-exertion of force that could push the
downtime due to the failure of tensioning bearing too far up the tapered sleeve, causing
pulley bearings. These bearings typically too much reduction in internal clearance.
suffer from hard particles (dirt, dust) and — A cross-section of NSK’s long-life spherical roller
water penetrating the housing seals and The beginning of change bearings with detachable seal shows the inner ring,
entering the open bearings. outer ring, seal holder and seal
The life expectancy of open spherical roller
As well as improving the sealing situation, any bearings for applications such as mining and
new solution would have to avoid compromising quarrying conveyors is relatively short, typically NSK set out to develop a type of sealed
important user requirements, one of which just months. However, in the absence of a better spherical roller bearing that could provide a
is rapid mounting. As an industry-standard solution, this somewhat unacceptable situation useful service life extension through highly
procedure, each spherical roller bearing slides has prevailed for many years. effective seal design and the use of unique
quickly and easily on to a tapered sleeve. In long-life bearing material. However, among
contrast, bearings that mount on a regular The first sign of a breakthrough arrived in the major challenges was accommodating the
cylindrical surface require heating and cooling 2012-13, when NSK Australia and its distributor need for final radial clearance measurement.
to ensure a suitable shrink fit, not only taking began working closely with major mining Only by using open bearings was it previously
time but requiring special equipment. companies across the country to set up several possible for feeler gauges to gain access. Using
on-site trials in various problematic conveyor a conventional sealed bearing would prevent
Tapered bearing bores and corresponding pulley locations where the mean time between this critical operation from taking place.
tapered adapter sleeves provide a faster failures (MTBF) was as low as 6 months.
Some bearing manufacturers have addressed
this issue by offering standard sealed spherical
— The seal is mounted to a ring/holder that is fully detachable (via bolts) to allow access
roller bearings (featuring a tapered bore)
for internal clearance measurements using feeler gauges
with a set of conversion tables. These tables
provide a correlation between the amount of
axial push distance, a hydraulic nut oil pump
pressure and how much the internal clearance
is shrinking. However, this is a theoretical
calculation that does not offer 100% certainty,
leading to a percentage of mounting errors.
56 Bearing News
Importantly, despite the addition of the Service life up to 10 years
detachable seal, there is no extension of the
ISO-specified boundary width dimension, Some of the trial spherical roller bearings fitted
therefore permitting the use of standard to mining conveyors by NSK Australia in 2012-13,
bearing housings. NSK achieved this outcome remain in service with problem-free running.
by deploying its proprietary, independently However, NSK removed one set (although
certified Hi-TF/Super-TF bearing material to working perfectly) after two years and sent it to
mitigate the design constraints of the seal. the company’s R&D Centre in Japan for X-ray
fatigue analysis. The result indicated that a
This material increases the load rating by up residual life of eight years remained. So, together
to 10% (depending on size) in comparison — The higher dynamic load rating of NSK’s Hi-TF/
with the service time already achieved, NSK
with a standard open bearing, allowing Super-TF bearing material mitigates the design
determined that a 10-year service life is possible,
the solution to remain within the same constraints of the seal, keeping the bearing within
which is far in excess of anything previously
dimensional envelope. Mining companies the ISO-specified boundary width dimension
witnessed by conveyor applications in the
can therefore quickly and simply swap their mining and quarrying industry.
existing open bearings with the NSK solution;
there is no requirement for a new housing. NSK’s solution also features proven heavy- NSK Australia has since supplied around
duty nitrile (HNBR) seal technology 1600 long-life spherical roller bearings with
As a point of note, Hi-TF and Super-TF capable of operating up to 100°C., detachable seal technology across the country’s
bearing material provides twice the service providing 30% more effective sealing than mining industry. A full range of standard sizes
life of conventional bearing material when standard industry concepts thanks to the from 120 to 480 mm bore diameter is now
operating with clean lubrication, and up to use of spring-loaded lip technology. This available worldwide, including in Europe.
10 times when operating with contaminated design helps to deliver protection from Some installations have already taken place
lubrication. contaminants and long service life. in the Nordic countries, for example.
Bearing News 57
A Systematic Value Approach
to Drive Global Growth
in The Bearing Industry
Quzhou JW is in the beautiful city of Quzhou, 2 hours away from Shanghai by
high-speed rail. It is a public listed company who focuses on the development
and production of bearing rings for global market. After 13 years of development,
the company has entered the supply systems of many world-famous bearing
manufacturers and won various awards from customers and local governments
in the areas of quality, innovation, sustainability, and employee cares, etc. In
the past 10 years the company achieved a compound annual growth rate of
30% and become one of largest ring producers in the world.
58 Bearing News
Introduction companies, we have learned from our the output of the entire channel that
experience in growing business globally consists of multiple other stations (rough
In today’s global economy, bearing that 1) only the values that can directly grinding, pairing, assembly, inspection,
and components companies in both relate to customers’ internal goals can packaging, etc.) can be improved
developed and developing countries be easily recognized by customers and significantly. To help customers produce
are facing challenges. While companies result actions; 2) there are multiple goals more or switch to the right products faster,
in developed countries struggle with customers would have at given times and we have made reducing customers’
increasing competition from developing the focus can change over time. We now precision grinding cycle one of our focuses.
countries like China, companies in China call this value concept “JW Systematic
also struggle with rising costs and the Value Approach “. In this article, we will An example of JW helping customers
need to stand out among many competitors use below three examples to share how increase production output is that we
on their home turf. To facilitate our we have used this concept to identify and focused our efforts on improving ring
global growth and realize our vision deliver the right values to customers. properties that can help customers to
of becoming the world best bearing reduce grind time at their production
component supply chain company, JW has 1. Increase customers’ output channels. By working collaboratively
built up a systematic value approach to 2. Reduce customers’ total cost (TCO) with customers’ teams, we invested
guide operation and strategies to deliver 3. Reduce customers’ purchasing cost new heat-treatment and machining
exact values global customers need. processes and optimized the tolerances
“Increase Customers’ Output” of the height and outside diameters of
Values Concept the rings. Such improvement enabled
Precision grinding is often the bottleneck major customers to reduce their final
While there are different ways values of production channels of world bearing grinding time, thus the cycle time of
can be presented and delivered to manufacturers. If one second can be the entire channel,by more than 5%.
customers for different industries and shaved from the cycle time of this process,
Bearing News 59
“Reduce Total Cost of them reduce the usage of grinding and support customers’ sustainability
Ownership (TCO)” tools, lubrication, machines, etc. thus initiatives. Also, by working with our
reduce the costs associated with them. sub-suppliers, we developed machining
Indirect cost at bearing factories is a equipment and tools with optimized
big part of total bearing cost. These “Reduce Purchasing Cost” rigidity that overcame the machining
costs include material costs such difficulty of bearing special steels
as lubrication, grinding/cutting To offer this value to customers and and improved our internal efficiency
tools, machines; and process costs help them continuously reduce their by 20% along with reduced tooling
such as orders handling, logistics, direct purchasing cost, we proactively costs, all done limited capital spend.
sorting, holding stock, etc. To help engage customers for VA/VE efforts
customers reduce and optimize TCO, while constantly look for efficiency Conclusion
we have focused on improvements improvement internally and with
that can result in customers’ our sub-suppliers’ partners using There is always another road to Rome.
indirect cost of manufacturing. total value chain approaches. While we have found our systematic
value approach very effective in
An example of JW helping customers A major advantage of tube route vs supporting our growth, we do not
to reduce TCO (total cost of ownership) forging in making small and medium intend to conclude that it is the
is that we developed additional size bearing rings is lower cost. only way companies should use to
processes such as heat-treatment and While JW provides high quality and categorize and guide values proposition.
rough grinding to reduce customers’ competitive rings from both tube Instead, we wish our industry peers
sourcing and supply chain management and forging, we proactively worked explore their own approaches, and
complexity and processing costs. We with customers to develop rings welcome them to contact us for further
also offer options to locate the stock that can use tubes as material for discussions on values approaches, as
close to customers even if they are suitable applications to reduce their well as how to benefit our industry.
thousands of kilometers away to enable ring purchasing costs. Internally we
customers conduct JIT ordering and developed high precision cutting process Authors:
reduce inventory and warehouse cost. that reduce steel waste and improve the
It is also noteworthy that our effort material utilization by up to 10%. It is Jianbo Jiang, Director of R&D Center
to reduce grind time at customers’ noteworthy that such reduction of steel Sheng Wei, Factory Manager of Small
production channels (mentioned in consumption also translates into carbon and Medium Size Rings
Value #1) is also beneficial to help emission reduction in the supply chains Kai Liu, Factory Manager of CNC
60 Bearing News
BEARING LUBRICATION
REIMAGINED
Remote and Real Time
MODULAR SYSTEM
Bearing Monitoring and Lubrication
Each OnTrak is capable
of 16 sensors. Easily
scale OnTrak systems
to thousands of
sensors to one
central dashboard
COMMUNICATION
(Ethernet, wifi or cellular)
ALARM NOTIFICATION
Built-in events system,
which is configurable,
CONTACT US FOR A DEMONSTRATION
and has the ability to WITH REAL LIFE DATA!
display, email and text
any alerts the system has UE SYSTEMS UK & IRELAND - CHRIS HALLUM
+44 (0) 7930 352 188 | chrish@uesystems.com
Expands
ASIA Operations
a briefing from Jason Kim, the Managing Director of Mondial Group Asia Ltd.
Mondial Group Asia Limited is a Korean in the company and through the development heavy rolling and impact loads and
company belonging to Italy’s Mondial of customized solutions and excellent service, minimize the effects of misalignments. We
Group, which manufactures and distributes Mondial Group succeeded in retaining expect it to be an efficient and competitive
innovative and high-quality power customers and its market position. solution compared to existing products.”
transmission components worldwide. To “Mondial Group Asia will participate in “We will introduce the RTB series, a
mark its 75th anniversary in October ’21, SIMTOS 2022, Korea's largest machine composite roller bearing applied to the
Mondial Group established a new company tool related exhibition. Being already a rotary table, indexing table, and milling
in Daegu, South Korea, to source promising supplier to Korea’s largest machine tool head, which are core products for machine
Asian products and promote its own manufacturer, we will be proud to introduce tools; the SRB series, a precision ball
products in the Asian market. Currently, our new “Made in Italy” products”, stated screw support bearing; the XRB series,
Mondial Group Asia is organizing a sales Jason Kim, the Managing Director of a customized cross roller bearing.”
network for Unitec (www.unitecbearings. Mondial Group Asia Ltd. and continued:
com), a manufacturer of special cylindrical “A technical engineer from Italy will be
roller bearings belonging to Mondial Group. “Mondial Group Asia is introducing a new present during the exhibition to offer
Unitec bearings have been well received "stud-type track roller" that can withstand technical consultation. After the exhibition,
by European machine tool and industrial “
“
machinery manufacturers for more than 40
years through excellent quality and service.
62 Bearing News
we will be available for customer visit.
Also, we have prepared a special gift Jason Kim,
for visiting customers to our stand.” The Managing Director
of Mondial Group Asia Ltd.
“In order to be chosen by customers, a fully
integrated local sales representative must
be provided with systematic and efficient
customer service and logistics capabilities.
In the first phase, the company will focus
on promoting Unitec products, but Mondial
Group Asia is already considering additional
development plans through the sale of
other Made In Italy products that will soon
be available to the entire Asian market.”
Bearing News 63
on promoting Unitec products, but Mondial these opportunities, we are planning to
Group Asia is already considering additional manufacture robot systems for automation
development plans through the sale of lines as well as Unitec bearings in the Asian
other Made In Italy products that will soon market. To this end, Mondial Group recently
be available to the entire Asian market.” acquired Smart Factory, an innovative
Italian startup company highly specialized
“The diversification of customers' suppliers in electronic and computer engineering,
due to existing supply chain instability is and Tecno Motion, an Italian startup highly
specialized in PLC programming.”
a new opportunity for manufacturers that More information about Mondial can be
have excellent quality, price competitiveness, found at www.mondial.it
and sufficient inventory. Based on
It took the combined strengths of our new company to develop complete industrial
powertrain solutions, custom designed and built for applications across the full
spectrum of horsepower and torque. From start to finish, Regal Rexnord™ electromechanical
industrial powertrains are designed, configured, integrated and optimized for your unique
applications, opening the door to new ideas and unlimited possibilities.
Creating a better tomorrow™...
Read about Regal Rexnord and our prominent brands. Go to regalrexnord.com.
All trademarks, service marks and company names are the property of their respective owners.
© 2022 Regal Rexnord Corporation, All Rights Reserved. MCAD21056E • MB0122E regalrexnord.com/powertrain
Bearing News 65
OAV
DISRUPTIVE
TECHNOLOGY
SIGNIFICANTLY
ALTERS
THE WAY
THE
INDUSTRIES
OPERATE
AV FRICTIONLESS R2R
C O N TA C T L E S S S TAT I C W E B R O L L E R
MARKETS
Energy Semiconductor Metrology
www.oavco.com
Princeton, USA
Bearings from
for wind turbine gearboxes and generators
NKE Austria GmbH designs and manufactures bearings for wind turbine gearboxes
and generators. The bearing solutions are presented at the WindEurope Annual
Event in Bilbao, Spain.
Bearing News 67
— Modular NKE bearing set consisting of up to four base bearings plus accessory parts for planetary gear applications
Best-in-class: insulated and hybrid provide perfect protection against all State-of-the-art manufacturing:
bearings for extended service life kind of issues related to electric current Austrian expertise in the historic town
passing through a bearing. Moreover, of Steyr
Besides the gearboxes, wind turbine hybrids reduce friction and operating
generators are also essential to the overall temperature, improving the overall At its headquarters in Steyr, Austria, NKE
functionality of wind turbines. Generator operating conditions and thus extending has launched a competence centre for
bearings have to operate under challenging lubricant and bearing service life. “In a large-sized bearings, including state of the
conditions. In modern applications, the nutshell, NKE’s generator bearings lower art manufacturing capabilities and a logistics
bearings must frequently withstand issues the risk of a premature bearing failure centre. All NKE bearings undergo stringent,
caused by stray electrical currents or electric and increase the reliability and efficiency documented quality inspections. In addition
discharge. Depending on the expected of the turbine as a whole,“ Rössl says. to comprehensive engineering support
operating conditions and demands of tailored to the needs of the wind industry,
customers, NKE offers insulated generator NKE offers a wide variety of insulating NKE’s Application Engineering department
bearings and hybrid generator bearings with bearings, which are suitable for all offers certification support in accordance
ceramic rolling elements. Both solutions common multi-megawatt generators, with wind standards such as GL2010,
and offers customized insulated bearing IEC61400 or customized specifications.
solutions upon request. For applications
that have to function under especially Apart from serving the wind power sector,
harsh operating conditions, NKE offers NKE produces standard and custom bearings
premium hybrid bearings that maximize for all industrial applications. Engineering,
the generator’s reliability and performance. product development, production and final
Hybrid bearings consist of bearing rings processing of components, assembly, quality
made of bearing steel, and ceramic rolling assurance, logistics, and sales and marketing
elements. Large-sized wind generator are centralized at its Steyr headquarters. A
hybrid bearings are available with comprehensive range of standard bearings is
rolling element guided steel sheet cages available from stock or can be produced with
or massive brass cages. “NKE premium short lead times. Solutions are developed
hybrid bearings as well as electrically and manufactured for special requirements
insulated bearings have proven successful as well. In addition to product development
in leading wind generator brands,” Rössl and application engineering, NKE
says. “NKE collaborates with wind turbine provides a full range of technical services,
— NKE premium hybrid deep groove ball bearing manufacturers, generator manufacturers consulting, documentation and training.
6330-C3-HYB for wind generator applications and service providers worldwide.”
68 Bearing News
HAPPY
2023
Yes, we are not mistaken. Of cource we
wish you a fantastic 2022!
But we also look ahead to support your
business in the years to come.
Company Acquisitions
Partnerships Joint-Ventures
Company Sales
Company Restructuring
IPO
www.ict-advisorydivision.com
m&a@consulting-trading.com
PRECISELY FORWARD
NSK MOTION SOLUTIONS
From Machine Tool, Injection Molding, Medical & Measuring to General Machinery applications,
NSK offers the best technical solutions and a full range of engineering services. Every NSK
Linear Guide, Ball Screw, Support Bearing and Super Precision Bearing is tailored to your
specific needs. NSK, the only comprehensive engineering service supplier on the market, will
take your business a step ahead. Find out more at www.nskeurope-motionsolutions.com.
6
Bearing & Power Transmission Meetings • 21-23 March 2022
Agriculture & Food Meetings • 23–25 May 2022
Motion Drives & Automation Meetings • 20-22 June 2022
Marine & Offshore Meetings • 10-12 October 2022
Steel & Metals Meetings • 14-16 November 2022
Mining & Construction Meetings • 05-07 December 2022
Events
in 2022
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