www.bearing-news.com
2016
P918438 - 2016 / 01
FEBRUARY ISSUE 05
BEARING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
?
Interview
THE LAST 6 MONTHS
Tom Hamlett
GODIVA
KG
Interview
Rohit Gupta
Interview
NSK
Michael Preinerstorfer
EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE
AGENDA 2016
HOW TO WIN IN NEW MARKETS
EPTDA’s
PRIORITIES AND STRATEGY FOR 2016 THE BEARING MARKET
TOP TRENDS HOW TO PROJECT
PULP AND PAPER PLANT MOTORS FROM VFD-CAUSED BEARING FAILURE
MACHINE TOOL 4.0 CONCEPT
Bearing Reliability Conference & Expo
DORTMUND • 22 - 23 March 2016
UNITS
CUSTOM
TRACK ROLLER
STANDARD
OVERMOLDED
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Rte du Petit-Moncor 9 I 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne - Switzerland I +41 26 408 47 00 I www.jesa.com
THE BEARING RELIABILITY CONFERENCE AND EXPO The Bearing is an essential element and the rotating heart of all machines and if it fails or malfunctions, then so does the machine or equipment. Our main focus in this issue will be therefore the bearing reliability related topics and more specifically the ‘Bearing Reliability Conference and Expo’, which will take place in Dortmund on 22-23 March 2016. The bearing industry is in a transformation period and 2016 is expected to become another year full of challenges, with the meek forecast on the world economy – projected to grow by 2.7%. It will be essential for bearing manufacturers, distributors and solution providers to revise their strategy and create a stronger synergy amongst the served and related industries. The ‘Bearing Reliability Conference & Expo’ aims to support the bearing and reliability industry players by bringing them together during a two days event. BRCE2016 will be the meeting place where the bearing manufacturers, distributors, end-user and other solution providers can network and experience 26 powerful Key Note speakers from both bearing and reliability competencies; listen to selected experts who will present their strategies to make the bearing more reliable; join workshops designed to help implementing the best strategies and visit the key industrial players at the Exhibition area. Further in this issue, we have ‘a BearingNEWS classic’ three exclusive interviews with the leaders of leading production and distribution organizations in the bearing industry. The first interview is made with Mr. Tom Hamlett, The Chief Executive Officer of GODIVA Bearings and discussed their 40 years existing tradition of
Page: 4
distribution in bearings and related PT products. Our second interview is with Mr. Rohit Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of KG International, the worldrenowned manufacturer and distributer of ball & roller bearings. We took together with him a look at KG International’s way of doing business due to transparent code of ethics, its commitment to clients and constant reinvention of itself. The third interview is with Mr. Michael Preinerstorfer, Managing Director of NSK’s European Industrial Business Unit (EIBU), who describes and highlights in 10 questions NSK’s plans for 2016. What’s rolling in the bearing industry? A brief summary of what happened during the last six months in the bearing industry; the exhibitions, event & conference agenda for 2016; how to win in new markets; the importance of using ‘Ultrasound’ and advises on designing with Ceramic Bearings… Together with all these interesting topics, many other bearing industry related articles, insights and developments can be discovered in this February issue of the BearingNEWS magazine. 144 pages full of BearingNEWS, We hope that you will enjoy it!
Kenan M. Özcan Editor in Chief BearingNEWS
Bearing News • Issue 3
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What’s Rolling What’s Rolling...
page
INTERVIEW WITH TOM HAMLETT: THE SUPERHEROES OF THE BEARING AND PT INDUSTRY
CASE STUDY: USING ULTRASOUND TO IMPROVE LUBRICATION PRACTICES
10
page
16
page
CONCEPT:
SCHAEFFLER AND DECKEL MAHO PFRONTEN DEVELOP ‘MACHINE TOOL 4.0’ CONCEPT
20 page
CLOSE-UP: BEARINGS WITH A LOT ON THE BALL
CASE STUDY: CARTER MANUFACTURING ADVISES ON DESIGNING WITH CERAMIC BEARINGS
INTERVIEW WITH ROHIT GUPTA: THE BEARING COMPANY WHO PUTS DUBAI ON THE GLOBAL BEARING MAP
26 page
30
page
37 page
BOWMAN: THE PLAIN BEARING SPECIALIST
AGENDA: EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS AND CONFERENCE AGENDA FOR 2016 Page: 6
42 page
46 Bearing News • Issue 5
g... BEARING RELIABILITY CONFERENCE & EXPO 2016
page
49
page
CLOSE-UP: EPTDA’s PRIORITIES & STRATEGY FOR 2016
56
page
SOLUTION: HOW TO WIN IN NEW MARKETS
62
page
in the
What Happened Bearing Industry Second Half of
2015
71
page
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CASE STUDY:
HOW TO PROTECT PULP AND PAPER PLANT MOTORS FROM VFD-CAUSED BEARING FAILURE
102
page
104 Page: 7
page
CLOSE-UP: NN SEES GROWTH HORIZONS IN MEXICO
110 page
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL PREINERSTORFER: NSK’s PLANS FOR 2016
114 page
THE POWERHOUSE IN COMPACT FORM: THE NEW SIMALUBE IMPULSE PRESSURE BOOSTER
118 page
THE BEARING MARKET: TOP TRENDS FOR 2016
122
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CLOSE-UP: SUPER PRECISION BALL BEARING RANGE
124
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NEW FEATURES IN MESYS SHAFT AND ROLLING BEARING ANALYSIS SOFTWARE
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ARTICLE: ON THE RIGHT TRACK
130
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CASE STUDY: LUBRICATION SAMPLING METHODS OUTLINED
CLOSE UP: CYLINDRICAL ROLLER BEARINGS WITH THE OPTIMIZED NEW FORCE DESIGN Page: 8
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140 Bearing News • Issue 5
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“
Superher The
of the
Bearing and PT indus
roes
stry
“
“
The
Superheroes of the
Bearing and PT industry
“
GODIVA Bearings stands today for a tradition of 40 years distribution in bearings and related PT products. The story behind this company is like a never ending comic book with its own dynamics, characters and Superheroes. In an interview with GODIVA’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Tom Hamlett, we discussed the story behind the Super Heroes of GODIVA. What is your role in the company? As a small privately owned company my role can change from day to day but overall I am responsible for the smooth running and long term sustainability of Godiva. I can have a sales hat on one day, a purchasing the next, marketing one another and even a hi-vis one for working within our busy warehouse! I believe that being an effective leader means you should lead by example and there’s no better way of promoting good ethics to staff as them seeing that you are committed in all aspects. I suppose the short answer would be that I am a very hands-on type of guy but at the same time allowing the staff to explore different options, make mistakes and more importantly learn by them. I also make myself available to staff at all times and there is no appointment necessary as there are in some firms. This is one of the parts of Godiva that I like the best, working with likeminded employees discussing new ideas and then seeing them through to completion.
What’s the history and evolution within GODIVA? Godiva started as a small 2 man band in Surrey Page: 12
in 1976 by Ian and Paul Cuthill. They had a small amount of customers in the local area that were serviced by Paul on his 50cc moped! One of the products that were deemed somewhat as a niche was Rose Rod Ends and IKO Pillow Ball joints. It was ultimately this that set Godiva up as one of the leading suppliers of rod ends and probably the largest stock holder of this product anywhere in the world. Since taking on the rest of the IKO agency over 30 years ago we have also been associated with other leading brands of the bearing world. We are extremely proud to be a Schaeffler distributor and again have a long standing relationship with them. We still have a fantastic reputation for being a top rod end supplier and are sole distributors of the E liner bearing from NMB and sole UK distributors for Fluro in the UK – both of whom we have a lot of history with. Currently we have 3 branches – soon to be 4 – with over 50 members of staff and we dispatch over 400 orders per day which not only include bearings but belts, chain and pneumatics and many other products too. Bearing News • Issue 5
Can you describe your team @ GODIVA? The whole team at Godiva is completely committed to the wellbeing of the company. They work extremely hard and often put long hours in to get the job done. When the need arises we all pull together and the team work and morale is great to see and hear. Yes we have problems like every company does but we find a way to tackle these early before they become an issue. The people of Godiva are what bring the success for Godiva.
Which products you provide to your customers? Since the early days of just being known for RodEnds we have increased our range of products to include a whole host of different products. These include bronze bushes, wrapped bushes, chain (both top quality and economy ), ball and roller, taper, linear, cam followers, FIS products including heaters and detection monitoring, belts, adhesives and oils. Our range continues to grow each year and we continue to carry stock in depth of all of the brands we are associated with.
Which other solutions / services do you provide?
As a supplier to the trade only our main service is to provide parts at competitive prices and a very reliable delivery. 99% of all orders we take are needed the next working day which means our stock is key. We like to think that our speedy service and quick dispatch adds value to our customers as they can rely on Godiva to deliver. We offer a 24 hour call out, same day service and also extremely friendly and efficient help and advice.
What is your difference with the competitors on the market? The main difference between Godiva and its “peers” is that it ONLY supplies to other bearing companies or resellers. We do not want to supply bearings to our customer’s customer – that’s what the Bearing Trade’s job is. Why would any Bearing Company buy from Godiva if we were competing with them in several accounts - the fact is they wouldn’t, unless they had no other option. We have seen a lot of “trade only” suppliers pick and choose who they trade with and to this day Godiva remains the only Trade Only Supplier for bearings in the UK – we even refer orders to customers!
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What is the quality/precision level of your products? As we are not a manufacturer we stock precision levels of all standards, based on what the customers’ demands are.
Do you also export outside the UK? Yes, Export is one of the biggest areas of growth for Godiva and the internet has made the world a very small place. Because we stock so many products and have the backing of all the major manufacturers it has really opened up doors for us. We export all over the world and continue to get the Godiva Brand in front of customers by visiting trade shows, conventions and our unique marketing brand goes down well with everyone we see. I must confess though we are very lucky that the vast majority of our customers speak very good English and this is something we are very thankful for!
How do you see the economic developments and the impact of it on the bearing industry? In the UK we have had ups and downs like every other country but we just have to keep doing what we do best and stay ahead of the curve. Of course, some things you cannot control but being a small firm with lots of flexibility we do tend to be able to change direction when we need to.
Which are the biggest challenges you expect to deal with? The biggest challenges that every business faces at some point is keeping the flow of talent coming in to the business. We like to start all of our employees in our busy warehouses as we feel this is the best way to learn the product and get an idea of how the business operates. There are many key
members of staff that originate through this line and we will continue to invest this way. We have appointed a number of apprentices over recent years also and all but one is still with us. Technology is also a major challenge as you can get left behind if not aware of the changes in this area. We still believe though that people deal with people and to this day we prefer to communicate as much as possible by telephone but we are also aware that the younger generation are more inclined to use other forms of communication. This area will continue to evolve over the months and years ahead.
How do you motivate and convince potential customers to choose GODIVA to be their solution provider? This I would say is relatively easy – we give them an invite to see our premises in Dudley and most of the convincing is already done. Customers want to be sure that they can get a good range of goods the next day so when they see the amount of stock we hold this fills them with confidence. If we decide to stock a range, we stock the WHOLE range and not just the popular items. Chain is a good example of this – we have over £¼m of Special Chain in the UK, all ready for dispatch!
How do you see the future of bearing industry? Although a lot has changed over the 25 years since I first started there is still a lot that remains as it was. The fact that some of the big players are now not so bothered about the little guys and that we are always ready to help them contributes to our long term success. We treat every customer with the same level of service we expect from our suppliers and are always striving to be best in class.
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry Second Half of
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2015
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Bearing News • Issue 5
USING ULTRASOUND TO IMPROVE LUBRICATION PRACTICES Keeping a handle on lubrication is easy, right? All one needs to do is make sure the right lubricant is used in the right amount and at the right time. Not so fast; if only it were that simple. Author: Adrian Messer, CMRP – UE Systems
It has been estimated that 60-90% of all bearing failures are lubrication related. Bearing failures most often lead to unplanned downtime which can impact production as well as affect all related components around the bearing. Downtime is
costly. While the costs varies by incident and by plant, it can add up. Since the most common cause of bearing failure is lubrication related, it’s clear to see that lubrication is serious business. And for the longest time, that “serious business” has been conducted in a way that on its face makes perfect sense – but in fact borders on haphazard. Many technicians, unfortunately, have relied on “preventive”, time-based lubrication alone. That is, every X number of months, the grease gun comes out, and the bearings are lubricated. After all, under-lubrications can be lethal, causing equipment failure, costly repairs and replacements, significant unplanned downtime, and lost profits. But by relying solely on time-based lubrication, or even a combination of planned maintenance and temperature readings to serve as a proxy for lubrication status, one runs the risk of something just as bad, if not worse: over-lubrication. In fact over-lubrication has been reported both anecdotally and in presentations at various conferences to be the primary cause of premature bearing failure. Relying on time-based, periodic lubrication
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Bearing News • Issue 5
assumes bearings need to be greased at defined time periods. Often this evolves into a wellintentioned guessing game at best. Adding more lubrication to a bearing that is already adequately greased is a real risk. By using ultrasound technology (along with standard practices such as removing old grease and replacing it with new), technicians can combine standard time-based maintenance with conditionbased, predictive maintenance, gaining in the process both a clearer picture of what’s really going on and better reliability.
How ultrasound works
Bearing beginning of over lube:
This recording shows the bearing dB & amplitude increase as more lube is added and has reached the threshold of over lubrication.
Ultrasonic equipment detects airborne and structure borne ultrasounds normally inaudible to the human ear and electronically “transposes” them into audible signals that a tech can hear through headphones and view on a display panel as decibel (dB) levels. In some instruments, such as the Ultraprobe® 15,000 Touch, the received sound can also be viewed on a spectral analysis screen. With this information a trained technician can interpret the bearing condition in order to determine what, if any, corrective action is needed.
Drive bearing lube history:
Bearing lube example I:
This chart shows a trend of decibel readings taken on a drive bearing. The readings are plotted against a baseline dB, a low alarm dB and a more critical high alarm dB.
Ultrasound technology has many advantages: • It can be used in virtually any environment; • Learning to use ultrasound technology is relatively easy; • The technology is relatively inexpensive; • Modern ultrasonic equipment makes it easy to track trends and store historical data; This is a Time Wave Form of a recorded ultrasound of a bearing in the process of being lubed. The approximately 1 minute sound files shows the bearing before and after lubrication.
Bearing lube example I:
• Ultrasonic technology has proven itself to be extremely reliable in predictive maintenance, saving thousands upon thousands of dollars and hours of lost productivity.
How ultrasound produces better lubrication practices
Another Time Wave Form of a bearing in the process of being lubed over 13 seconds. Again, a distinct before and after lube can be seen.
Ultrasonic technology helps the lubrication technician take a lot of the guesswork out of lubrication needs. Ultrasound is a localized signal meaning when a sensing probe is applied to a bearing, it will not be affected by “crosstalk” and allows the technician to hear and monitor the condition of each individual bearing. Ultrasound
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looks at each individually, much the same way medical ultrasound can detect exactly which artery is clogged or which vein is leaking. As an example of ultrasound’s efficacy, consider this: a maintenance manager at a large firm reports that, since adopting ultrasound technology and practicing ultrasound-assisted, condition-based monitoring rather than “running to put out the fire”, his plant has gone from close to 30 rotating equipment failures per year to zero in three years. But how does ultrasound work, exactly, vis-à-vis lubrication? The first step is establishing both a baseline decibel level and a sound sample. This is ideally done when moving through a route for the first time by first comparing dB levels and sound qualities of similar bearings. Anomalies will be easily identified. Once established, each bearing can be trended over time for any changes in either amplitude or sound quality. Generally speaking, when the amplitude of a bearing exceeds 8 dB and there is no difference in the sound quality established at baseline, the bearing needs to be lubricated. To prevent potentially disastrous over-lubrication, the technician will then apply lubrication, a little at a time, until the dB level drops. Many departments set up their “condition-based” lubrication programs by incorporating a two-stage approach. The reliability inspector uses a relatively sophisticated ultrasound instrument to monitor and trend bearings. A report of bearings in need of lubrication is produced. The lube tech then uses a specialized ultrasound instrument that alerts the tech when to stop adding grease. These instruments can be affixed to a regular grease gun or worn in a holster. To improve efficiencies, it is a good practice for the technician to note when the equipment was last greased and how much grease was used to calculate roughly how much lubrication is used per week. By using ultrasound to lubricate each and every time, the technician produces a historical data that can be used as a guide from previous calculations, helping the department to determine whether the lubrication schedule can be modified, perhaps saving man-hours, and whether the manufacturer’s Page: 18
suggested lubrication amount is accurate (if less is needed, there’s cost-savings potential). And while most of this discussion has focused on the dangers of under and over-lubrication, ultrasound is just as reliable in picking up other potential bearing failure conditions. The technician, using ultrasound, can hear telltale “grinding” sounds and other anomalies, which are often accompanied by an amplitude increase. With regards to lubrication, the advantage of ultrasound is that it is able to isolate bearings and determine their individual needs, thus reducing the possibilities that some bearings are too “dry” and prevent others from over-lubrication.
Why you should begin using ultrasound – today! It is always a daunting proposition to make a new investment in technology. Will it pay off? Will my staff actually have an easy time using it? Is it a flash in the pan or a truly reliable modality that will stand the test of time? While more and more plants are using ultrasound and adopting a predictive and proactive rather than reactive mindset, there are still many that are figuratively using crystal balls and outdated methodologies. The end result is poor reliability, unnecessary man-hours, downtime and lost productivity and profit. While ultrasound can’t cure all reliability ills, it has proven itself – in a plethora of settings – to be a valuable and powerful diagnostic tool that technicians must add to their toolkit. When it comes to something as important to reliability as lubrication, the question really becomes: “Can you afford not to use ultrasound technology?” Consider the plant that went from close to 30 bearing failures a year before using ultrasound to having no bearing failures for three years once bringing ultrasound into its maintenance arsenal. It’s no coincidence. Ultrasound works. For more information on ultrasound technology and to access valuable resources, including a sound library, presentations and articles, visit UE Systems’ website at www.uesystems.eu. Bearing News • Issue 5
STOP KILLING BEARINGS! DEFEND THEM WITH ULTRASOUND 60 to 80% of all bearing failures are lubrication related. Start using ultrasound assisted lubrication to reduce bearing failures. UE Systems’ Ultraprobe 401 Digital Grease Caddy Pro can identify lack of lubrication as well as prevent over lubrication.
Save your bearings by listening to them! Prevent over-lubrication > Prolong your bearings’ life
Monitor and trend
> Improve maintenance practices
Analyze and report > Decrease operating costs
www.uesystems.eu Windmolen 22 • 7609 NN Almelo • The Netherlands +31 (0)548 659 011
‘Machine Tool
l 4.0’ Concept
Schaeffler and Deckel Maho Pfronten
Develop ‘Machine Tool 4.0’ Concept Schaeffler and machine tool manufacturer Deckel Maho Pfronten GmbH have developed a “Machine Tool 4.0” concept that is based on a specific investment project together with other partners. The concept connects existing technology, from sensors to Cloud computing and the latest digital components, representing a genuine step towards true digitised production. Two prototypes have been built based on the 4th generation of the DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK® machining centre. One prototype will be put into volume production in a precision bearing cell at the Schaeffler plant in Höchstadt. The other was unveiled on the DMG MORI stand at the EMO 2015 exhibition.
Bearings as data sources Bearings are key components for machine tool performance, as they are critical not only for the functional capacity of the machine, but also for the quality of the work piece. Information about the current condition and the future behaviour of components will become an important source of information for machine operators. Existing sensors can be used or suitable equipment retrofitted. At times, it is advantageous to integrate the sensor directly into components, as this is often the only point at which some parameters can be determined.
As a leading supplier and development partner for machine tool drive components, Schaeffler is pursuing a specific digitalisation strategy, with the aim of providing data from a diverse range of processes using sensors, networking and analyses in order to offer its customers real added value.
In this project, the two prototypes have additional sensors integrated into almost every bearing position relevant to the machining process. This enables vibrations, forces, temperatures and pressures to be measured, which provides valuable information about the condition of the machine. Making a machine ready for “4.0 production”, means assessing the measurement data, saving this data and making conclusions from this.
As a user of machine tools, this Industry 4.0 initiative has a direct relevance to Schaeffler’s own production. Schaeffler’s activities in the field of machine tool digitalisation provide the whole sector with the potential to convert opportunities and overcome challenges by close collaboration between manufacturer, supplier and end user.
In order to make all the measurement data accessible, the machine is provided with an internal network to which all additional sensors, actuators and evaluation units are connected. A gateway provides a link to a Cloud-based platform. In order to ensure that data can be exchanged with the machine control system, Profibus is integrated into
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Bearing News • Issue 5
the PLC for time-critical and process data. The OPC UA protocol is used to access further information from the human machine interface (HMI). The data from the machine is saved locally in the gateway and copied into the Schaeffler Cloud. This ensures the machine’s data history is available without having to connect to the network. Calculations can be completed in the Cloud via web services or apps.
Big Data and data analysis Analysing large volumes of data has assumed a new significance compared to existing data analysis, which principally has a 1:1 ratio as far as output is concerned. This assumes that, in addition to the actual measured values, trends occur in a sufficiently large number of measured values/ data (Big Data) which can be correlated with other data. This provides a new level of quality in terms of what it can reveal with regards to, for example, the condition of the bearings and therefore the
condition of the machine (data-based added value). These data trends can be automatically recognised using suitable software algorithms and any necessary recommended actions taken. Decentralised functional units are required, which can operate both autonomously and as an integral part of the network. This allows local intelligence to assess the data locally. Additional evaluation that requires more computing power can be retrieved from the Cloud. An analytical evaluation based on data from all connected machines can be carried out in the Cloud rather than locally on the machine. In this way, Schaeffler is designing a horizontal network along the value-added chain, similar to the vertical integration of sensors into the Cloud, in order to learn how complexity and requirements for products and services can be accommodated in production.
Integration into production The possibilities offered by digitalisation are not limited to production machines. The manufacturing environment can also benefit from a continuous flow of data. This avoids the implementation of isolated solutions that are likely to require manual intervention. Vertical integration is also required to connect to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for automatic order processing.
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Manufacturing An important element of “Big Data” is the unique identification of individual components. For this, a marking unit is integrated to the machine, which provides each component with a unique code using a Data Matrix Code. This remains with the components throughout the manufacturing process and forms part of the unit ID. This provides traceability and enables a component’s history to be analysed.
Process Determining the forces on the tool centre point (TCP) allows further optimisation of machine loading, as well as the process itself. Displacement at the TCP due to loads that occur during machining can be determined using a mathematical model and potential correction measures can be fed back to the control system in real time. The actual machining forces that occur can be determined in advance using machining simulation software. These form a nominal value that may not deviate outside a predetermined range, as this would indicate an unacceptable condition.
Energy In addition to measuring actual energy usage and assigning this to each stage of the machining process, it is also possible to determine future Page: 24
energy demands through process simulation. When combined with existing data, a more accurate prediction of energy requirements can be produced, which allows demand-driven purchasing of energy, as well as production planning by minimising energy peaks across the business. Condition of the machine The condition of the machine is recorded using traditional vibration monitoring techniques. The condition of the lubricant is also measured and evaluated at different points. Demand-driven lubrication guarantees functional capacity, as well as the careful use of resources without affecting machine performance. It is also possible to predict the future condition of the bearing.
Maintenance Load collectives in the machine can be clearly understood by classifying the machining processes. For example, a nominal residual service life of the bearing position can be calculated online using the Schaeffler bearing calculation software BEARINX® via a web service. The aim is to simulate planned machining tasks and the resulting (expected) operating life of individual components in order to control production in such a way that essential maintenance can be planned in advance to maximise machine availability. Bearing News • Issue 5
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BEARINGS WITH A LOT ON THE BALL Wherever two elements of a moving construction meet, friction may arise and hinder fluent movements. Applying lubricants or using a ball bearing construction with rolling elements will reduce the friction when in motion. RBC FRANCE SAS is a sales subsidiary of the wellknown RBC Bearings Incorporated. RBC manufactures and markets highly engineered precision plain, roller and ball bearings in many size for sophisticated applications. RBC FRANCE is located in Les Ulis Cedex ,France. Developing ball bearings and related products requires skilled engineering and high precision manufacturing processes RBC Bearings are used in a wide variety of applications and industries. RBC FRANCE markets the products of RBC Bearings in France, Spain, Portugal, the Benelux countries and Turkey. French clients account for around 75% of its turnover, 25% is exported. “We supply our ball bearings to partners in the commercial aerospace and Rail industries, which requires several certificates,” explains General Director Selim Hazinedar. “The same applies to the automotive industry and train manufacturers, and we have all necessary certificates. Other clients are companies manufacturing machinery for civil engineering and construction, and original equipment manufacturers. Ball bearings are also an important part of telecom and satellite communication equipment. Our product range includes large one meter ball bearings, down to very small ones, even one millimeter miniature versions. We are also the exclusive reseller of the miniatures ball bearings made by the German company Myonic.” RBC FRANCE is a 100% subsidiary of RBCSchaublin in Switzerland, which in turn is a 100% subsidiary of the American RBC Bearings Page: 26
Incorporated. RBC Bearings was established in 1919 and is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the stock symbol ROLL since 2005. This parent company has 28 facilities, of which 25 are manufacturing facilities, in four countries. “At RBC FRANCE we have 14 employees,” says Mr. Hazinedar. “We have no research and development departments or production plants, since we are exclusively focused on sales. Our turnover was 27,8 million EUR in 2015 and will be about the same in 2016. We recently developed a webshop so clients can order our products on line. The European warehouse locations are in France and Switzerland. These strategic locations allow for quick delivery whenever necessary, often within 24 hours. Our customers often acknowledge and appreciate our after sales care and service.” RBC FRANCE’s plans for the future involve increasing business. “Our parent company aims at external growth and since we are one of its sales organizations, that concerns us directly,” the General Director says. “We will broaden the contacts with our existing clients and focus on acquiring new ones. This might involve an increase in our export share as well.” RBC FRANCE SAS 19, av. de Norvège, ZA de Courtaboeuf 1 91953 Les Ulis CEDEX, France Phone: +33 1 60921735 • Fax: +33 1 69861284 info@rbcfrance.com • www.rbcfrance.com Bearing News • Issue 5
Regal Beloit Belgium nv Heiveldekens 16 2550 Kontich, Belgium Tel : +32 (0)3 457 68 70 Fax : +32 (0)3 457 31 38 E-mail : info-belgium@regalbeloit.com
www.RegalPTS.com
Carter
Manufacturing Advises on
Designing with
Ceramic Bearings
Carter
Manufacturing Advises on
Designing with
Ceramic Bearings
Do you know when and why to use ceramic bearings? You’re about to.
It is very important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of ceramic bearings before designing them into your application. This article will highlight the pros and cons, outline the common ceramic bearing materials and touch upon a few of the endless applications in the field today. Advantages Ceramic microstructures enjoy covalent bonding inherent between non-metal elements. This means they share electrons. This atomic co-operation yields a very strong attraction force and because of this, ceramics offer a series of benefits in comparison to metals. • They normally have a very high hardness (7090 HRc) and elastic, or Young’s, modulus. This means they are resistant to shape change when loads are applied along with improved wear characteristics. • Ceramic bearings can run lubrication free. This is because ceramic materials don’t microweld. Micro-welding happens, typically with metals, when the surface imperfections on the rolling element and raceway interact with one another causing an electric arc. This degrades the surface and substantially reduces the bearing life. Ceramic materials do not have this issue which makes them suitable for various applications which require a lube-free environment. • They usually behave in a stable manner at high temperatures meaning there is less thermal expansion. It takes a great deal more energy to increase the bond length of a covalent bond in comparison to a metallic ionic bond. • Ceramics are non-metallic, nonferrous materials. They don’t corrode in the same way as metals when exposed to water and other hazardous chemicals. Their high degree of corrosion resistance allows them to perform
Page: 32
excellently in wet and chemically-corrosive environments. • Many engineering ceramics also have a low density leading to improvements in bearings’ operational speeds, which is due to low centripetal forces and reduced friction. Due to the lack of free electrons in most ceramics, they are non-magnetic and excellent insulators.
Disadvantages I know what you’re thinking: Look at all of those advantages! Why aren’t all bearings made of these brilliant materials? But I’m afraid I have a bit of potentially bad news. • The first thing people might notice when researching ceramic bearings is that they are substantially more expensive than their metal counterparts. There are many reasons for this. There are extremely high energy and processing costs associated with the massive energy needed to reach the required temperature for the sintering process of high grade raw materials. Since ceramics are so hard, the machining and grinding costs add up quickly when manufacturing precision bearings. All of this must be done in a clean environment with a skilled workforce. Ceramics are incredibly sensitive to impurities in their pores so any contaminates could cause premature failure. As the size increases the price also increases exponentially because of the requirement of
Bearing News • Issue 5
high cost processing methods. These include a slower sintering process required to overcome the temperature gradient in the green body, the amount of evenly applied pressure over a larger volume and the resulting machine costs. • Ceramic bearings have lower load capacities in comparison to metals and are sensitive to thermal shock. Thermal shock is when the temperature gradient within the material causes a differential expansion, which results
in an internal stress. This stress can exceed the strength of the material thus forming a crack. • Ceramics are also more difficult to achieve a high quality surface finish. It is possible to grind them to a Ra 0.1 surface finish which allows a P5 precision class to be achieved. However, due to recent technological advances, higher precision classes are now possible with Carter ceramic bearings.
CERAMIC BEARINGS ADVANTAGES VS DISADVANTAGES CHART This table highlights the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages in much fewer words:
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
• High Hardness • High Elastic Modulus • High Corrosion Resistance • Abilitiy to run without lubrication • Low Thermal Expansion • Low Density • Non-Magnetic
• High Cost • Lower Load Capacities • Sensitive to Thermal Shock • Difficult to achieve a hight quality surface finish
Picture 1: Example of Silicon Nitride Bearings
shuttle to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere without disintegrating. Since then, Zirconia has been the material of choice for high temperature and highly corrosive applications. The density and thermal expansion of Zirconia is more similar to steel than that of any other ceramic material; therefore, it does not have the same weight saving and thermal shock resistance enjoyed by other ceramic materials. However, compared with Silicon Nitride and Silicon Carbide, Zirconia has a high fracture toughness. Zirconia is white in colour.
Less frequently used than other ceramic materials due to its raw materials cost and difficulty to machine, Silicon Carbide offers the best heat and corrosion resistance of all the ceramic materials.
Applications
additional lubrication, there is no additional microbiology to worry about. Â
Space and Satellites Many modern materials find their origins in pioneering space technology. Many ceramic materials that are now commonly used in bearings were developed for just this reason. Space exploration exhibits extreme loads and turbulent environments while demanding strict weight constraints and vacuum requirements. Ceramic bearings are able to fulfil these requirements as many of them are lightweight and vacuum compatible. Unlike their steel equivalents, ceramic bearings are able to run unlubricated which not only stops possible contamination of delicate components in the surrounding applications but also reduces weight as there is no need for heavy greases. They also don’t experience cold welding unlike their steel counterparts. Chemical and Medical Many applications where contamination can be potentially life threatening, ceramic bearings provide the best solutions. Whether it is mixing chemicals or within medical equipment, standard steels succumb to the effect of strong acids and alkalis. Standard steels, including stainless steel, can rust when washed with solutions and result in particulate contamination. Ceramic bearings do not react in the same way as standard steels because they are chemically inert compounds. This means they are not chemically reactive to corrosive materials and will not release harmful by-products. Standard steel bearings also require some form of lubrication, either grease or oil, which can be difficult to clean and eventually breed bacteria unsuitable for sanitary applications. Moreover, as ceramics bearings can run dry and free of
Silicon Carbide is best used under low loads and in highly corrosive environments. The material properties of these ceramic materials are listed in the tables below along with 440C Stainless Steel for comparison purposes.
Scientific Instrumentation Some highly specialized instrumentation may require a fully non-magnetic system. The magnetooptical phenomenon called the Faraday Effect showcases the interaction between light and a magnetic field in a medium. If light is being measured or utilized in an instrument, a standard steel bearing must be avoided. Ceramic bearings are perfect for situations when magnetic resonance is an issue.
Conclusion Ceramic bearings exhibit a vast range of advantages for engineering applications but also have disadvantages that must be taken into consideration. They are extremely hard, corrosionresistant and have a high elastic modulus. They are able to run without lubrication, have low thermal expansion, are normally low density and have nonmagnetic qualities. However, they are expensive, have low load capacities, are sensitive to thermal shock and are difficult to achieve a high quality of surface finish on. Whether you are using Silicon Nitride, Zirconia or even Silicon Carbide, ceramic bearings are available for a wide range of applications such as space, chemical, medical, and scientific instrumentation. If you think your application requires a ceramic bearing or just want to speak with an expert, contact Carter Manufacturing Limited at +44(01865) 821-720, email sales@carterbearings.co.uk or visit www.carterbearings.co.uk. Author: Erick Sloan, Carter Manufacturing Limited
Page: 35
Common Ceramic Bearing Materials: Silicon Nitride, Zirconia and Silicon Carbide Silicon Nitride combines the retention of high strength and creep resistance with oxidation resistance. It has better high temperature capabilities than most metals and its low thermal expansion coefficient gives a better thermal shock resistance in comparison with most ceramic materials.
reduction in centripetal force generated by the rolling elements, which significantly increases fatigue life time. Unlike other ceramic materials, Silicon Nitride can hold similar loads to bearing steel; however, it is unsuitable for the race design in any application with shock loading due to the hardness of the material.
Silicon Nitride is black in colour and the material of choice for vacuum and high speed applications. It’s 58% lighter than traditional steel causing a
Zirconia (ZrO2) was developed in the 1960s and ‘70s to produce a thermal barrier on the external tiles of a space shuttle in order to allow the
Density
ZIRCONIA
SILICON NITRIDE
SILICON CARBIDE
STAINLESS STEEL (440C)
6.05 g/cm³
3.02 g/cm³
3.01 g/cm³
7.06 g/cm³
-6
-6
-6
-6
Linear expansion coefficient
10.3x10 /°C
1x10 /°C
3.9x10 /°C
12.5x10 /°C
Hardness
1300 Kg/mm²
1450 Kg/mm²
2200 Kg/mm²
750 Kg/mm²
Elestic modulus
220GPa
310GPa
380GPa
200GPa
Poisson’s Ratio
0.31
0.27
0.16
0.3
1013Ω cm
1016Ω cm
108Ω cm
6.0x10Ω cm
Electrical Resistance
-5
Table 2: Material properties of Zirconia, Silicon Nitride, Silicon Carbide and 440C Stainless Steel
Picture 2: Examples of Zirconia, left, and Silicon Nitride Bearings, right
KS PERMAGLIDE® P1 plain bearings
KS PERMAGLIDE® P2 plain bearings
• Maintenance-free • Suitable for dry running
• Low-maintenance • For grease or liquid-lubricated applications
KS PERMAGLIDE® P1 materials
KS PERMAGLIDE® P2 materials
Standard material P10
Standard material P20
• Contains lead • Very low stick-slip tendency • Low wear • Good chemical resistance • Low friction coefficient • No tendency to fuse with metal • Largely resistant to swelling • Does not absorb water
• • • • • • • •
Standard material P14
Standard material P200
• Lead-free • Very low stick-slip tendency • Low wear • Low friction coefficient • No tendency to fuse with metal • Largely resistant to swelling
• • • • • • • •
Contains lead With oil distributing pockets, ready to install Lifetime lubrication possible Low wear Low sensitivity to edge loading Good damping characteristics Insensitive to impact Good chemical resistance
Lead-free With oil distributing pockets, ready to install Lifetime lubrication Low wear Very good dry-running properties Insensitive to edge loading and impact Good damping characteristics Good chemical resistance
www.permaglide.com
®
MS Motorservice International GmbH – A Rheinmetall Company
For perfect running. For all applications.
Original KS PERMAGLIDE Plain Bearings
The
Movement Since 1968…”
Mr. Rohit Gupta
KG International’s Chief ExecutiveOfficer
International The Bearing Company who puts Dubai on the Global Bearing map KG International is a world-renowned manufacturer and distributer of ball & roller bearings. Established in 1968, the company moved to Dubai in 1988. Striving towards becoming the best performing Bearings Company in the world, KG International is a thriving business due to its transparent code of ethics, its commitment to its clients and its constant reinvention of itself. We tried to find out the story behind KG Group during an interview with KG International’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Rohit Gupta. What’s the history and evolution within KG International? 47 years ago, a dream led to what is today a Movement; a movement called KG International that the founding Chairman Mr. Kedar Gupta envisioned. Initiating in India, the company decided to shift its base to Dubai in 1988 and where it expanded and has grown to the entity you see today. The tiny acorn that germinated from an idea, a potential foreseen, is today a mighty oak in the shape of KG International based out of Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai.
What is your role in the company? My title says I am the CEO but I personally like to call myself “a mentor”. Building a cohesive team that can take forward the name of KG worldwide is what I aspire for. My role therefore involves guiding, encouraging, letting peoples’ imagination take rein to help the company work hard & diligently to achieve its vision.
Which type of bearings do you provide to your customers? KGI manufactures and distributes all kinds of ball & roller bearings, slewing ring bearings, sleeves, special bearings etc. Our motto is – If the client
Page: 38
needs it, we endeavor to deliver it.
Are there other products, solutions and services you provide? We like to think we can feel the pulse of the market and therefore anticipate the needs of our clients and have therefore reformatted our focus to include other complementary items like oil seals, industrial gearboxes and automotive products engine parts & components etc.
Can you give us an overview of the bearings produced in NACHI KG Technology India? NKTI, as we like to call it, manufactures mainly automotive bearings for Japanese Automotive companies based in India for their consumption in India. It is therefore essentially a captive manufacturing plant for Japanese Auto giants like Honda, Toyota etc.
In which countries are you active? KGI has its footprint in over 50 countries in 5 continents but we are constantly looking for newer territories to reach out to.
What is your difference with the competitors on the market? We like to think it is the KGI ideology that
Bearing News • Issue 5
considers its clients to be its partners; to whom we render efficient quality services in time which in turn makes them more productive, competitive and profitable.
What is the quality/precision level of your products? KGI thanks to its product portfolio (KG, Nachi & NTN) is able to address nearly all quality requirements of its clients. The KGI products are being used successfully in all applications in the MRO / OEM business worldwide.
How do you see the economic developments and the impact of it on the bearing industry? The year 2015 was a challenging year for the industry world over and many reasons contributed to it: political instability / unrest, currency fluctuations, industrial output slowdown etc. This in turn impacted the engineering component manufactures & suppliers including bearing manufacturers. The demand / supply push pull drive not just the market but the entire production to market cycle.
Is there any project you truly enjoyed or a customer experience you are most proud of?
Developing the client base for MRO / OEM industry is a project I personally find extremely challenging and rewarding. Understanding the stringent needs, working backwards to deliver it to them in the timelines and budgets given is a hard but very fulfilling task. KGI has been working on this since 2013 and each day we have a newer challenge, newer excelsior.
Which are the biggest challenges you expect to deal with? Low economic development activity, liquidity constraints in the market, price wars, unethical competition, inundation of cheaper products, to name a few
How do you motivate and convince potential customers to choose KG to be their solution provider? KGI has a history going back almost five decades. It is name trusted by the players in the industry; its ethics, values and service levels speak for themselves and that is probably the reason we have clients who go back even 20 – 25 years.
How do you see the future of bearing industry? I see amalgamation and more coming together of smaller organizations in the very near future. This
Page: 39
in my view is the way this industry can work well for the players otherwise if there are too many of them, price wars and unhealthy competition will continue and even increase.
How do you motivate and convince potential customers to choose KG to be their solution provider?
Is there any project you truly enjoyed or a customer experience you are most proud of?
KGI has a history going back almost five decades. It is name trusted by the players in the industry; its ethics, values and service levels speak for themselves and that is probably the reason we have clients who go back even 20 – 25 years.
Developing the client base for MRO / OEM industry is a project I personally find extremely challenging and rewarding. Understanding the stringent needs, working backwards to deliver it to them in the timelines and budgets given is a hard but very very fulfilling task. KGI has been working on this since 2013 and each day we have a newer challenge, newer excelsior.
Which are the biggest challenges you expect to deal with?
How do you see the future of bearing industry? I see amalgamation and more coming together of smaller organisations in the very near future. This in my view is the way this industry can work well for the players otherwise if there are too many of them, price wars and unhealthy competition will continue and even increase.
Low economic development activity, Liquidity constraints in the market, price wars, unethical competition, inundation of cheaper products, to name a few.
page
49 VENUE! RESULT!
BEARING RELIABILITY CONFERENCE & EXPO 2016
1
LEARN ABOUT!
• The strategies for improved bearing and machine life • Bearing maintenance fundamentals • Bearing and machine life condition and prediction • Lubrication - The bearing and machine life saver • Bearing ‘Root Cause Failure Analysis’ • The Role of bearing technology, precision and quality in performance • The Monitoring of 'Low Frequency' bearings • The bearing industry responsibilities
Bosnia & Herzegovina Slovakia China
Automotive Railway Heavy Industrial Fluid Power Alternative Energy
www.nninc.com info@nninc.com
THE PLAIN BEARINGS SPECIALIST
A leading supplier to original equipment manufacturers, stockists and distributors across a wide range of industries worldwide, Bowman International Ltd specialises in the manufacture and supply of bearings and sintered components. Combining technical expertise with unrivalled product know-how and availability, Bowman has over 7,000 types and sizes of bearings in stock including the BowMet®, Oilite® and WM ranges. It specialises in plain bearings, providing customers of all sizes with the mass-market and specialist products they need to meet individual requirements. Bowman International has supplied bearings and sintered components for some of the most prestigious projects and products in the world, as Page: 42
well as innovative, specialist solutions to meet even the smallest of bespoke orders. The global business operates from headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, where Bowman has over 15 million items available in stock. It also offers a testing and inspection service, developed in-house by Bowman’s experienced team of engineers.
Product highlights include: Oilite® Oilite® has been acknowledged as the undisputed market leader in self-lubricating bearings for almost 80 years, and today sets the standard for other products with its quality and reliability. Together with Beemer Precision Incorporated who
Bearing News • Issue 5
are the exclusive suppliers of Oilite in the USA, Bowman International are the exclusive suppliers of Oilite in Europe and Asia. Bowman International offers the technical expertise required to support the widest choice of self-lubricating bearings and is the ONLY supplier of original, genuine Oilite® bearings across Europe and Asia.
BowMet® The BowMet® range of plain, rolled bearings is a class-leader, offering a higher load capacity and longer life than comparable bearings, together with outstanding heat, speed and corrosion capabilities. Representing the biggest advance in the bearings market for 70 years when it was released in 2015, the BowMet® range is manufactured in the unique ToughMet® alloy, developed by Materion in the USA. It has a static load capacity of 820 N/mm2.
Bowman Oilless® Bowman’s range of cast bronze bearings lubricated with graphite plugs – commonly known as oilless bearings – is ideally suited for applications where no external lubrication can be provided, for high temperature applications where oil or grease would carbonize and for bearings which will be immersed in water. With several grades of bronze and graphite available, the Bowman Oilless® range will operate between -200°C and +425°C, as well as in cryogenic conditions where conventional lubricants would freeze. Lubricated for life, they are the perfect solution where bearings are inaccessible.
CuSn8 Rolled Bearings Suitable for heavy load applications, the CuSn8 range of wrapped bearings includes plain and flanged bearings, washers and strips in metric and
imperial sizes. With a static load capacity of 120 N/ mm2 and dynamic load of 40 N/mm2, the CuSn8 rolled bearings range is suitable for a wide range of industrial applications.
WMU®/WMX® Bowman’s WMU® range of self-lubricated plain and flanged bearings and strips is made from carbon steel shell with sintered bronze layer, filled with PTFE. Bronze shell versions can also be supplied to order. The WMX® range of oil or grease lubricated sliding bearings offer a carbon steel shell with sintered bronze layer and an acetal co-polymer layer. Together, the ranges offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for a wide variety of applications, with metric and imperial sizes from stock - all supported by Bowman’s technical expertise and commitment to customer service excellence. www.bowman.co.uk• info@bowman.co.uk For Oilite enquiries in North America info@beemerprecision.com
Page: 43
Do More With LEss ALMAGARD HAS STAYING POWER FOR ULTIMATE LONG-LASTING BEARING PROTECTION
When it comes to protecting your expensive equipment, why cut corners? For the past five decades, the go-to grease for extended service and severe duty applications around the world has been LE’s high-performance Almagard® Vari-Purpose Lubricant, fortified with LE’s proprietary Almasol® and Quinplex® additives. Water, heat and high impact won’t prevent Almagard from doing its job. Extremely tacky and water-resistant, Almagard also features superior oxidation resistance, mechanical stability and extreme pressure properties. Find out what legions of satisfied customers already know: Almagard is the right choice for ultimate bearing protection. Very tacky Almagard clings tenaciously to metal, and will not pound out or sling off, even in extreme conditions. LE offers a wide range of enhanced industrial greases to meet the needs of any challenging application.
Highly resistant to water Almagard (left) stays in place, while the competitor’s grease (right) washes away.
Ready to experience LEss downtime and longer lasting equipment? Visit www.le-international.com to learn more and to request quotes for Almagard® Vari-Purpose Lubricant or any of our other high-performance lubricants and reliability solutions.
www.le-international.com +44 118 930 4321 | info@le-international.com
LUBRICATION ENGINEERS INTERNATIONAL LTD. The Lubrication Reliability Source™
AGENDA EXHIBITION, EVENT & CONFERENCE
NAME
LOCATION
COUNTRY
EVENT DATE
WEBSITE
MAINTENANCE
Hamburg
Germany
10 Feb - 11 Feb 2016
easyfairs.com
WIN EURASIA
Istanbul
Turkey
11 Feb - 14 Feb 2016
winfair.com
MAINTENANCE
Dortmund
Germany
24 Feb - 25 Feb 2016
easyfairs.com
MECSPE
Parma
Italy
17 Mar - 19 Mar 2016
mecspe.com
BEARING CONFERENCE
Dortmund
Germany
22 Mar - 23 Mar 2016
bearingreliabilityconference.com
BAUMA
Munich
Germany
11 Apr - 17 Apr 2016
bauma.de
DRIVES & CONTROL
Birmingham
UK
12 Apr - 14 Apr 2016
drives-expo.com
MAINTENANCE
Antwerp
Belgium
20 Apr - 21 Apr 2016
easyfairs.com
HANNOVER MESS
Hannover
Germany
25 Apr - 26 Apr 2016
hannovermesse.de
ROLL EXPO
Istanbul
Turkey
01 Sep - 04 Sep 2016
rollexpoturkey.com
MDA NORTH AMERICA
Chicago
USA
12 Sep - 17 Sep 2016
industrialtechnology.events
BEARING 2016
Shanghai
China
20 Sep - 23 Sep 2016
bearingfair.cn
EPTDA CONVENTION
Berlin
Germany
21 Sep - 23 Sep 2016
eptda.org
PTDA CONVENTION
California
USA
19 Oct - 22 Oct 2016
ptda.org
MDA INDIA
New Delhi
India
07 Dec - 10 Dec 2016
mda-india.com
Page: 46
Bearing News • Issue 5
A
FOR THE BEARING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL IN
2016
Page: 47
Traditional producer of rolling bearings
WWW.ZKL.EU
1
VENUE! RESULT!
LEARN ABOUT!
• The strategies for improved bearing and machine life • Bearing maintenance fundamentals • Bearing and machine life condition and prediction • Lubrication - The bearing and machine life saver • Bearing ‘Root Cause Failure Analysis’ • The Role of bearing technology, precision and quality in performance • The Monitoring of 'Low Frequency' bearings • The bearing industry responsibilities
BEARING RELIABILITY CONFERENCE & EXPO
BRCE is the meeting place where both the global bearing players meet the established global equipment Reliability strategies and brings them both together as one message – Bearing Reliability!
For two days you will experience powerful Key Note speakers from both competencies, listen to selected experts present their strategies to make the bearing more reliable, join workshops designed to help you implement the best strategies and visit the key industrial players at the Exhibition center. The conference has 4 main sections, with in total 29 presentations and 9 workshops.
WHY JOIN THIS EVENT? The Bearing is the rotating heart of all machines and if it fails or malfunctions, then so does the machine or equipment, simply put DOWNTIME and LOST PRODUCTION prevail.
By making the bearing last longer -more reliable, equipment uptime will increase and maintenance costs will subside. This Conference, Workshop and Exhibition structure, will give you the knowledge to help improve your companies business result.
TOP SPEAKERS AT THE BRCE CONFERENCE
Andrew Fraser
Ian Knight
Melissa Cameron
Dan Bradley
Helmut Salsland
Michael Whittaker
Fabrice Brion
Kai Gessenich
Mike Forbes
Gary Tine
Kees Veltman
Per Arnold
Gwyn Simmons
Pietro Prosino
Peter Guendling
Javier Vรกzquez-Dodero
Martin Blenkers
Tom Murphy
Jan Brons
Martin Williamson
Toon van Grunderbeeck
Frank Ragwitz
Wim Vancauwenberge
Martin Deiss
More speakers will be announced in the BearingNEWS & ReliabilityLINK media channels
CONFERENCE & WORSHOPS AGENDA 22 – 23 March 2016
AGENDA
CONFERENCE & WORKSHOPS: Day 1 (22 March 2016) Morning Conference Themes: The Strategies for Improved Bearing and Machine Performance 09:00 10:00
Key Note Adress: by Jan Brons. The Bearing Industry Responsibilities
10:15 10:45
Session Topic Equipment Reliability and the Bearing
Session Topic KPI’s and Performance Parameters
by Dan Bradley
by Helmut Salsland
Session Topic Planning and Scheduling
Session Topic Why Top Companies Make Reliability a Core Business Value. by Andrew Fraser
11:00 11:30
by Michael Whittaker 11:45 12:15
Session Topic Reliability Consulting
Session Topic Protecting VFD Driven Motors from Bearing Currents
by Garry Tyne
by Martin Deiss
Morning Workshop Themes: The Strategies for Improved Bearing and Machine Performance 10:15 12:15
Root Cause Analysis Theme: Exploring the Apollo Root Cause Analysis Program and Methodology.
Bearing Root Cause Failure Analysis Theme: How to define the causes of bearing wear and damage through raceway and component investigation.
by Melissa Cameron
by Per Arnold Elgqvist
RCM – Reliability Centered Maintenance Theme: How to use the RCM methodologies for systematic elimination of repetitive machine and component failures. to be announced
Aſternoon Conference Themes: Bearing and Machine Maintenance Fundamentals 13:00 14:00
Key Note Address: by Wim Vancauwenberghe • Maintenance, Getting The Formula Right
14:15 14:45
Session Topic Best Practices in Bearing Maintenance
Session Topic Equipment Alignment for Prolonged Life
by Per Arnold Elgqvist
by Markus Brotsack
Session Topic The use of Ultra Sound within Bearing Maintenance and Prediction Strategies by Tom Murphy
Sessions Topic The Use of Pre Cut Machinery Shims
Session Topic Outsourcing Maintenance Technologies
Session Topic Effective Sealing Preventing Bearing Oil Contamination
by Martin Blenkers
by Markus Ratzel
15:00 15:30
15:45 16:15
by Christoph Martin
Aſternoon Workshop Themes: Bearing and Machine Maintenance Fundamentals 14:15 16:15
Oil Analysis Theme: Using Oil Analysis methodologies to control levels of Oil Contamination and how to reduce wear and failure.
Creating a High Reliability Performance Culture Theme: This workshop will
Lubrication Reliability Theme: Exploring the 10 steps to make your lubrication program Best in Class and to reduce component wear and failures.
by Gwyn Simmons
by Andrew Fraser
by Toon van Grunderbeeck
consider the soſter (but harder!) issues that need to be addressed to ensure we get good life from our bearings and equipment in general, because we don’t normally achieve the life that our equipment is capable of.
Late Aſternoon Conference Theme: Managing Reliability and Maintenance Staff 16:30 17:00
Session Topic From Control Drive Management to Self Driven Leadership. by Peter Guendling
Session Topic Free Time
AGENDA
Evening Day 1: Conference Dinner & Speaker 19:30
At the restaurant Rosenterrassen in the Mercure Hotel. Dinner Speaker: Dan Bradley & Entertainment
CONFERENCE & WORKSHOPS: Day 2 (23 March 2016) Morning Conference Themes: Bearing and Machine Life Prediction 09:00 10:00
Key Note Adress: by Fabrice Brion • Bearing Life Condition and Prediction
09:45 10:15
Session Topic Vibration Sensors and Monitoring Equipment Developments by Kai Gessenich
Sessions Topic The importance of raw material purity and cleanliness requirements, for precision bearing rings by Pietro Prosino
11:00 11:30
Session Topic Predictive Maintenance – Do it yourself or Outsource it by Daniel Spring
Session Topic The Monitoring of low frequency bearings
Session Topic Best Practices in Predictive Maintenance training
Session Topic Case Study – Condition Monitoring in the Wind Turbine Industry
by Helmut Salsland
to be announced
11:45 12:15
by Tom Murphy
Morning Workshop Themes: Maintenance, Reliability and Management. 10:15 12:15
A Well Run Predictive Maintenance Program Theme: Exploring the key ingredients and control parameters of an effective PDM program.
Manage Coach and Lead! Theme: Exploring the practical skills and tools for a new frontline leadership.
ISO 15000 Theme: Applying structure to your reliability and maintenance strategies.
by Fabrice Brion
by Peter Guendling
by Martin Williamson
Aſternoon Conference Themes: Lubrication the Bearing and Machine Life Saver 13:00 14:00
Key Note Address: by Ian Knight Bearing and Equipment Lubrication Strategies - Getting it Right.
14:15 14:45
Session Topic The Technology of Bearing Lubrication
Sessions Topic Oil Mist technologies
by Mike Forbes
by Javier Vázquez-Dodero
Session Topic The role of Oil Analysis in Predictive Maintenance by Gwyn Simmons
Sessions Topic Filtration for prolonged oil service Life
Session Topic Best Practices in Lubrication Training
Session Topic The UE System approach to controlling your greasing strategies
by Martin Williamson
by Frank Ragwitz
15:00 15:30
15:45 16:15
by Kees Veltman
Late Aſternoon: Closing Ceremony 16:30 17:15
Presentation awards Announcements
BRCE 速
BEARING RELIABILITY CONFERENCE & EXPO MAIN PARTICIPANTS & EXHIBITORS
EXPO & NETWORKING AREA Don't miss your chance to network with attendees, exhibitors and visitors in this energetic atmosphere. The BRCE 2016 event will be a fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues and to make new connections with other bearing and reliability industry professionals.
There will be 60 booths at the BRCE2016 EXPO with 6m² and 8m². Bigger and customized booths can be provided upon request. This Conference, Workshop and Exhibition structure, will give you the knowledge to help improve your companies business result.
HOTEL / ACCOMODATION The BRCE event will take place in Dortmund, the largest one of the industrialized cities in the German Ruhr area. The accommodation will be at the 4-star Mercure Dortmund Messe & Kongress Hotel, next to the Westfalenhallen exhibition center @ Strobelallee 41, 44139 Dortmund / Germany.
Contact Us for all your questions and registration
info@bearing-news.com www.bearingreliabilityconference.com
VISIT THE STANDS OF OUR EXHIBITORS, COVERING BEARINGS, SERVICES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT AND RELIABILITY CONSULTANTS.
The Organizing Partners
RELIABILITY INDUSTRIAL RELIABILITY GUIDE
LINK
COM
EPTDA’s priorities and strategy for 2016!
EPTDA’s priorities and strategy for 2016!
EPTDA, the leading European, MiddleEast and Africa’s Power Transmission and Distributors association has continued to grow and deliver on its promises during 2015 by adding 33 new member companies and organizing a successful Annual Convention in Barcelona. The organization has defined new priorities and strategies for 2016 and is resolute to continue its successful journey during 2016, despite the on-going social and political unrests surrounding the world, despite the meek forecasts on the world economy – projected to grow by 2.7% in 2016 – and despite the ongoing consolidations in the global PT/MC industry.
The year 2016 is foreseen to be another year of repair, recovery, reform and risks for most countries. Market intelligence, quicker and accurate trend analysis and instant information on moves and groves of the industry is critical for our members to make decisions. In 2015, EPTDA announced the ambition to evolve from a networking organization to a navigator organization, helping her members and the PT/MC industry successfully steer through new seas ahead. Over the past decade – through deeper penetration of its core markets, expansion in the emerging markets of the Middle-East and Africa, stronger involvement of its members, strategic initiatives, global partnerships, education and training programs, and meaningful communication tools – EPTDA has established itself as the most credible authority in PT/MC industry today. The name ‘EPTDA’ is today synonymous for quality! Quality of companies represented, quality of products and services featured, quality of intelligence provided and quality of professional executive networking
Page: 58
opportunities created at her Annual Conventions. All committees Days, NexGen Events, Trade Fairs and Exhibitions and other extra-ordinary meetings. In the new edition of EPTDA’s ‘Blue Book’, the PT/ MC industry compass, EPTDA’s President, Curt Carlsson, the Manufacturer Council Chair, Carlo Rondelli, Vice-President, Dick Winkelhuis and the Executive Vice-President, Hans Hanegreefs; expand on the navigation role of EPTDA and how the organization is aiming to integrate the industry’s priorities within the association’s initiatives and content. Digitization, Expansion and People will remain at the core of the EPTDA’s future activities and initiatives, as the association is building a truly global community of shared intelligence, shared network and shared voices. Further described in greater detail is the importance of EPTDA’s quest to attracting, retaining and developing ‘Talent’, by offering sources of professional trainings – off and on-line. The strategic priorities of EPTDA, put in place for the period 2013-18, continue in 2016 and can be
Bearing News • Issue 5
EPTDA LEADERS
EPTDA President Curt Carlsson
Manufacturer Council Chair Carlo Rondelli
summarized as following: • EXPANSION: Broaden and deepening EPTDA’s membership base • DIGITIZATION: Transform EPTDA into a community with full focus on modern communication • PEOPLE: Serve the end-customer according to the highest standards • MARKET INTELLIGENCE & NETWORK: Strengthen members to be successful, profitable and competitive • SHARED VOICES & QUALITY: Establish EPTDA as a quality stamp
Digitization Digital tools have become the key differentiators in all businesses. From smart customer database management to more accurate supply chain management, from enhanced design and production to social influencing strategies, digital technology has truly changed the way of doing business with customers. Manufacturers are now collaborating more closely with key suppliers on the co-development of parts and systems and gaining better insight into the supply chains that feed manufacturing and distribution. Advanced analytics are aiding in the understanding of market trends and improving demand planning while simultaneously communicating product changes throughout the supply chain.
Expansion PT/MC industry has been one of the early movers and adopters of the global consolidations. Given the cash-richness of the sector and the influence on the global economy, the next few years will continue
Vice-President Dick Winkelhuis
Executive Vice-President Hans Hanegreefs
to be marked by more Merger & Acquisition transactions worldwide. Despite the fear and uncertainties that come with M&A, the EPTDA believes that there are numerous opportunities for the EPTDA member companies to benefit from these ongoing shifts in the marketplace – by jointly monitoring the potential, and supporting it where it helps the industry’s future growth and prosperity. A strategic and successful M&A should help create stronger capabilities, bigger global networks, synergies in cost of operations, research and development, and price competitiveness – thus helping deliver the margins. EPTDA is helping advance this growth of the PT/ MC industry by adding – as members – key players from key (home and emerging) markets, from key expertise and product range. As every year, also in 2016 EPTDA will dedicate a large proportion of her activities and funds in driving membership growth.
People The hunt for talent has never been larger. This challenge is even bigger for the industrial sectors, which doesn’t enjoy a glitzy glamourous image like information technology or fast moving consumer goods or other consumer focused industries. Besides, with the digital revolution, our industry requires a very different kind of skillset which is a more holistic constitution of the technical skills but also superb sales and interpersonal skills, thorough understanding of digital platforms, and capabilities to drive product and service innovation. All of this requires serious training and development initiatives on company level but also the industry level. As people remain at the core of everything, the EPTDA decided to take education as an important challenge for the association.
Page: 59
Future In the years ahead, EPTDA members can look forward to benefitting from EPTDA’s continued solid growth of memberships. The association will invest all possible efforts in attracting newbig and small – members. At present, EPTDA membership growth is driven through personal efforts and network of the executive management team, Annual Convention promotions, All Committees days’ events, social media and media relations, representation at key industry trade fairs and events, regional roadshows – especially in the under-represented emerging markets – and strategic alliances with organizations like Deutsche Messe, Drives & Controls, BearingNEWS, etc. With a larger representation of decision-makers under the EPTDA roof, the association will influence the future of the PT/MC industry and
Page: 60
surrounding economies. The winds will continue to be rough in the coming years; with the philosophy ‘by changing nothing, nothing changes’ – the EPTDA will make better sense of the trends and market movements, make quicker decisions, explore opportunities on which they turned a blind eye on before, create joint ventures. Initiatives that earlier seemed impossible or irrelevant, invest in technologies that appeared futile before, attract the skillset that was previously not required by PT/ MC businesses, put brand and company reputation building back on the executive agenda, shut down activities and plans that add no value to the future profitability, and have the difficult discussions that was avoided for long. The reality is, it’s not AND/OR – it’s AND/AND of the above bucket list that will help EPTDA succeed in a new world, as a business, as an association and as an individual.
Bearing News • Issue 5
BERLIN 2016
ANNUAL CONVENTION 2 1 - 2 3 S E P TE M B E R LEADING EXECUTIVE EVENT FOR PT/MC INDUSTRY
HOW TO
WIN
NEW MA
IN
The David Vs. Goliath Effect
ARKETS
The David Vs. Goliath Effect
HOW TO
WIN
NEW MARKETS IN
Any company breaking into a new market can feel like they are in a battle of David versus Goliath. The odds are stacked against them when competing with larger companies that have established working relationships in the industry. To charge onto the battlefield can be a daunting task. But just like David, if a company is given the right tools and an opportunity to strike fast, they can be victorious. What pressures are on bearing buyers today? Customers are pushing the performance of products to the limits to keep up with a demand for higher performing applications. For example, torque and power density is increasing in aerospace, industrial equipment, automotive and wind applications as designs strive to make gearboxes smaller and lighter. And, at the same time, operating lives are extending to allow more energy or power production in the most efficient way. When pushing these design and operating limits, customers need to be assured that they are meeting their reliability goals and protecting their brand. This makes calculating the future life the most important factor of a bearing.
DigitalClone Buy on Life™ allows you to compare the life and price of replacement components in your gearbox.
Page: 64
Bearing News • Issue 5
Historically, if an OEM or operator needs to know the life of the bearings they are buying, they run several physical tests on the different types of hardware and test different scenarios. This is costly and time consuming, which causes hurdles for OEMs that have aggressive time-to-production deadlines for new products. Companies often do not test out different options, because the amount of time and effort spent on each physical evaluation is too high.
Why Do Incumbents Win? First of all, there is not one, but many Goliaths in the bearing industry with existing customer relationships. The need to push out new products to keep up with consumer demands gives the experienced players three main advantages: • Sales teams use established relationships with customer procurement organizations • Engineering teams use their internal tools to help customers design products where their bearings can be used • Application engineers use years of knowledge with customer operations organizations to prove reliability over time These challenges present sales roadblocks for new market entrants. So, an OEM may only select from these suppliers for the first new product launch in order to meet their time-to-production deadlines If a market entrant competes with these market leaders using these same tools, the odds will be stacked against them. New entrants need a better way to compete. Again, we see this trend across all verticals, and across the board, the battlefield favors the Goliaths…Until now. Let us show you how to overcome the odds.
“Good Enough” is no longer acceptable OEMs and operators are seeking to meet aggressive cost reduction targets for value engineering programs. Their first question is “If I buy your new bearing, what’s my return on investment?” It highlights an important change in the engineering world, because “Good enough” is no longer good enough.
engineering is not an option to compete today in any of the verticals - automotive, wind, aerospace, etc. This is the chink in one’s armor that you need to exploit.
How do you sell into these pressures? By finding out which bearing fits best. Your bearing needs to provide the right performance at the right cost. And then you need to educate your customers on how to evaluate your product based on these metrics so that you can win. If you are a low-cost supplier, you need to find the types of applications where you provide an acceptable life at the lowest cost. This application could be a machine under warranty where the customer only holds risk for a set period of operating time. You need to prove that your bearing is as good as the Goliath competitors and will still protect your customer’s brand. If you are a supplier with a life extending bearing upgrade, you need to find the applications and customers who require a longer life. The application could be an aircraft that is subject to periodic part replacements, or a wind turbine that is seeking to extend its operating life from 20 to 30 years. Typically, these are applications where the consequences of failure are high. For example, the cost to replace a wind turbine gearbox could be between $300,000 and $700,000. Because of the high cost of repair and replacement, it is critical that your data supports your claim that your bearing is worth the upfront investment. And the customer needs to trust that the life claims you make are accurate.
What Weapon Should You Choose? Today, the Goliaths use engineering tools as their “weapons” to show that their bearings will meet the life expectations of the buyer. Naturally, each bearing company will choose the weapon that best fits their needs and goals. Some
Many OEMs have historically purchased bearings from one supplier and stuck with that supplier for the long term. Financial pressures caused companies to make the best of what they have. Now, with these cost reduction targets, overPage: 65
Goliaths would say a sword is the best weapon, others a club, and so on. Their weapon – the tools and engineering analysis each company uses for lifing – is expected to always support their solution. Customers expect your company to use these same practices to guarantee the life of your bearing, but because, as a David, you are smaller and without the same resources to do the same physical testing, you will lose the war of attrition.
To win, you need to choose a better weapon. This analysis methodology needs to fit a number of criteria. First, it needs to be technically sound so that it doesn’t force a customer to over-engineer
their product. Today, bearing lifing standards and ratings equations almost always lead to the over engineering of the bearing for the application. Depending on the bearing, these standards can lead to predictions 30-to-80 percent less than actual reality. Since they don’t account for factors like material quality, these tools use ‘fudge factors’ – rules-of-thumb multipliers that adjust the predicted life in an empirical manner. However, these fudge factors are often based on the results of laboratory physical tests, and thus cannot be trusted to account for varying operating conditions Page: 66
in the field. Because of this, it’s impossible for the fudge factor approach to quantify the real impact of changing material specification requirements. This is especially true for suppliers who are new and do not have a proven track record of quality consistency. Therefore, if their parameters, like surface roughness, micro-geometry, material quality, and heat treatments are not accounted for explicitly, you won’t choose the right bearing based on life. Second, the “weapon” needs to be able to calculate more than just the classic sub-surface fatigue performance failure mode. Subsurface fatigue modes are important with the potential presence of material quality inclusions, but they do not account
for surface fatigue failures. This is where you need to be able to explicitly account for tribology – surface roughness and lubricant effects – that are not typically incorporated into classic life predictions. Furthermore, you need a way to differentiate between these two failure modes. Finally, the most important factor for any analysis tool is to be a trusted third party. This is more important than any technical details. If you are performing your own analysis, you are expected to support your solution. To make trusted buying
Bearing News • Issue 5
decisions based on life prediction, a third party tool is needed. It is essential that this tool does not favor one supplier over another.
So, how do you go for the kill? Remember, your customer only cares about their end game. They need to be able to take your claims to the bank. At Sentient Science, we’ve started a global initiative called “Buy on Life.” “Buy on Life” is solely focused on making sure that the right bearings are used in the right applications at the right price. Some OEMs and operators we work with are seeking to minimize the cost of their bearings while still meeting reliability goals to protect their brand. Others are seeking to push the boundaries of what their bearings are capable of in order to make their machines last longer and perform better. Goliaths have historically been the winners at this game because they know their customers and they have excellent technical and financial resources. They have developed tools and methodologies to show their bearings benefits and use years of knowledge with customer operations organizations and testing to prove reliability over time. In many applications, they will be the best fit for the customer. Therefore, if you don’t know where your bearing fits best, and you try to compete with them using these same techniques, you’ll be on the losing side of the battle. But if you come at them with a “sling,” then you’ll have the advantage. We have a third party bearing life prediction tool that is the sling in a world of swords, clubs, and spears. We have the ability to accurately assess bearing life using computational testing which uses a prognostic-based method to predict the future life and life extension that is more accurate than physical testing. And, as more companies are seeking to do more computational analysis instead of experimental testing, many OEMs, operators, and “Goliath” bearing companies have joined the movement. Let us be your sling, and let’s help you get the right bearings into the right applications.
Let us help you win. Visit sentientscience.com for more information
Page: 67
3
RD
BEARING, BELT, GEAR, SEGMENT, REDUCER, CHAIN, SEALING, EQUIPMENTS, TECHNICAL HARDWARE AND MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGIES FAIR
01 - 04 SEPTEMBER 2016 ISTANBUL EXPO CENTER - YESILKOY / TURKEY
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What Happened in the
Bearing Industry Second Half of
2015 Page: 71
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry Second Half of
July
July
01
07
2015
HPMB™ Bearings from GGB Approved for Use in Hydropower Turbines
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has approved GGB Bearing Technology’s new HPMB™ filament wound bearings for use in hydropower turbine wicket gates. The approval is based on simulation testing performed by Powertech Labs.
slip effect, indicating smooth operation of the regulating mechanism in a turbine, as well as a low wear rate with no visible bearing damage in wet, dry or edge testing.
Conducted in April 2015 in accordance with USACE specifications, the testing simulated the operating conditions of a wicket gate in a Francis turbine. Test results showed an extremely low stick-
HPMB™ bearings are available in ID sizes up to 500 mm and various wall thicknesses. For more information contact Yuri Klepach at yuri.klepach@ggbearings. com or marketing@ggbearings.com.
NTN considers a $129 million production facility in Anderson Columbus-based NTN Driveshaft is considering bringing a $129 million production facility to Anderson, which could result in around 450 jobs. The company hopes to start production next week at the site, which includes 80 acres south of Nestle’s plant. The paper reports NTN selected Anderson over a proposed site in Georgia.
Anderson Economic Development Department Director Greg Winkler says the city and NTN have been in discussions since last fall. He says the jobs would pay an average salary of $46,000.
CLOSE-UP: NN SEES GROWTH HORIZONS IN MEXICO
Page: 72
page
110 Bearing News • Issue 4
July
11
‘Counterfeit FAG Rolling Bearings Raid in India’ ended with arrests Four companies in Mumbai have been proved to be dealing in counterfeit FAG rolling bearings. At these production, packaging and trading firms, police have confiscated tens of thousands of counterfeit FAG packaging units, more than 500 counterfeit FAG rolling bearings as well as various machines. The proprietors have been arrested, and criminal proceedings have been instituted. The arrests also serve as a means of deterrence in counterfeiting circles. Products of the brand FAG, which is one of the leading rolling bearing brands, are highly popular with counterfeiters. The team of investigators from the agency TACT India, which safeguards our interests in India, has identified Mumbai as a central market for these counterfeit products and identified the main protagonists. Their investigations yielded sufficient information as a basis for the raids. However, the firms involved had already learned in advance of the operations and had closed their shops or moved to new storerooms. After five days of waiting and some more observation, the investigators were able to raid four firms. In a joint operation
July
15
with the local policy authorities, TACT India has impounded more than 37,000 counterfeit FAG packaging units and labels, 530 counterfeit FAG rolling bearings and 250 FAG master copies as well as various grinding machines and packaging machines. Moreover, two of the proprietors and an employee were arrested and remanded in custody. If there is the slightest doubt as to whether a bearing is original, the local Schaeffler sales team or the Brand Protection Team can be contacted anytime (piracy@schaeffler.com).
BearingNEWS becomes member of the EPTDA Founded in 1998, EPTDA today is the largest organization in EMEA of distributors and manufacturers of mechanical power transmission and motion control products. A unique community for PT/MC leaders! EMEA Power Transmission Distributors Association (EPTDA) today is the largest organization
standards. EPTDA brings together more than 240 companies – distributors, manufacturers and associates – on one common platform. Overall, the EPTDA distributor and manufacturer members represent over 26 billion euro annual sales volume of PT/ MC products. Visit EPTDA.org for more information.
in Europe, the Middle-East & Africa, of distributors and manufacturers of power transmission and motion control products, setting the highest commercial, environmental, social and ethical Page: 73
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
July
23
2015
Miner introduces high-performance side bearing Miner Enterprises has introduced its newest railcar component, a long travel CCSB (constant-contact side bearing) with a wide range of applications. The bolt-on bearing, designated TCC-45 LTLP-C, features a low profile and simple design, allowing for easy installation and maintenance, Miner says. Ideally suited for use on tank cars, the LTLP-C side bearing can also be used to reduce wheel and truck wear on a variety of other railcars. The three-piece bearing provides 4,500 pounds of preload and
August
03
5/8 inch of travel above its low-profile 2-inch housing. At the bearing’s core is Miner’s heavyduty TecsPak®, an advanced pad that helps control truck hunting, or instability, under a wide range of operating conditions and speeds. Like all of Miner’s bearings, the company says the LTLP-C features tight tolerances that extend the bearing’s service life and help reduce maintenance costs.
Timken to Acquire Carlstar Belts Business The Timken Company announced that it has reached an agreement with American Industrial Partners to acquire the Carlstar Belts Business (“Carlstar Belts”), a leading North American manufacturer of belts used in industrial, commercial and consumer applications under wellrecognized brands including Carlisle®, Ultimax® and Panther®, among others.
over the balance of 2015. For the 12 months ending June 30, 2015, Carlstar Belts sales were approximately $140 million.
The transaction is expected to be accretive
August
15
JTEKT’s Historic Expansion Underway
VONORE-The county’s largest employer, JTEKT, will get even larger thanks to one of the largest plant expansions and economic investments in Monroe County’s history. JTEKT, located in the Tellico West Industrial Park, purchased the 375,000-square-foot former MARCA/ Cobalt building across the street from its current plant, doubling its manufacturing space. Plant Manager Brad Franklin and Human Resource Manager Terry Knight said JTEKT will use the new building to
Page: 74
manufacture the automobile steering technology of the future: From left: JTEKT’s Terry Knight and Brad Franklin look over the rack parallel facility JTEKT will be opening up in the fall of 2016. and dual pinion. There is also a new customer for JTEKT, BMW, along with the stalwart Toyota. Some of the vehicles that JTEKT’s Vonore, Tennessee facility provides steering for include Camry, Lexus, Accord, Tacoma, Nissan Altima and Chrysler vehicles.
Bearing News • Issue 4
August
15
Acquisition of Rotolin Bearing Company
Crawford Precision Engineering Limited are pleased to announce the acquisition of “The Rotolin Bearing Company Limited”. Crawford precision Engineering Limited will continue to manufacture Rotolin bearings, Exacta ball bushes and pins along with the SPIRO range of rotary linear
August
21
bearings. All further inquiries and orders can be placed with Jim Crawford on 01536 417140 or if you wish to email: spirobearings@ rotolinbearings.co.uk
Boca Bearing Announces a New Line of EMQ and Insulated Bearings
Boca Bearing Announces a New Line of EMQ and Insulated Bearings The Boca Bearing Company has recently expanded inventory to include Electric Motor Quality (EMQ) bearings and Ceramic Coated Insulated High Voltage bearings. The electric motor and electric power generation industries are constantly seeking increased efficiency and longer up-times. This electrical equipment is often relied upon for mission critical situations and can be very costly to repair. The elements that result in bearing noise are surface finish, ball grade, ring roundness, cage design, cage quality and absolute manufacturing repeatability. Electric Motor Quality (EMQ) bearings have extremely low noise levels so they can be used in electric motors or other noise critical applications. EMQ bearings are available in 3 different noise levels ZV2 (low noise), ZV3 (very low noise) and ZV4 (extra low noise.) Typically EMQ bearings are supplied in chrome steel 52100 with standard or C3 radial play and they can handle heavy radial loads with moderate axial loads.
industrial motors and generators, wind turbine generators, high-voltage motors, variable frequency motors, traction motors, engraving machines, high speed trains etc.
Electrical pitting often occurs in bearings used in electrical equipment, such as motors and power generators, as a result of current leakage. Our new line of WWI KEKAO-T ceramic insulated bearings and ceramic hybrid bearings are ideally suited to prevent the micro-welding associated with high voltage bearing applications. The ceramic coating material creates a barrier against any stray currents passing through the bearing. Ceramic insulated, high voltage bearings can be used in
NSK’s plans for 2016 114 page
Page: 75
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
August
28
2015
Thordon Bearings Names New China Distributor Thordon Bearings Inc. of Canada announced that CY Engineering Co. Ltd. will take over as the new authorized distributor for the People’s Republic of China, including Macau and Hong Kong, effective August 28, 2015. With this agreement, CY Engineering becomes Thordon’s stocking distributor for manufacturer of nonmetallic marine bearing systems. A company with over 25 years’ experience in seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing systems, Thordon Bearings
September
06
Warning for counterfeit industrial bearings in Kenya AEA Limited, the firm that distributes German made FAG bearings says some industrialists had suffered losses due to purchase of counterfeit goods in Kenya.
insurmountable challenges as a result of usage of counterfeit goods,” Mwanzia said.
AEA Limited Manager in charge of Industrial Bearings and Power Projects Mike Davies Mwanzia said using appointed dealers as outlets was the only way firms can be sure of the quality because counterfeiters have gone hightech.
The AEA client portfolio includes the Lafarge and RVR Group, which is operating the railway from Mombasa to Kampala. The company also deals with other Industrial Products like Chains and Sprockets, Belts, Industrial gearboxes among other industrial components.
“We are looking at a situation whereby reputable firms continue to get
September
08
Silverthin™ Releases New Slewing Rings & Pinions Catalogue Silverthin™ Bearing Group, manufacturer of precision thin section bearings, have finally released it’s much anticipated slewing rings and pinions catalogue. A slewing bearing, commonly known as a turntable bearing, is typically a high capacity bearing used for significant radial and moment loads at minimal speeds. Slewing bearings are known for their compact design envelope and are therefore ideal for many heavy load applications with size restrictions. These slewing bearings are comprised of a four point contact ball bearings configured
Page: 76
designs and manufactures a complete range of nonmetallic sleeve bearing solutions for marine, clean power generation, pump, offshore oil and other industrial markets. The company has a worldwide factory trained distributor network that spans more than 100 countries.
with “X-Type” races to account for these potentially large moment forces. Silverthin™ manufactures a range of sizes up to 72 inches outer diameter. When selecting a Silverthin™ slewing bearing and pinion for your application you will need to know all of the data such as dimensions and load capacities. For all of this information please download the catalogue from the information zone on www.carterbearings.co.uk or for technical and pricing assistance, call (+44)1865-821-720.
Bearing News • Issue 4
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What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
September
09
2015
Cooper Bearings unveils web-based selector tool for split roller bearings
Cooper Bearings, an SKF Group company, has added an interactive split roller bearing selector to its website, www.cooperbearings.com.
“This user-friendly selector makes it easy for engineers and designers to search our database for the split roller bearings that meet their particular needs, and download 3D drawings,” said Martin Caspall, Cooper Bearings engineering manager. “It also calculates bearing fatigue life for a single shaft size or for multiple sizes.” The 3D models are available in several formats, including STEP and Autodesk Inventor. (Autodesk and Inventor are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.)
September
14
The new bearing selector — accessed by clicking “Product Selector” at the bottom of the Cooper homepage — asks the user to specify bore size (one size or a range), speed, radial and axial loads, and other key criteria. It then searches the range of Cooper split-to-the-shaft roller bearings and displays those that meet the criteria. The user selects one and reviews the available housings (pillow blocks, flanges, take-up units, etc.) and seals, and the selector presents a 3D model for download.
SKF Group opens new Kaydon Bearings facility in Brazil SKF Group, parent company of Kaydon Corporation, has opened a new Kaydon Bearings manufacturing facility in Cajamar, São Paulo, Brazil. The 71,000 sq. ft. plant produces slewing ring bearings for the Brazilian wind energy market. The factory is a logical extension of Kaydon Bearings’ leadership position in the North American renewable energy market and SKF’s ongoing investment in Brazil. Kaydon has been supplying pitch and yaw slewing ring bearings to wind turbine manufacturers for more than 25 years. Kaydon bearing solutions support
Page: 78
critical requirements in a variety of systems, including high and low wind speed, land-based or offshore, from 200 kW to 5.0 MW.
Bearing News • Issue 3 4
The most economic, user-friendly and efficient bearing and P/T stocks search engine www. BearingCLOUD.com is launched in May 2015 and aims to deliver an unseen service for distributors worldwide. We tried to explain you the details of this revolutionary project with 5 questions.
5
What is BearingCLOUD?
during 2016.
BearingCLOUD is a search engine which provides easy access to bearing and power transmission distributor stock-lists worldwide. This revolutionary search engine is extended with an inquiry system that connects international and national players of bearing and power transmission distributors worldwide.
What are the benefits of BearingCLOUD?
The system can be used on all PC’s, and compatible with SMART Phones (iOS / Android) and Notebooks.
Who can become member of BearingCLOUD? All global and local distributors of bearings and other power transmission products can join the BearingCLOUD platform.
How many companies are already member of BearingCLOUD? BearingCLOUD has reached 480 members during the first 6 months after launch. The amount of members is increasing every day and is expected to reach +1000 members
QUESTIONS
in
1. Search Bearing and PT stocks worldwide 2. Listing in the company directory 3. Send inquiries 4. Upload your stocks (Bearing, Sprockets, Chains, Seals, Belts, Pulleys) 5. Receive inquiries and sell worldwide 6. Access to worldwide Bearing and PT companies directory 7. Receive the hard-copy BearingNEWS magazines, special newsletters and market reports at your company address 8. Publication and distribution of your company press releases and announcements on online and printed BearingNEWS channels in 8 different languages 9. Companies who will subscribe in 2016, will receive the 2017 subscription for FREE.
Which products can be searched on BearingCLOUD? There are 6 products which can be searched on BearingCLOUD.com: BEARINGS
PULLEYS
SPROCKETS
SEALS
CHAINS
BELTS
Page: 79
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
September
15
2015
Nachi Fujikoshi Introduces Two New Series of Spherical Roller Bearings “EXQ Series” of spherical roller bearings Through optimization of the internal shape, axial load bearing capacity has been increased up to 25% compared to past products. This has enabled utilization in highload applications where use of spherical roller bearings has been considered difficult in the past. Since roller rotation conditions have been stabilized and bearing heat generation reduced, NACHI has achieved world-class limiting speeds that are approximately 10% higher than those of past products. This will contribute to greater production efficiency by enabling greater speeds and greater efficiency for industrial machines. The definition of “EXQ-V Specifications” has greatly increased cage impact resistance to also support usage in severe environments such those of mining machines. Performing heat stabilization processing as a standard process has made possible use in high-heat (up to 200°C) environments.
September
20
Through shape optimization and surface processing of the cage as well as an increase in roller end face precision, NACHi has greatly reduced rotation resistance and achieved a low temperature rise. This has enabled world-class limiting speeds that are approximately 30% higher than those of past products, and it has made it possible to handle higher speeds for injection molding machines, etc. Improvements such as the optimization of cage shape have stabilized movement during rotation and also facilitated grease supply to the cage guide, thus making a low temperature rise possible. This has made oil supply components unnecessary while also contributing to environmental measures and maintenance-free operation. Optimization of inner/outer ring raceway and roller shapes has enabled contact surface stress uniformity. This makes it possible to increase product life by about a factor of two compared to past products even in high-cycle usage environments.
Applied Industrial Technologies Opens New Distribution Center in Quebec City Applied Industrial Technologies AIT, continues its growth and expansion in Canada with the opening of a new distribution center in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The 22,000 square-foot facility stocks more than 10,000 MRO products, including bearings, power transmission products, fluid power components, industrial hose, tools, chemicals, lubricants and more. The distribution center provides immediate delivery of the Company’s most popular products in support of customers across Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The new Applied® distribution center in
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“EXS1 Series” of spherical roller thrust bearings
Quebec joins other distribution centers in Downsview, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba for improved customer service, reduced lead times, and improved efficiency throughout Canada. “The Quebec City distribution center includes our advanced warehouse technologies for efficient inventory management and expedited delivery of products to our customers’ facilities 24/7,” says Mike Allen, Vice President – Quebec and Maritimes Division, Applied Canada. The new facility, located at 6600, boul. PierreBertrand Nord, Quebec, QC, G2J 1S7, is located adjacent to Applied’s service center in Quebec. Bearing News • Issue 4
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September
21
EPTDA Hosts Annual Convention in Barcelona EPTDA, the leading association in the PT/MC industry across Europe, the Middle East & Africa region hosted another successful Annual Convention in Barcelona in September. High-on-content, high-on-opportunities, high-on-energy and high-on-entertainment, the 2015 Annual Convention took the association to new heights of global recognition. The association announced surpassing its membership growth target, a year ahead of time. The EPTDA now features 259 companies as part of its membership. Close to 450 delegates and guests from 30 countries and 85 NEXGEN representatives took part in the Barcelona Annual Convention. Almost 100 delegates were attending for the first time, out of which 20 representing non-member companies, many now keen to join as a member. EPTDA also hosted its most successful ever MD-IDEX meetings sessions with a total of 847 meetings between manufacturers and distributors members.
85 Manufacturer companies were represented at the MD-IDEX further signaling the association’s position as a powerful industry influencer. “We are incredibly proud of the journey that EPTDA is currently on. The Barcelona Annual Convention attendance figures and the continuous commitment from our members is a strong indicator that we are powering ahead successfully on our strategy, vision and mission to strengthen industrial distribution globally,” said Hans Hanegreefs, EPTDA’s Executive Vice President. At the Annual Convention, the EPTDA also elected its 2016 Board of Directors and Curt Carlsson from Nomo Kullager, Sweden – as its new President. Curt Carlsson has been a member of the association since 1991 and has since then served in several committees and councils, and helped define the long-term strategy of the association.
EPTDA’s 2015-2016 Board of Directors Members are: President: Curt Carlsson – Nomo Kullager, Sweden Past President& Treasurer: Elisabeth Meister – Ludwig Meister GmbH & Co, Germany Vice President: Dick Winkelhuis – Spruit Transmissies, The Netherlands Manufacturer Chair: Carlo Rondelli– Bonfiglioli, Italy Board Member at large and Advisory Council Liaison: Roberto Cugnaschi – Mondial, Italy Board Member at large: Meino Noordenbos, – Biesheuvel Groep, The Netherlands Board Member at large: Christian Collignon – IPH Group, France Board Member at large: Moris Romi – RIMA, Italy Board Member at large: Samer Khalil –Doctor Establishment Import & Export, Egypt Board Member at large: Athanasios Kouimtzis – Kouimtzis, Greece Board Member at large: Jan Friman – YTM-Industrial, Finland For more information, visit www.eptda.org Page: 83
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
October
02
2015
HepcoMotion launches new low-cost range of Ball Bushings HepcoMotion’s new range of linear ball bushings combine competitive price with uncompromised quality. Combined with Hepco’s precision linear shaft, our ball bushings provide a cost effective linear solution for a wide range of applications. Hepco has always been well known as a ball bushing supplier, and this new range will appeal to existing customers and help develop new contacts within the engineering industry. Although these products are common in the marketplace, customers regularly choose Hepco as a preferred supplier because they trust the product quality and customer service. Very competitive pricing makes this new range exciting for the existing marketplace. Some of the key benefits
October
05
include 5mm to 60mm sizes in European and Japanese metric sizes (International standard sizes allow interchange-ability). Super ball bushings are high quality providing long service life, the increased capacity reduces the size of bearing required.
Corinna Schittenhelm becomes new Member of the Board of Managing Directors at Schaeffler AG Group on December 31, 2015. Corinna Schittenhelm is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at Osram Licht AG. Before she held several management posi-tions in Germany and abroad in Human Resources at Siemens AG. Georg F. W. Schaeffler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG, said: „With Mrs. Schittenhelm, we are gaining a very experienced executive manager for our Human Resources resort, who will consistently develop Mr. Mirlach’s work.
The Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG has appointed Corinna Schittenhelm (48) as Member of the Board of Managing Directors at Schaeffler AG as of January 1, 2016. Corinna Schittenhelm will succeed Kurt Mirlach (58) who will leave the Schaeffler
Page: 84
During his 16 years of service for the Schaeffler Group, Mr. Mirlach has successfully contributed to the strong growth of the company’s global workforce to 84.000 employees today. We thank Mr. Mirlach for his contribution over the last years at the Schaeffler Group and wish him all the best for the future. We wish Mrs. Schittenhelm every success in her new and challenging role.”
Bearing News • Issue 4
October
14
NES announces Bearing Test Rig Manufacturing Program Develop your company’s own in-house bearing testing capability with NES Custom Bearing Test Rig manufacturing. We design and build bearing test rigs of all sizes and types to meet OEM needs. Rigs can be outfitted with manual or fully automated controls to help you assess bearing efficiency, fatigue life, wear and material characteristics, as well as lubricant analysis. Advancements in bearing technology and the evolution of the global supply chain can justify the value of in-house bearing testing. • Full service test rig manufacturing, from initial design to finished product • Customized for your specific application • Serving automotive, aerospace, offhighway, and industrial equipment OEMs
October
25
• Rigs built to test any rolling element bearing or plain bearing • Choice of test platforms, control options, and operating parameters • High quality and reliability, based on NES proven internal design • Bearing test rig component manufacturing services, including specialty gauges, bearing inspection and bearing test fixtures. • Bearing test rig maintenance and service plans NES also offers bearing and application support to solve difficult bearing design and bearing test complexities. Whether a new or existing design, give the bearing the respect it deserves and contact us to aid in proper bearing selection. Our support for new equipment can significantly help to improve manufacturing reliability. Contact NES for more information (sales@ nesbearings.com)
NTN Starts Proposing Next-generation “Advanced Drive-Shaft Module” NTN Corporation, starts proposing to global car makers the “Advanced Drive-Shaft Module” (hereafter, ADS Module) manufactured with advanced manufacturing technology and that represents a new concept for the components that make up driveshafts and other parts used throughout automotive drivetrains. Power from the engine is transmitted through the gearbox, differential gear and through the driveshaft to the tires. Driveshafts play an important role for ensuring the smooth transmission of torque by using constant velocity joints (hereafter, CVJ) to maintain a constant rotational speed between the diff shaft that acts as the input shaft, and the hub bearing shaft that supports wheel, even if their relative angles change when rotating.
The “ADS Module” uses the “Press Connect Spline Hub Joint*1” on the tire side, with CVJ standardized and commonized for each required torque range and a hub bearing welded using the press connect method for a lighter weight and higher performance. Meanwhile, the diff side features “EBW Driveshaft*2” that connects standardized and communized CVJ by required torque range and individually designed stem section with a high level of precision using electron beam welding. Supplying both the tire and diff sides as module products halves the development lead time of driveshafts. Page: 85
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
November
09
2015
The “PrecisionDesk” app for rolling bearings Schaeffler is launching its new “PrecisionDesk” app – which includes services for high-precision rotary and linear bearings and is available free of charge – to coincide with the 2015 EMO. This app can be used on mobile end devices with Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems and is designed to help mounting personnel and engineers when selecting bearings and installing components. A new feature of the app is that it allows the rolling bearings that are marked with a data matrix code to be checked by simply scanning the data matrix code on the bearing or the bearing packaging. This means that app users can use these
November
10
SKF magnetic bearings installed in world’s first subsea gas compression system operated by Statoil
SKF magnetic bearings equip the first ever subsea gas compression system at the Statoil-operated Åsgard gas field near the Norwegian coast. SKF has supplied magnetic bearings for use in the world’s first subsea gas compression system at the Åsgard gas field off the Norwegian coast. As part of the subsea gas compression system, the Page: 86
data matrix codes to access all of the app’s functions, regardless of whether they are using a smartphone or tablet. A web browser-based solution is also being developed that will allow the customer to make use of all the same functions from their PC using a corresponding handheld scanner.
bearings will contribute to recovering additional gas volumes from depleting gas fields as well as extending the lifetime of those gas fields which would otherwise be prematurely closed. Traditionally, gas compression is made on platforms. For Åsgard, Statoil and its partners made the decision to locate it on the seabed, near the wellheads, to Bearing News • Issue 4
maximize gas recovery and therefore prolong significantly the production life time of this gas field. SKF’s magnetic bearing technology was a key enabler to achieve this autonomous deep water subsea gas compression system. The bearing simplifies the system architecture by removing the need for components such as lubricating oil, seals and gearbox. The the magnetic bearings are integrated inside the compressor casing, preventing gas leakage and allowing a smaller environmental footprint.
magnetic bearings. The mechanical modules were assembled in the compressor frames in 2013, following the validation of the technology by Statoil, and the two units have since then undergone “burn-in” time, accumulating more than 2000 hours each, prior to installation subsea.
Furthermore, the magnetic bearings are frictionless, enabling higher rotation speeds, leading to smaller compressor modules and ultimately lighter processing plant infrastructure. SKF was awarded the contract in May 2011 by MAN Diesel & Turbo, the OEM of the 11,5 MW electric-motor-driven centrifugal compressor running on SKF’s
November
16
‘Counterfeit FAG Rolling Bearings Raid in India’ ended with arrests through July 2015. Dan Carbaugh, C&U Americas Account Manager, accepted the award during the 2015 Nexteer Automotive Supplier Conference in Freeland, MI. Tom Rouse, President of C&U Americas, announced the award, noting, “This prestigious Perfect Quality Award is a testament to the valuable relationship between C&U Americas and Nexteer Automotive.
Dan Carbaugh, C&U Americas Account Manager, with the 2015 Nexteer Automotive Perfect Quality Award.
C&U Americas, LLC, the North American subsidiary of The C&U Group, one of the world’s top 10 bearing manufacturers and China’s largest bearing producer, received the 2015 Nexteer Automotive Quality Award for earning a perfect delivery rating and maintaining zero defects for all part numbers shipped from June 2014
Winning the award two years in a row is a true reflection of the continued commitment C&U Americas has made to provide excellent customer service and delivery quality performance for our business partners.” Nexteer Automotive is a global, tier one automotive supplier specializing in electric and hydraulic steering systems, steering columns, and driveline products for original equipment manufacturers. Page: 87
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
November
17
2015
CW Bearing invests $25.9 million into New U.S. Headquarters Michigan. The new 50,000 square foot development project in Northville Twp. will generate a total capital investment of $25.9 million, while creating 125 jobs, resulting in a $550,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant from the state. CW Bearing USA, Inc. Breaks Ground on North American Center for Design, Sales, and Advanced Manufacturing in Northville, Michigan. CW Bearing USA, Inc., a division of Cixing Group Corp LTD (Ningbo, China) announced today that it is breaking ground on a new North American Center for Design, Sales and Advanced Manufacturing to be located at 15200 Technology Drive, Northville Township,
November
21
“CW Bearing’s decision to locate its U.S. headquarters in southeast Michigan signals to corporate leaders across the globe (Michigan) offers great opportunities for their business expansion,” Governor Rick Snyder said in a recent interview upon returning from an eight-day investment mission to China. Construction is expected to commence immediately with completion targeted for late 2016.
Timken To Build New Bearing Plant in Eastern Europe 15,000-square-meter site is expected in the first quarter of 2016, with start-up slated for early 2017. Initially, the facility will be operated by 120 associates.
New plant in Romania will produce Timken® tapered roller bearings to meet global demand. The Timken Company announced that it will construct a new bearing plant near Ploiesti, Romania. The facility, which will be the company’s second in Romania, will serve global demand for the company’s highly engineered Timken® tapered roller bearings in sizes up to 300 mm in diameter. Groundbreaking on the
Page: 88
“The new facility strengthens our footprint in Europe and further equips us to meet customer needs with our market-leading quality and service levels,” said Christopher A. Coughlin, executive vice president and group president for Timken. “This investment further advances the company’s strategic growth plan DeltaX, which includes geographic expansion, competitive manufacturing and accelerating product developmentto-commercialization activities, allowing Timken to more efficiently meet local and global customer needs.”
Bearing News • Issue 4
December
05
Saint-Gobain starts full Indonesia bearings production
Norglide Bearings producer, Saint-Gobain, says its new Bekashi Plant in Jakarta, Indonesia, has moved into full production, following certification from the International Automotive Task Force (IATF). Saint-Gobain executives and personnel celebrated the opening with a ribboncutting ceremony. Left to right: Dona Rivai, HR Country Manager Indonesia; Jim Smith, Vice President Performance Plastics ASIA; and Vincent Monziols, General Manager Bearings SBU.
automotive products. Local production brings Saint-Gobain automotive component technology, manufacturing processes and expertise
Saint-Gobain executives and personnel celebrated the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Left to right: Dona Rivai, HR Country Manager Indonesia; Jim Smith, Vice President Performance Plastics ASIA; and Vincent Monziols, General Manager Bearings SBU.
October
December
It is the company’s first composite bearing production facility in Indonesia, which produces sliding bearings with a selflubricating liner of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Local production brings Saint-Gobain automotive component technology, manufacturing processes and expertise closer to Indonesian customers.
closer to Indonesian customers.
Developed by IATF, ISO/TS 16949 is the recognized technical specification and quality management standard for the automotive industry.
Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populous country and the domestic automotive market is expected to expand by 7.3% between 2015 and 2020 (1) according to KPMG.
The certification brings together standards from across Europe and the US to define best practice for design, development, manufacture, installation or service of
The facility is initially focusing on customer demand for established Norglide solutions for applications within the seat and hinge categories.
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What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
December
09
2015
Axel Johnson International acquires Acorn Industrial Services
Under new ownership: Acorn Industrial Services’ Rotherham distribution centre
With the acquisition of industrial parts distributor Acorn Industrial Services Group, Axel Johnson International strengthens its position in the UK market and takes an important step in growing its business within bearings and transmissions. Acorn directors Martin Povey and Des Spillings will continue to lead and drive forward the company’s continued growth strategies. “Acorn has grown tremendously over the last 10 years and to continue our growth, and more importantly, to grow at a quicker pace,
December December
15
we needed to align ourselves with a business that could bring with it skills and resources that we do not have currently. With the European market place changing and consolidating quicker than at any time in the past 20 years, we had to find the right partner for the future and we believe Axel Johnson International to be this partner”, says Des Spillings, Managing Director of Acorn Industrial Services Group. “Acorn fits very well into the structure of our business and will be a valuable addition in our ambition to grow the bearings and transmissions business. Over the years, Axel Johnson International has invested in many leading niche players with strong positions in local markets and outstanding customer relations, companies that continue developing and thriving in their new setting”, says Mats R. Karlsson, CEO and President of Axel Johnson International.
Ball bearing company to pay $150K penalty after explosion help local first responders to continue a program the company voluntarily undertook shortly after the February 2014 accident. The remaining $145,000 will go to a dedicated hazardous waste fund.
New Hampshire Ball Bearings has agreed to pay a $150,000 penalty for a factory explosion in Peterborough that blew out windows and injured 15 people last year. The Attorney General’s Office and Department of Environmental Services announced the settlement Monday. They said that $5,000 will be used to Page: 92
According to the state, a tank containing acid used to treat ball bearings was emptied into a drum that may have held an incompatible substance such as isopropyl alcohol. The ensuing reaction caused pressure to build up inside the sealed drum, leading to an explosion. Officials said the company promptly resolved all compliance issues. (WMUR) Bearing News • Issue 4
December
17
Antifriction and Timken sign major distribution deal
Antifriction will become the UK’s principle stockist and distributor of Timken’s split cylindrical roller bearing housed units from the start of 2016. The industrial parts distributor will stock over £100 000 worth of specialist bearings and housings from its UK depots for the cement industry. Andy Fleming (pictured) operations director at Antifriction, commented: ‘The deal with Timken adds to our portfolio, allowing us to offer innovative, cost-saving products for the sector from stock in the UK. The agreement with Timken is a sign of our ability to attract top-of-the-range suppliers for our expanding national client base in mining and quarrying.’ At the end of 2014 Timken, which posted its last turnover figures at over US$3 billion, acquired West Midlands based Revolvo, which manufacturers housed split roller bearings for applications in process and heavy industries. In 2014, Antifriction committed over £500 000 million to upgrading its Bristol HQ and Birmingham distribution centre. It has been continuing to build its national infrastructure and will be announcing more depot openings in 2016.
December
18
Andy Fleming
Antifriction also supplies belt drives, chains, lubricants, seals, gearboxes, motors and fluid power products to process and general heavy industrial applications. Antifriction is part of Italian parent company Gruppo Bianchi, which supplies 250 000 products annually to a client base of more than 21 000 businesses across Europe. (agg-net)
Ningbo XingLun Bearings can export TRB’s for 0.91% anti-dumping duty starting from 2016 Ningbo XingLun Bearings Import & Export Co., Ltd which belongs to XingLun Bearings Group Limited has just been qualified with special anti-dumping duty of 0.91%, approved by the ‘American Commerce Department’ on tapered roller bearings and its part (inner- and outer ring, rollers). XLB (XingLun Bearings Group Limited) is specialize in the production of 2000 different varieties of tapered roller bearings (inch/ metric) which can reach
Dan Carbaugh, C&U Americas Account Manager, with the 2015 Nexteer Automotive Perfect Quality Award.
precision Class 3. XLB bearings are extensively applied on rolling mills, metallurgy equipment, mining, chemistry, petroleum industry, shipping machinery and exported to 90 countries over Europe, America, Russia, Africa and Canada (source:XLB).
Page: 93
What Happened in the
Bearing Industry SecondHalf of
December
18
2015
Schaeffler celebrates grand opening ceremony of new plant in Mexico
Schaeffler Mexico has double reason to celebrate. In addition to the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Schaeffler plant in Puebla, the company also celebrated the opening of its second plant at the Huejotzingo location, also in the Mexican State of Puebla. The new Schaeffler plant in Huejotzingo specializes in the manufacture of torque converters for US and Japanese automobile manufacturers. It has a production area of approximately 16,000 square meters with highly developed manufacturing equipment, in-house tool manufacturing, and a research and development center. The plant will employ around 550 members of staff and plans for the future expansion of the plant are already underway.
December December
With these two plants in Puebla, the Schaeffler Group now has a total of three manufacturing locations in Mexico. The Schaeffler plant in Irapuato, which
20
Bearing Market Is Primarily Driven by Increasing Demand from Automotive Industry MRRSE (Market Research Reports Search Engine) launched a new report about the Bearing Market dynamics. The global bearing market is expected to witness a substantial growth during the forecast period. This is due to its increasing demand across various application sectors such as automotive, industrial, railways, and aerospace sector. The increase in automobile production worldwide is stimulating the growth in demand for bearings and associated components. In addition, the need for energy efficiency in process industries has also augmented the worldwide demand for bearings significantly. Automotive is the highest revenue generating application segment in this market. Aerospace equipment segment is analyzed to be the fastest growing application segment in the bearing market. Adoption of high end technologies such as smart bearings is also creating new opportunities for the bearing manufacturers globally. However, shrinking after sales
Page: 94
is in the Mexican State of Guanajuato, was established in 2008 and supplies customers from the automotive industry and industrial companies in Mexico and North America with rolling bearings as well as products for engine systems and chassis applications.
market is acting as a restraining factor for the growth of bearing market, especially in automotive application segment. The rapid development of city infrastructures in the Middle East and Asia Pacific region is also influencing the growth of overall bearing market. Asia Pacific is analyzed to dominate the global bearing market throughout the forecast period. The region’s dominance is attributed to increasing production of motor vehicles in countries such as Japan, South Korea, China, and India. Moreover, rapid level of industrialization in this region is also contributing to growth of bearing market This market research study analyzes the bearing market on a global level, and provides estimates in terms of revenue (USD billion) from 2014 to 2020. It recognizes the drivers and restraints affecting the industry and analyzes their impact over the forecast period. Moreover, it identifies the significant opportunities for market growth in the coming years. Bearing News • Issue 4
December
21
Anti-Dumping Duty Can’t Touch Bearing Imports, according to CIT
The U.S. Court of International Trade says that roller bearings made in China and finished in Thailand by a Chinese manufacturer are not subject to an anti-dumping duty order because they do not qualify as Chinese goods. Chief Judge Timothy C. Stanceu approved a revised remand redetermination issued by the International Trade Administration after rejecting an earlier version in a dispute over the 21st U.S. Department of Commerce administrative review of an anti-dumping duty order on tapered roller bearings and related parts imported from China between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008. The CIT previously contested the final results of Commerce’s review and its original remand redetermination, challenging the agency’s findings that the finished products were not substantially transformed by the production in Thailand. Before reversing course, the Commerce Department initially concluded that the character of the bearings was determined during their manufacture in China, not during the finishing process in Thailand, according to court documents. “The court affirms the second remand redetermination because it is based on a reasonable, rather than expansive, construction of the scope of the order and because the ultimate finding that the bearings at issue are not within the scope of the order is supported by substantial evidence on the administrative record,”
Judge Stanceu said. The dispute arose from two consolidated challenges to the January 2010 order — one from Ohio-based A class bearing producer. and the other from a Chinese competitor, which changed her name after a subsequent acquisition. The Chinese manufacturer American reseller contested the Commerce Department’s initial country of origin determination, saying the parts were not Chinese imports, court documents show. Commerce had sought to classify the bearings as subject to the anti-dumping order, according to the metrics of its “substantial transformation” test. The agency relied on the test to determine whether the grinding and honing of unfinished, Chinese-origin parts and the assembly of finished products using those parts at an affiliate in Thailand constituted Thai provenance. According to the recent opinion, the CIT sent the department back to the drawing board, and the agency filed the updated remand redetermination in April 2014, determining under protest that the bearings were not subject merchandise over objections from the ‘US based bearing manufacturer’. (law360) Page: 95
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December
24
Napoleon Engineering Services of Olean helped to make space-flight history this week with SpaceX. Bearings manufactured at the Johnson Street facility have been in space before. But this time, an unmanned Falcon 9 rocket launched Monday night sent satellites into orbit and safely landed the main rocket booster back on Earth at Cape Canaveral, Fla. — an unprecedented success that could allow it to be used again to save millions of dollars and thousands of man hours. It was a step toward greater endeavors, said Chris Napoleon, the company’s president and chief engineer. The SpaceX launch and re-entry featured 20 Napoleon Engineering bearings — two apiece on the Falcon 9’s first and second stage Merlin rocket engines - used in the fuel-injection process. “It all relates back to right here in our community,” Napoleon said. “Even though it’s news from around the world and SpaceX is all the way out in Hawthorne, Calif., it affects us right here in Olean and Franklinville, Bradford, Smethport and Allegany.” Napoleon entered business for himself in 1997 from his garage on Bishop Street. Now the contract with SpaceX represents “15 to 20 percent” of the local company’s annual sales revenue, he said. “That’s what makes the United States so awesome,” the 1990 University of Pittsburgh graduate added. “Every person, theoretically, has the ability to do this.” The engineering system encompassing SpaceX and a global network of companies “redeemed itself” after a failed launch exploded in June, Napoleon said. His company’s parts were not to blame, he added. “We’ve been waiting for a long time for this next go at it, for everyone to prove themselves. I can tell you, since then every single part on
that Falcon 9 rocket has been scrutinized,” he said. “The controls, the oversight by SpaceX and each individual company, including us, has been ratcheted up exponentially to make sure that we have successful launches.” The latest mission’s first success was deploying the satellites. “That was first and foremost — serving its purpose,” Napoleon said, citing the importance of maintaining “access to space” in the interest of national security, Web connectivity and other technological perks of daily life. Each SpaceX launch is also progress toward regaining a manned space program, albeit a commercial one, in the United States, he said. Since the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle in 2011, American astronauts have been taken into space with the Russian space program. The ultimate goal for SpaceX, CEO Elon Musk has said, is a manned mission to Mars and even potential colonization. For now, Napoleon Engineering remains a part of that dream. In the meantime, NASA has tapped SpaceX to ferry four American astronauts to the International Space Station in the near future. Napoleon Engineering Services is now manufacturing parts for testing and the mission. “SpaceX came to us because we can produce a high-quality bearing of unique materials in a short time and at a reasonable price,” Napoleon said. “It’s a product that looks simple but can bite you at every step of the manufacturing process. We’re talking about millionths of an inch controlling certain characteristics.”
Pictures of the four astronauts — Robert Behnken, Eric Boe, Sunita Williams and Douglas Hurley — hang in the NES shop with inspirational messages such as, “Your task is my life.” “If we make a mistake, there’s somebody else that can fill our spot,” Napoleon said. “I bet you the company whose product failed isn’t still in the game. As much fun as it is to be a part of this awesome opportunity, we have to keep our feet on the ground and our heads screwed on straight.” By KELSEY BOUDIN, Olean Times Herald Page: 97
Permaglide Bearings for
RELIABILITY
Backed by its longstanding engine bearing experience, for many years now. KS Kolbenschmidt has been producing additional multifunctional material under the brand name of Permaglide. Permaglide is synonymous with proven plain bearing technology for a traditionally broad range of automotive applications. The reliability of these plain bearings becomes especially apparent when used with common rail injectors on diesel engines. Low or zero maintenance bearings The eccentric shaft of the high-pressure pump is mounted on heavy-duty Permaglide. The extremely high injection pressures of 2,000 bar at the injectors need to be absorbed by the bearings which are simultaneously exposed to dynamic forces. It is only the diesel fuel that does the job of cooling and lubricating these bearings. Because of diesel’s low viscosity its lubricating properties however are very low. The bearing itself consists of a PTFEbased fiber-reinforced material able to permanently withstand both extreme mixed-friction stresses while avoiding any erosion during hydrodynamic operation. In addition, bearings and bushings made from Permaglide are used on machinery in a wide variety of industries. In all such environments these plain bearings perform essential functions, contributing in no small measure to the smooth operation of today’s plant and equipment. Permaglide plain bearings have proven themselves on millions of occasions in both the industrial and automotive sectors. Rugged and reliable, they operate wherever parts are in reciprocal motion. Permaglide products have been produced for over 50 years now. Well-established material formulas and the controlled production process ultimately ensure the reliability of Permaglide plain bearings. State-of-the-art volume-production plant, largely automated, manufactures the bearings, from the semifinished right up to the finished high-quality product. Page: 98
The Permaglide lineup comprises both lead and lead-free variants for applications requiring low or zero maintenance. The leaded bearings have developed into veritable all-rounders with very good lubricating and excellent emergency running properties combined with improved heat transfer. All these characteristics have made the Permaglide range an extremely hard-wearing plain bearing material suitable for a host of industrial applications. Among the most important features of a plain bearing is a low coefficient of friction. In fact, the always low and constant coefficient throughout the lifetime of the bearing is reflected in calculable friction losses. Low friction coefficient and wear rate help improve the efficiency and costeffectiveness of plant and machinery. Kolbenschmidt developers and application engineers are continuously addressing the individual requirements of customers expecting ultimate product reliability both in terms of the materials used and the geometry of the finished product. In order to replicate the various load conditions and test the long-term performance of the bearings, test rigs, in some cases very complex, are developed according to the needs of the customer. Today’s wide-ranging use of Permaglide is proof that this expertise is appreciated by the market and that these products set benchmarks in terms of quality, durability and ergonomics.
Bearing News • Issue 5
The company to turn to
One of the largest stockists of plain bearings in the WORLD Full technical support service Advanced test and inspection services Rapid in-house manufacture of bespoke bearings
www.bowman.co.uk www.bowman.co.uk | @bowmanint
| 01235 462500
LUBRICATION OF
ELECTRIC MOTORS In servicing electric motor bearings, it is important that the right grease be applied in the right quantity. Both underlubrication and overlubrication are harmful. Underlubrication will result in bearing failure through inability of the insufficient amount of lubricant to perform successfully any one of its functions. Excess grease in the path of rotating parts offers high resistance to motion, and overheating and high internal pressure will result. Excessive leakage at bearing seals may occur. The frequency of regreasing antifriction bearings of electric motors is affected by the following factors: • Quality of grease used, especially as to its service life • Severity of service, including operating temperatures • Cleanliness of surroundings • Presence of water • Continuity of service (may range from infrequent operation to 24-hour-a-day operation) • Bearing size • Speed and housing design In many applications, motor bearings are greased once a year during routine inspection and maintenance work. In general, large electric motors (greater than 40 hp) should be greased more frequently, such as every six months. Small motors operating under non-severe conditions and using high-quality grease may not require regreasing for periods of up to several years.
Page: 102
Relubrication Volume Formula Bearing manufacturers use a variety of formulas, but experience has shown that the following works well: Metric: Gq = 0.005 x D x W Gq = Grease replenishment amount (gm) D = Bearing outside diameter (mm) W = Bearing width (mm) English: G = 0.1 x D x W G = Grease replenishment amount (oz) D = Bearing outside diameter (in.) W = Bearing width (in.) To use this formula, you must know the size of the bearing as well as how much each pump of the gun delivers. Grease guns come in a variety of pump sizes, typically dispensing 1 to 3 gm (0.03 to 0.1 oz) per stroke. We suggest you pump grease into a small container of known volume and count the number of strokes to fill it. From this, you can figure the volume per stroke of the gun. Ideally the following procedures should be followed when regreasing electric motor bearings:
A. Bearing with fitting and relief plug 1. Stop the motor. Use proper lockout/tagout procedures if required. 2. Wipe clean the pressure gun fittings and relief plugs on the motor and the grease gun tip. 3. Remove the relief plug to avoid damaging the bearing seals or forcing grease out along the
Bearing News • Issue 5
motor shaft.
gun fitting.
4. Free the relief hole of any hard grease.
3. Remove the plug.
5. Put the gun on the fitting and pump the proper calculated amount of grease into the bearing until fresh grease comes out the hole.
4. Insert a fitting of the proper pipe size that will match the gun.
6. Run the motor. The grease will come out of the hole. Continue to run until the pressure is relieved. Thirty minutes will be plenty of time 7. Clean and replace the relief plug.
B. Bearing with fitting and no relief plug 8. Stop the motor. Use proper lockout/tagout procedures if required. 9. Wipe clean the pressure gun fittings and the fitting on the grease gun. 10. Put the gun on the fitting and pump the proper calculated amount of grease into the bearing. 11. Remove the grease fitting. 12. Run the motor to allow the grease to come back out of the hole until pressure is relieved. If no grease comes out of the hole, the bearing was apparently quite dry. 13. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until grease will back out of the hole with the fitting removed and allow pressure to relieve when the motor is running. 14. Clean and replace the grease fitting.
C. Bearing with relief-type fitting and no relief plug 1. Stop the motor. Use proper lockout/tagout procedures if required. 2. Wipe clean the pressure gun and grease gun fittings. 3. Put the gun on the fitting and pump the proper calculated amount of grease into the bearing until the grease comes out of the relief hole. 4. If after considerable pumping, grease does not come out of the relief hole, the relief slot may be plugged.
5. Put the gun on the fitting, then pump grease into the bearing, pumping only half the calculated amount of grease at first. 6. Remove the grease fitting. 7. Run the motor. Allow the grease to come back out of the hole until the pressure is relieved. 8. If no grease comes out of the hole, the bearing was apparently quite dry. 9. Repeat Steps 5, 6 and 7 until the grease comes back out of the hole with the fitting removed. Allow the grease to come back out of the hole until the pressure is relieved. 10. Replace the plug.
E. Bearing with automatic lubricator and relief plug 1. Stop the motor. Use proper lockout/tagout procedures if required. 2. Wipe grease from the grease fitting. Clean dirt, debris and paint from around the grease relief plug. This prevents foreign objects from entering the grease cavity. 3. Remove the grease relief plug and remove any hardened grease. 4. Wipe clean the end of the grease gun, attach it to the fitting, then pump in a few shots of grease, making sure there is no back pressure to impede flow. 5. Install lubricator with predetermined discharge period. (Adaptors and support may be needed.) 6. Place motor back into service.
5. Remove the grease fitting. 6. Clean out the slot, replacing it with a new fitting if cleaning is not possible. 7. Replace the fitting and repeat Step 3.
D. Bearing with single plug only (no fitting) 1. Stop motor. Use proper lockout/tagout procedures if required. 2. Clean the area around the plug and the grease Page: 103
How to Protect
Pulp and Paper Plant Motors from
VFDCaused Bearing Failure
AEGIS® in Action:
Preventing Downtime and Spoilage in Paper Mills Paper making is very demanding. To ensure tight control over critical process parameters, many motors are controlled by variable frequency drives (VFDs or inverters). These drives can be used to control the motors driving all manner of pumps and fans, grinders, winders and rewinders, and a host of related equipment. But while VFDs allow precise control of motor speed or torque, they can also damage motor bearings and cause costly unplanned downtime. These drives create voltages on the shafts of the motors they control — voltages that can discharge through motor bearings. The resulting electrical bearing damage can cause bearing failure and stop production. So the VFD technology employed to improve paper making processes also creates damage that can shut them down instead. These preventable bearing failures can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in damaged equipment, repair costs, and lost production. AEGIS® Shaft Grounding Rings protect motor bearings (and coupled equipment) by channeling shaft voltage discharge currents away from bearings safely to ground. AEGIS® SGR Rings are sized for low voltage motors of less than 100 hp. The AEGIS® PRO Series provides the high current carrying capacity needed for larger and medium-voltage motors. By preventing extremely costly process downtime, AEGIS® Rings generate an impressive return on investment. Case Study: Motor Shaft Grounding Rings Reduce Downtime and Repairs At Midwest Paper Mill At a paper mill in the Midwest, every new motor controlled by a variable frequency drive (VFD) is tested, and if shaft voltages are found, the motor must be equipped with an AEGIS® Bearing Protection Ring to divert damaging currents to ground. The plant’s electrical reliability engineer established this money-saving specification after many years of frustration from recurring bearing failures. The maintenance history of one motor tells the story. The large 1,000 HP motor is part of a system that turns pulp into “parent rolls,” which are later cut into well-known brands of paper towels, Page: 106
Bearing News • Issue 5
motor shaft, the end bell taken off, etc. It might save us a few hours to change the bearings in place, but then there’s the potential of introducing contaminants into the bearing, and it’s still quite labor-intensive — we’re talking 12 to 16 hours. Either way, it’s a lot of downtime for us.”
Finding the Right Ring
Pitting of a bearing race wall (magnified) — the result of electrical discharges from the motor shaft.
napkins, and other products. The mill, one of many owned by a major paper company, employs more than 1,800 people in collecting and converting about 430,000 tons of wastepaper per year. The problem with the motor, which runs at up to 1,200 rpm, stemmed from its VFD, which induces stray currents that travel through the motor’s shaft. Despite the efforts of the plant’s in-house maintenance staff and the plant’s maintenance contractor, L&S Electric Inc., the shaft currents would destroy the motor’s bearings within two years. Seeking ground, the currents blasted the bearing balls and races with countless fusion craters. The arcing that created these pits released tiny particles of metal that contaminated bearing grease, causing friction and high temperatures that burned the grease. Following the industry-standard routine of the time, L&S Electric would take the motor to their shop for reconditioning, which included disassembling it; cleaning, testing, and replacing both bearings; reassembling and transporting it back to the mill; and reinstalling it. Over the years, L&S tried insulating the opposite-drive-end bearing and installing carbon-block grounding brushes inside the drive-end bearing cap. But the problem just moved to the drive-end bearing. Each reconditioning took a chunk out of the maintenance budget — $8,000 to $10,000, not counting the cost of bringing the motor’s production line to a halt. “It is a real pain to pull these motors,” notes the reliability engineer. “Many of them are in tight spaces. Rigging is an issue if you try to change the bearing in place. The coupling must be broken, the motor moved, the coupling removed from the
When L&S took the motor to their shop for yet another reconditioning in June of 2009, the reliability engineer decided to try something new. L&S added an insulated bearing housing to the motor’s drive end and, at the engineer’s request, installed an AEGIS® SGR shaft grounding ring, manufactured by Electro Static Technology (EST). The ring channels harmful currents away from bearings to ground. But hopes were dashed just three months later, when an on-site oscilloscope reading indicated the voltage was still high enough to damage the bearings — over 5 volts. When the bearings were replaced again, L&S added two copper-bristle grounding brushes on opposite sides of the drive-end shaft.
Close-ups of the AEGIS® PRO Series Bearing Protection Ring on a key motor in a Midwest paper mill. Prior to installation, the section of the motor shaft that would be contacted by the grounding ring’s microfibers was thoroughly cleaned and coated with colloidal silver to enhance conductivity and retard corrosion.
The regional EST sales representative suggested the mill try another type of AEGIS® ring — the PRO SL. Specially designed for high-current applications, the PRO SL is ideal for protecting medium-voltage motors, generators, and turbines against electrical bearing damage. The AEGIS® SGR had been too small to divert all the current from the shaft of such a big motor, the sales rep explained. He offered an PRO SL ring free of charge. In May of 2011, L&S installed the PRO SL on the motor in place at the mill. The split-ring PRO SL fit around the motor shaft, eliminating the need to decouple attached equipment. Page: 107
Two and a half years later, the motor was still running smoothly — the longest stretch ever without a bearing replacement. A “pigtail” lead installed by L&S allows the reliability engineer to check the shaft voltage easily and safely, with a portable oscilloscope. He reports that the readings have stayed under 5 volts. In addition to checking the motor’s shaft voltage, the manufacturer of the PRO SL ring recommended periodic inspections be done to ensure the motor shaft remained conductive in this harsh environment. After the first six months of operation, the split-ring PRO SL was removed and the motor shaft was cleaned of any corrosion or oxidation, and recoated with colloidal silver to ensure high conductivity. This routine shaft maintenance is now scheduled to coincide with regularly scheduled plant maintenance shutdowns and has enhanced the effectiveness of the AEGIS® PRO SL ring. “I’m really ecstatic over the results,” comments the reliability engineer, who has since had AEGIS® rings installed on several of the plant’s other motors.
“We Want Reliability” The maintenance-free AEGIS® PRO Series grounding ring is available in a range of sizes to accommodate generator/motor shafts up to 30” in diameter. Embedded securely in the AEGIS® FiberLock channel on the inner circumference of the
Inspecting the recently installed AEGIS® PRO Series Bearing Protection Ring on a key motor at the Midwest paper mill. Designed to close around the motor shaft, the split-ring PRO SL was installed without decoupling the motor.
Page: 108
ring, six rows of conductive microfibers completely surround the motor shaft, providing millions of discharge points for harmful shaft currents and effectively diverting these currents to ground. The iPRO works even in the presence of contaminants, such as the paper dust in the air at the mill. As part of a preventive maintenance program, it can be installed on in-service motors or whenever bearings are replaced. Because VFDs can save 30% or more in energy costs, they have been cited as a key technology for those wishing to make their commercial HVAC systems, automated assembly lines, and other processes more energy-efficient (“green”). But, whether used to control a motor’s speed or torque, these drives often induce voltages that damage bearings. In fact, the costly repair or replacement of failed motor bearings can wipe out any savings a VFD yields and severely diminish the reliability of an entire system. It is now widely known that the high switching frequencies of today’s VFDs produce parasitic capacitance between a motor’s stator and rotor. Once the resulting voltage pulses reach a level sufficient to overcome the dielectric properties of the bearing grease, they discharge rapidly and repeatedly along the path of least resistance between shaft and frame — typically through the bearings. Without mitigation, these discharges can be so frequent that — through the process of electrical discharge machining — they create millions of
Once the AEGIS® PRO Series Bearing Protection Ring had been installed and the motor restarted, an AEGIS® technician confirmed that motor shaft voltages were minimal using an oscilloscope. A special “pigtail” lead allows maintenance personnel to periodically check the voltages (and therefore the likely condition of the bearings) safely and easily, without exposing the shaft. The ring has been diverting potentially damaging voltages to ground since it was installed.
Bearing News • Issue 5
fusion craters. Before long, the entire bearing race can become eroded with countless pits known as frosting. Cumulative degradation, known as fluting, can also shape the frosting into washboardlike ridges across the bearing race and causing noise, vibration, increased friction, and bearing failure. This is what happened to the paper mill’s motor, over and over again until the AEGIS® PRO Series solved the problem. Unlike conventional single-point-contact brushes, the AEGIS® ring’s conductive microfibers line its entire inner circumference, encircling the motor shaft with contact points for far greater effectiveness. This design boosts the ring’s electron transfer rate, providing very low impedance from shaft to frame, bypassing the motor bearings entirely and bleeding off damaging currents safely to ground.
Because the ring’s conductive microfibers work with little or no physical contact, they do not require the regular maintenance and replacement of metal or carbon-block grounding brushes. Patented Nanogap Technology maintains electrical contact between the microfibers and the motor shaft, thus diverting harmful shaft voltages whether or not the microfibers are touching the shaft. This ensures that the ring will last for the life of the motor regardless of motor speed, and will work effectively even in the presence of dirt, grease, or other contaminants. “We want reliability and uptime,” says the engineer. “It’s case by case when bearings fail. You have to look at the whole motor system. But if I think that in a particular application I might have an issue, I’d rather install an AEGIS® ring on the motor and be done with it. I do not want to go down that path again where every two years I have to replace the bearings – it’s too expensive.”
By preventing extremely costly process downtime, AEGIS® Rings generate an impressive return on investment. Return on Investment Calculations Medium Voltage Motors With AEGIS iPRO – High Current Capable Shaft Grounding Ring Lost revenue due to unplanned down time:
Loss of revenue/day
Can be greater than $10,000 Long Term Cost of Medium Voltage Motor Downtime due to Bearing Failures
Low Estimate
High Estimate
Disassembly, Rigging, Transportation
$ 10,000
$15,000
Motor Repair + Labor + Parts (Bearings, Windings, etc.)
$ 20,000
$ 60,000
Down Time: Lead Times and Repair Availability
week
Total Estimated Cost to Prevent Bearing Failure with AEGIS® iPRO for MV motor AEGIS® iPRO Ring plus installation:
$ 6,000
$ 70,000
4 Weeks
$ 100,000
$ 280,000
$ 355,000
Return on Investment
1,666%
5,916%
Conclusion: AEGIS® PRO SL high current capable shaft grounding for Medium Voltage Motors, Generators, and large Low Voltage Motors provides a tremendous return on investment by preventing production downtime due to bearing failures caused by the electrical discharge machining (EDM) effect in motor bearings. Equipment owners and manufacturers can avoid losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars per failed motor, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in retained profits.
Page: 109
Sees New Growth Horizons in
Mexico
In a world that is ever changing, it’s impossible to stand still. Even the best companies must continue to push boundaries and expand their horizons to better serve customers. At NN, Inc. their latest expansion is in Mexico.
NN Business Development team poses for a photo at Juarez facility. In response to increasing demand and growth in automotive manufacturing in Mexico, NN has expanded its North American manufacturing footprint by opening a new precision bearing components facility in Ciudad Juarez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The facility, which is co-located with NN’s precision metal components plant, was initiated in June 2015, and made its first production shipments in November. It will initially focus on high precision ball manufacturing. “Our decision to establish capacity to produce in Mexico was based on our core belief that we need to support our customers where they need us around the world,” said Jeff Manzagol, Senior Vice President of the NN Metal Bearing Components group. Last year several of the world’s largest automakers announced plans to build or expand facilities in Mexico. During 2015, more than 3.4 million(1) vehicles were made in Mexico, making the country the seventh largest producer globally. IHS Automotive estimates that Mexico had 25% of small car manufacturing in North America last year and that production will rise to 42% over the next five years. “Recognizing the current and future growth of this part of the North American market, we needed to be there now to support our customers,” remarked Manzagol. This new facility will have capacity to produce nearly 200 million high precision steel balls by 2016 and will serve both existing and new customers. The rapid establishment of this new
plant was made possible by NN’s existing presence in Mexico and showcases our ability to leverage our assets across multiple platforms. It will implement the next generation NN operating system, complete with advanced ‘in-house developed’ manufacturing technology from the NN R&D Centers of Excellence and will operate under the IMMEX Program (formerly the Maquiladora Program). Adding locations is not the only way we are expanding. We are developing new product and process improvements at our two R&D centers. Our engineers continue to develop breakthroughs that improve our product quality, reduce costs, and have a lower impact on the environment. These advancements allow us to provide the highest quality precision rolling elements to our customers all over the world. These breakthroughs are soon to include: • Advancements in ultrasonic testing for microinclusions in both our steel raw material and finished products • Real time, closed-loop feedback process data from part-to-part allowing automatic adjustment to our tooling • Switching from oil-based to water-based lapping compounds Expanding our horizons with locations and technology around the world is what makes NN the leading manufacturer of precision rolling elements that our customers can rely on today and tomorrow. Source: IHS Page: 111
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Interview
NSK’s plans for 2016
Interview
Michael Preinerstorfer, Managing Director of NSK’s European Industrial Business Unit (EIBU) “We have defined 12 to 15 niche markets, such as
rolling mills and petrochemical, where we can offer specific added value to customers based on our experience and expertise.” Mr. Preinerstorfer, in 2015 you introduced a new organisational structure for NSK Europe. Could you briefly describe the structure to us? Our company serves the needs of customers in approximately 50 countries. However, in order to serve these requirements in a more targeted and individual manner, we have implemented our new ‘Select and Focus’ strategy. We have also further expanded our core segments: OEM, industrial aftermarket and automotive aftermarket. In an additional step, we have defined 12 to 15 niche markets, such as rolling mills and petrochemical, where we can offer specific added value to customers based on our experience and expertise. This allows us to deliver customised solutions based on standard products more quickly and on a broader scale. At the same time, it gives us the opportunity to develop bespoke product strategies for each of the defined niche markets.
Has the new structure also changed your regional organisations? Yes. The former territories have been replaced by three regional units: Central Europe, Western Europe and Emerging Markets. In future, each of these regions will handle end customers and distributors separately. Particularly promising is the Emerging Markets region, which for us includes Page: 116
Michael Preinerstorfer, Managing Director, European Industrial Business Unit
Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey Middle East and Africa, because we are already well-positioned in these geographic areas.
What has changed in the aftermarket segment? It’s now divided into two parts: the industrial aftermarket and the automotive aftermarket. In addition, key account management for the industrial aftermarket has been strengthened, while the MRO team has also been expanded and our AIP added value programme further developed. In the automotive aftermarket we want to generate significant sales growth over the next few years with the introduction of our new marketing concept.
NSK Europe is constantly extending the AIP programme with aftermarket add-on services. What is the latest status? We now have 15 trained condition monitoring experts in the industrial aftermarket segment who support customers with problem identification and solutions. We’ve also introduced tools for fitting and removing bearings, and professional laser alignment tools for aligning shafts and pulleys.
How does the new structure support the AIP added value programme?
Bearing News • Issue 5
AIP is an established and proven tool which allows us to provide sustainable and successful support in all segments – with savings of between €50,000 and more than €1 million annually for our customers. Advice for customers can be delivered even more effectively in the new organisational structure because we can apply our expertise in the targeted niche markets in a more focused way.
can transfer the know-how gained there into the European market. The French national railway, SNCF, is conducting field tests with speeds of up to 320 km/h. In the field of medical technology the dental sector has a particularly bright future, using miniature 3 mm diameter NSK drill bearings, for example, which can rotate at speeds of up to 400,000 rpm.
What changes will there be for OEMs?
What are your plans for 2016?
Previously, OEM customers interfaced with different contact persons at NSK depending on the specific requirement. In the new structure, a defined sector manager has all-round responsibility for the customer’s MRO, OEM and AIP projects. The specialist in each case then passes his detailed knowledge of the sector to the engineering team. As a result, we are in an even better position to develop bespoke customer solutions.
Our goals for 2016 are all about consolidation. As a first step we want to continue solidifying the new structure and give our people sufficient time to get established in their new responsibilities. As a company we also reach a big landmark this year: on 8 November 2016 NSK celebrates 100 years of trading. Furthermore, with its new structure, EIBU will be well equipped to make its contribution towards reaching the ¥1 trillion global sales target set by NSK President Toshihiro Uchiyama.
How will you provide support to key customers in the new structure? Key account managers are now responsible for major customers across national boundaries in their role as the single Europe-wide contact person – fully consistent with the principle of “one face to the customer”. That’s true both for major OEM customers as well as our sales partners in the aftermarket.
What are NSK’s plans on the subject of training? Will there be more user training courses? Yes. We are currently planning to create three training centres across Europe as a first step, with one in each sales region. By 2018 we plan to have 10 more. By 2017, in tandem with online training resources, NSK will carry out approximately 10,000 user training courses annually. A special focus is being put on emerging markets where there are specific training requirements. The hands-on experience with our products is sure to strengthen customer loyalty to the NSK brand.
Which European industrial sectors do you see as having the most promise? As the European market leader, NSK is very strongly positioned in wind turbine gearboxes and we are going to invest further in this area. There is also growth potential in rail technology. In this sector, NSK is the market leader in Japan and we
About NSK Established 100 years ago, NSK (Nippon Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha) is a Japanese-listed company that has evolved from a regional ball bearing supplier to a roller bearing specialist and automotive supplier with a global market presence. Today, NSK employs more than 31,000 employees in 30 countries. As per March 2015 NSK achieved a turnover of 975 billion Yen. This result has been driven by ever-increasing investment in research & development, enabling the company to continuously improve the quality of its products and services. This investment supports NSK’s objective of “No. 1 in Total Quality”. In addition to a complete rolling bearing portfolio, NSK develops and manufactures precision components and mechatronic products, as well as systems and components for the automotive industry, including wheel bearing units and electric power-steering systems. In 1963, NSK’s first European subsidiary, Düsseldorf, Germany, was opened and in 1976, the first European production facility in Peterlee, England. Today, NSK Europe supports pan-European sales with production locations in England, Poland and Germany, logistics centres in the Netherlands, Germany and England and technology centres in Germany, England and Poland. In 1990, NSK purchased the UPI Group including the renowned European bearing manufacturer RHP, with its factory in Newark (UK). Additionally, NSK has developed a comprehensive network of authorised sales distributors. NSK Europe is divided into application-based business divisions: Industry rolling bearing technologies & linear and precision technology (EIBU) as well as bearing modules and steering systems for the automotive industry (EABU & ESBU). In this organisation, NSK Europe’s 3,500 employees achieved a turnover of over 1,000 million Euros as per March 2015. For more information, visit www.nskeurope.com
NSK Deutschland GmbH Harkortstrasse 15 40880 Ratingen Nathalie SIMON Phone: +49 2102 481 2152 Fax: +49 2102 481 2151 • simon-n@nsk.com
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The Powerhouse in Compact Form: The New simalube IMPULSE Pressure Booster
Now available! simalube® IMPULSE is the perfect complement to the wellestablished simalube lubricator – wherever high pressure is required. It has no problem overcoming counterpressures of up to 10 bar, making it the perfect solution for high counterpressure and long lubrication lines. Simply affix the simalube® IMPULSE to the lubrication point, then screw on the required simalube lubricator and activate it for the desired dispensing time. The simalube® IMPULSE requires no additional adjustments and the LED display continuously signals its proper functioning. Once it is completely empty, the simalube® IMPULSE can be used multiple times if it is equipped with a new simalube lubricator and battery pack.
Impressive functionality The simalube® IMPULSE, together with simalube lubricators in sizes of 60, 125 or 250 ml, ensures reliable lubrication when faced with high counterpressure and lubrication lines of up to four metres. Continuous lubrication impulses of 0.5 ml supply the lubrication point with oil or grease up to NLGI 2 at a pressure of up to 10 bar. This action is gentle on the lubricant, as only the dosing volume is placed under pressure. The intelligent pressure booster also continually signals its operating state. When properly installed, the LED indicator on the simalube® IMPULSE flashes green at regular intervals. Red flashes signal overpressure, inactive and empty conditions.
Easy to install and use The simalube® IMPULSE starts operating as soon as a battery pack is inserted and the lubricator is screwed on. The simalube lubricator sets the dispensing intervals. Its dispensing time may be corrected at any time and the simalube® IMPULSE will automatically adjust to the new dispenser setting. When changing a lubricator, the simalube® IMPULSE remains firmly affixed to the lubrication point. It must only be ensured that a fresh battery pack will be inserted before screwing on a new simalube lubricator. Therefore, the connection point remains sealed during the change of the lubricator and there is no back-flow of lubricant. The simalube IMPULSE with a 125 ml lubricator is used in gravel plants. The IMPULSE pushes the lubricant with a pressure of 10 bar through a 4-metre lubrication line.
Exceptionally versatile and – thanks to its reusability – very cost-efficient
A maintenance specialist installs the simalube IMPULSE at the end of a long lubrication line at a convenient working and monitoring height (at 3.5 m above the ground the lubrication point is unreachable).
The compact size of the simalube® IMPULSE enables installations in the smallest of spaces and in all positions, even underwater. As an IP68 protection class device, the pressure booster is dustproof, waterproof and suitable for use in a wide range of industries. Equipped with a new battery pack at each refilling, the simalube® IMPULSE can be used for ten dispensing cycles of simalube 125 ml or for up to three years. Manufacturer and Sales: Simatec ag, Stadthof 2, CH-3380 Wangen a. Aare, Switzerland Tel. +41 32 636 50 00, Fax +41 32 636 50 19 Website: www.simatec.com • E-mail: welcome@simatec.com Page: 119
The Bearing Market:
Top Trends For 2
From BOWMAN INTERNA Innovation of materials, availability on demand and more streamlined supply processes are amongst the top trends that OEMs and distributors can expect to see from the bearings market in 2016. The predictions come from Bowman International, a leading manufacturer and supplier of bearings and sintered components, which sold more than 13 million bearings in 2015.
Page: 122
Bearing News • Issue 5
2016
ATIONAL Paul Mitchell, managing director of Bowman International, says the ongoing battle between engineers and procurement departments to balance cost, performance and availability of components is forcing suppliers to innovate – which will deliver additional benefits for OEMs. He said: “Purchasing departments are under constant pressure to lower costs and are looking to engineers to find more cost effective alternatives wherever possible. This can often lead to a redesign which in many cases can ultimately be more expensive” “Increasingly, engineers are turning to specialist suppliers to find suitable components such as bearings, which is why availability will continue to be such an important word in 2016. Manufacturers and suppliers that can guarantee availability - however specialist the requirement – will be the most valuable to their customers. We are also seeing the importance of rapid prototyping to reduce start-up costs and time to market.” Bowman International also predicts continued innovation in new materials to improve the performance, capabilities and durability of bearings. Paul Mitchell adds: “Bearing manufacturers have
invested heavily in research and development in recent years and we are really starting to see the benefit as an industry. New alloys have been introduced, along with new techniques for manufacturing, testing and fault analysis. “This level of innovation will increase long-term performance and help to deliver a cost-effective overall solution– both of which will remain critical for any OEM of course. Our new BowMet® range is a perfect example, manufactured from the unique ToughMet® alloy developed in USA to provide enhanced capabilities with reduced wastage.” Finally, another big shift that will become more evident in 2016, says Paul Mitchell, is the way in which suppliers are expanding their service to streamline the supply chain for OEMs. He concludes: “It has long been a requirement in the automotive industry that a component manufacturer ensure the highest levels of quality, price and on-time delivery alongside the parts. Now we are seeing a growing demand for this level of service from other manufacturing industries including construction equipment, commercial vehicles and marine, amongst others. It will be suppliers who are able to offer these levels of service to all customers who will be the most successful in 2016”. Page: 123
Super Precision Ball Bearing Range JESA, the Swiss manufacturer of bearing solutions, uses its flexibility by launching a new product line in the form of Super Precision Angular Contact Ball Bearings.
Super Precision Angular Contact Ball Bearings are essential in numerous different kinds of high-end rotational applications such as: high precision spindles, machine tools, power tools, vacuum pumps, turbo charger, positioning systems, textile machinery, electrical motors... All those applications require top performance and long life ball bearings.
Swiss Made Super Precision Angular Ball Bearings for standard and specific needs JESA’s production capacity covers a size range from bore diameter 8 mm to outside diameter 100 mm. Within that range, the bearings are available in metric and inch sizes up to ABEC 9 (ISO P2). Depending on the customer application, different bearing cross section ratios can be used: thin (ISO 19 and 18), normal (ISO 10) and heavy (ISO 02 and 03). Each size is divided into two different alternative designs: robust and high speed design and can be delivered with or without seals depending on the application lubrication system. In addition to the standard range of super precision bearings, JESA is a perfect partner for the development of customer specific bearing. The possibility of direct discussions between JESA’s engineering team and the customer’s engineering team as well as our flexible production plant are the two key elements that allow a maximum flexibility for new developments. 0Special sizes, nonstandard tolerances, flanged bearings, different ring materials (Chrome steel, stainless steel, Steenox...), special heat treatments, custom ball retainer material (PEEK, phenolic resin, polyamide...) and application specific grease types can be provided. Ball material is to be chosen between steel and silicon nitride. The raw material of these rolling elements as well as their finishing procedure defines their quality (grade and precision class). Each new design is virtually tested by calculation to achieve the optimum design. JESA’s methodology for super precision bearings modelling includes life calculation, thermal variation evaluation which is a critical aspect when dealing with silicon nitride balls and gravity forces mainly due to centrifugal effects at very high speed. For special shaft application like spindles, the simulation of multiple bearings and their mutual effects is taken into account and
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Bearing News • Issue 5
for even more advanced cases, finite element modelling can be used. During the mounting procedure, the bearing rings are individually measured in order to be paired appropriately. Nominal values for outside diameters and inside diameters are marked on the bearing together with the maximum rings radial run-out. With this information marked directly on the bearing and the packaging, it is possible to choose a bearing that fits perfectly with the housing and the shaft.
Quality at its maximum at each production step For a maximum lifetime and speed capability at a low noise and vibration level, super precisions ball bearings require a very high production quality level, which is part of JESA’s DNA. No compromise will be made for the supply chain and during each production phase. Large financial investments have been made by JESA in Switzerland during the last few years to achieve this level of requirement. The control of the raw material, including microstructure and cleanliness analysis is conducted in partnership with accredited external laboratories. In case of poor lubrication or unexpected extreme operating condition, the steel quality will have a significant effect on the bearing life. Heat treatment is a key process in the bearing production that requires a deep knowledge and accurate control of the process parameters like temperature, time of treatment and cooling technique. To prevent grinding burns, JESA uses initial measurement during the grinding machine set-up and barkhausen noise measurement during the production. All bearing characteristics (forms and dimensions) are monitored during the production using a statistical process control. By doing so, the production capability is ensured and any deviation is dealt with immediately at the factory. A special measurement rig has been developed by JESA for the measurement of radial and axial runout for both inner and outer rings. Finally, a 100% visual inspection and noise test is conducted before final packaging.
JESA is in the process of setting up a test centre within the Swiss HQ to enable continuous improvements and a full assessment of bearing performance Most of the production measurement systems have been designed, developed and validated in-house by JESA, with the support of industrial partners and top universities in Switzerland, France and Germany. JESA developed its own high-speed vibration measurement test bench for example. For each production batch the bearing vibration signature will be recorded in a database which allow direct assessment of the production batch quality, as well as continuous improvement and monitoring of the production process. The flexible conception of environmental chambers, life test benches, high speed spindles and acquisition systems (temperature, vibration and torque sensors) makes it possible to reproduce the real case application conditions. Besides these test capabilities, JESA provides substantial expertise in bearing failure analysis. A large database of photos (raceway, balls, cage...) at various operating conditions, have contributed to understand the bearing operational cycle and to help our customers in improving their systems. Close contacts between the JESA bearing experts and customer engineering teams in various markets and applications together with efficient development steps allow JESA to reach the best solution for any customer application. Visit www.jesa.com for more information. Page: 125
NEW FEATURES IN MESYS SHAFT AND ROLLING BEARING ANALYSIS SOFTWARE
Image: Elmar Bergrath
Harmonic response in shaft calculation One often requested extension in MESYS shaft analysis software 12/2015 is the calculation of harmonic response. Imbalance of a shaft will result in vibrations and dynamic bearing forces. Sometimes balance grades are given for an application like defined by ISO 1940. A balance grade G 6.3 according ISO 1940 would mean that eperm*ω = 6.3mm/s, so for larger rotation speed a smaller eccentricity is permitted. The dynamic forces are then F = mass*e*ω2 The problem is that the location of the force and the phase between multiple forces is not known, so often one force at the center of mass is considered. There are applications where shafts and rotors are balanced and dynamic forces will be small
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compared to static forces; there are also applications where dynamic forces are much larger than the static forces. In the first case the contact point in the bearings will be stationary and in the second case the contact point in the bearings will rotate with the shaft. Typically the equations of motion are solved in a fixed non-rotating frame Mx’’ + (G+C)x’ + Kx = F where M is the mass matrix, G is the speed dependent gyroscopic matrix, C is the damping matrix, K is the stiffness matrix and F is the load. The MESYS shaft calculation like many other programs solves the static problem considering a nonlinear stiffness and then solves the linear modal problem using the tangent stiffness matrix at operating conditions: (Ml2 + (G+C) l+Kt)y = 0. If this equation is used to calculate harmonic response
Bearing News • Issue 5
(as done by the software) it is only valid for small amplitudes or in case of a linear stiffness matrix. If rolling bearings with clearance are used the dynamic forces have to be smaller than the static forces. Dynamic forces larger than static forces would lead to a rotating contact point in the bearing and therefore the linear calculation with an anisotropic bearing stiffness matrix is not valid. In this case either a time integration would be required or a calculation in a rotating frame, both is not supported by the shaft calculation software. In a rotating frame imbalance would be a static load and the weight would be a dynamic load. General FEA programs or specialized rotor dynamic programs have to be used in this case. If bearings with pretension are used, the stiffness matrix is almost isotropic and then dynamic forces larger than static radial forces would be possible, still the nonlinear behavior of the bearing is ignored. As an example a simple rotor is used. An imbalance of 5gmm is considered on the left side for a rotation speed of 20000rpm. This would lead to a dynamic force of . The calculated harmonic response at 20000rpm is 30.9N for the left bearing and just 6N for the right bearing. Note that the difference is larger than the calculated value of the dynamic force of 21.93, this is because of the dynamic forces of the shaft.
The harmonic response is speed dependent. The bearing forces will rise if the rotation speed approaches the natural frequency.
A diagram showing bearing forces over time for the given speed is available too, there the opposite direction of both forces can be seen:
As the bearings have an isotropic stiffness matrix, the amplitudes in y/z-directions are the same. If the amplitudes would be different and larger than the static forces, the assumptions of the calculation would not be valid. In the current version the harmonic response is not
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considered in the calculation of bearing life, so it only provides the force amplitudes to be expected.
Improved parameter variations in shaft and bearing analysis Parameter variations are a helpful tool to visualize the influence of certain parameters on results. As input for the calculation, additional rules can be specified. The simple rotor from above is used again and the axial clearance for bearing 2 is set to the same value as the axial clearance of bearing 1.
on the balls. The gyroscopic moment is taken by friction forces on inner and outer race contacts. In case of different contact angles on inner and outer race, these friction forces affect the normal forces and therefore the bearing life. The software offers several options for the distribution of these forces. For example for outer race control either only a frictional force on the outer race can be considered or a force on both contacts proportional to the normal forces.
Axial clearance of the bearings and the shaft speed are varied in a given range:
Currently five different options are available. In the result graphics a second axis was added. So several results can be shown in the same diagram like the minimal bearing life and spin-to-roll ratio
The influence of the gyroscopic moment acting on the balls increases with contact angle and orbit speed. It only affects normal forces if the contact angle on inner and outer race contact are different.
Rolling element life
in the following image. Bearing life and spin-to-roll ratio are shown for two rotation speeds of the shaft.
Gyroscopic moment for high speed ball bearings Finally the gyroscopic moment on ball bearings is considered in addition to the centrifugal forces
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Usually fatigue in rolling bearings will be seen on the races first. In case of high strength materials for bearing races combined with standard rolling elements, the rolling elements could fail first. To take this into account the calculation of rolling element life analogous to ISO/TS 16281 was added in the bearing calculation. The local load capacity Qc is calculated as for the bearing races using changes because of loaded volume and load cycles. Because of higher hardness the rolling elements should have a higher load capacity as the races, this could be considered by material factors. For ball bearing the calculation assumes contact on one circle only, so real life should be larger than calculated. This calculation is disabled by default and can be enabled with a selection of Weibull exponents to be used. Bearing News • Issue 5
Drives & Controls
Exhibition & Conference 2016 12-14 APRIL 2016 NEC BIRMINGHAM The UK’s leading exhibition for Drives, Automation, Power Transmission and Motion Control Equipment The Visitors
High-quality decision makers Main areas of product interest
The previous time Drives & Controls was held at the NEC, co-located with Air-Tech, European Offshore Energy, Fluid Power & Systems and Plant & Asset Management – it proved to be a huge success with over 13,000 delegates from over 25 countries. In 2016 it has the potential for even greater success.
50%
40%
The Sho w 30%
20%
Welcome to... Drives & and Co Controls Exhib nference ition 2016 10%
The charts show a breakdown of visitors from the most recent Drives & Controls show.
SCADA
Pneumatic Valves
Power Electronics
Sensors & Systems
Test & Measurement
Variable Speed Motors
Repairs & Maintenance
Speed & Positioning Sensing
Small Precision Drives & Motors
Cables
PCs & Positioning Systems
Motor Controls & Protection
PLCs & Positioning Systems
Job function
visit www .drives-exp
Other
Engineer
Production
Purchasing
Lecturer/Student
visit www.drives-expo.com
GHAM 2016 • NEC BIRMIN 12-14 APRIL
Sales & Marketing
Research & Development
Engineering Management
Theatre Theatre
Once again with other the Drives & Controls complem entary and Show will be co-locate exhibition s: Fluid Power successf ul DFA Media d Air-Tech & Systems, and Plant & Asset the MACH European Offshore Managem manufact Energy, and ent, and National uring technolog alongside Electronic ies exhibition will create s Week. the The combined and engineeri biggest event for shows the UK manufact ng sector attendan in 2016, uring ce of well over 40,000+with an anticipate d visitors.
EXHIBITION & SEMINAR BROCHURE
General/Corporate Management
Consultants
Other
Warehousing & Distribution
Transport & Communications
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Defence
Education
Metal Production
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Seminar
(Other) Manufacturing Industries
Instrument Engineering / Manufacture
Construction
Automotive / Auto Components
Bricks, Pottery, Glass & Cement
Banking, Insurance & Commerce
Consulting, Professional & Scientific Services
Aerospace
2016
Chemical & Allied Trades (inc Plastic & Rubber)
0
Food, Drink & Tobacco
5%
Health Service / Medical
10%
Gas, Water, Electricity & Nuclear
15%
the show’s The 2016 record-b event 35% reaking success tasking culture will bring together safety, drives, of today’s design key suppliers of 30% in 2014 we have increased power transmiss engineer, coveringstate-of-the-art stand 25% ion, motion critical areas equipment represen space by 30%. Drives & control and such as energy ting the multiControls 20% automatio 2016 will efficiency learn about n plus much , machine new strategies be a unique face-to-fa more, all business 15% under one , constantl needs to roof. y evolving ce opportunity for allow them today’s engineeri technolog to maintain 10% ies, the latest Drives & optimum ng professio Controls products performa nals to 2016 will and services seminar nce levels 5% also offer programm during competit that fit their visitors a e with speakers another reason FREE truly ive times. 0 represen independ for engineers ting some ent, compreh to make of industry’s the time ensive and • Drives to most pre-emin attend this & Controls focused • Maintena importan Seminar ent organisat t event. Theatre nce Seminar ions – • Energy
Electrical / Electronic Manufacturing
20%
Pneumatic Motors & Cylinders
Bearings
Enclosures
Linear Motors
Belts & Chains
Motion Control
Machine Safety
EMC Equipment
Energy Efficiency
Numerical Control
Display & Interfaces
Gear Drives & Variators
Linear & Rotary Indexing
Hydraulic Pumps & Motors
Hydraulic Drives & Actuators
Brakes, Clutches & Couplings
Industtrial Electric Drives & Motors
0
Main areas ofFollowing company activity on from 25%
Contact us now to receive the 2016 show brochure www.drives-expo.com
o.com
To discuss exhibiting contact: Doug Devlin on: t: +44 (0) 1922 644766 m: +44 (0) 7803 624471 e: doug@drives.co.uk Nigel Borrell on: t: +44 (0) 1732 370 341 m: +44 (0) 7818 098000 e: nigel@drives.co.uk DFA Media Ltd • 192 The High Street • Tonbridge • Kent • TN9 1BE • UK • tel: +44 1732 370340 • e: info@dfamedia.co.uk
’
On The
Right Track Tim Fryer looks at one system that, although it has been around for a while, often gets overlooked when selecting a linear systems.
Page: 130
Ball rails, or profile rails depending in your preference in terminology, are often the default choice when a linear system is required. Why not – after all they are reliable and proven. Other options, however, are available. And when performance issues are taken into consideration with cost benefits in terms of installation and maintenance, sometimes that alternative can turn out to be a better choice. One such alternative, while not new and is often overlooked largely due to this market inertia as well as preconceptions about the load bearing capabilities, is the V-guide.
Bearing News • Issue 5
Chris Rees is sales director with HepcoMotion, the company that invented V-guide technology and which now deploys it in its flagship linear motion product, the GV3. A typical scenario is when a machine designer, needing a guidance system, automatically selects the THK type guide rail – the profile rail – as the default choice. Rees commented: “What we say is ‘okay it’s a great product. It’s highly successful and does a good job, but have you considered V-guides in this particular application? Because it’ll give you low maintenance, it’ll be easy to install and it will work in your conditions very well, and it won’t catastrophically fail.’ The worst thing that can happen is that they will have to change the bearings after so many thousand kilometres”. The GV3 is essentially four rotational bearings with a V in them. Two of these bearings are on concentric studs and two on eccentric, allowing easy adjustment onto the guide while removing any system play, resulting in a smooth running, low friction system. In fact HepcoMotion frequently provides the customer with the bearings already set in the carriage plate, meaning there is no adjustment and the system can be bolted directly onto the customer’s machine. Each bearing has a ‘cap wiper’ which sits under the carriage plate to protect the bearing and provide lubrication to the slide. “The key benefit of that is its low maintenance,” said Rees. “It doesn’t require a lot of lubrication to run. Basically, customers lubricate the product and they just forget about it. All we’re trying to do is to prevent two metals rubbing together totally dry and providing you do that, you’ve got some lubrication there, the system will just carry on working.” Unlike profile guides the actual bearings are enclosed, which is a key advantages when it comes to maintenance and one that is more pronounced in dirty conditions. “The cap wiper won’t totally prevent dirt from getting into the system,” explained Rees. “But if it does happen then it’s just wiped clean, it doesn’t clog up and cause a potential failure. On the other hand if you get dirt into a ball re-circulating system then eventually it will just fail because the balls can’t re-circulate. That doesn’t happen with this system because the internal workings of the bearing are sealed. The important thing is the running of the bearing V on the V slide, that’s where we’ve got to look at dirt, and it can’t build up there because it just basically
wipes it clean.” Even then there can be a build up of dirt in the cap wipers. Rees said: “If you get too much dirt in there you might find the friction gets a bit high and you’ve got to just take the cap wiper off and then just get rid of some of the crud that’s in there. But that’s no big deal, it’s not a failure. In reality that rarely seems to happen because the cap wipers act as scrapers as well.” It is possible to run the system completely dry of lubricant, but that will have an effect on the load capacity. Any system carrying over 20kg needs some level of lubrication.
The Load capacity question Load carrying capacity is an issue that is often looked at and Rees acknowledges that, taking a size for size comparison in terms of dynamic load carrying capacity, the V-guide will not compare to a profile rail. “We accept that, but what we do is we size the product to suit the application. In other words, in our discussions with a customer we’ll determine what sort of life they want and if they want a life for five years, we select a guidance system which will give them at least five years’ life. Whereas the recirculating system might give them 50 years’ life for the same application, but who’s going to want a machine that’s 50 years’ old anyway? So you tend to find that any objections you get regarding load carrying Chris Rees from HepcoMotion is a champion of the capacity, and that’s V-guide system really the one objection we can get, you can get round by sizing the product to suit.” The nature of the product actually offers a degree of compliance that is not only acceptable but in some cases is desirable. It is not suitable for applications that need precision measured in microns but instead is used, for example, in basic automation packaging machines, printing machines, scientific equipment, picking and placing, working with Page: 131
robots - applications where a little bit of compliance in the machine is actually quite useful, as customers don’t want to get engaged in high precision machining just to get the machine to work and they want installation to be as straightforward as possible. In its simplest form the GV3 is a guide, bearings and a carriage plate, but the system has evolved to offer the designer many options. At the most basic level, if the designer doesn’t want the carriage plate but wants it fitted straight onto the machine then it is simply a case of drilling four holes, fit the bearings into the holes and then adjust the eccentrics onto the slide. At the other end of the scale there are a host of options from mounting beams, different sized carriage plates, to floating and blind hole fixing bearings to both make installation easier and to increase design options. Rees said: “That’s part of the benefit - it’s very flexible, very flexible.” One particular example of this is incorporating a drive system. Larger travel distances often lend themselves to the use of a rack and pinion drive. If this is not integral with the guidance system then
precision parallel setting of a separate rack to the guide is required. In turn this can mean another precision machined surface is needed just to mount the rack. GV3 double and single edge rails can be supplied with the rack already in position. With the double edge roll this is a separate component fixed to the top of the slide at manufacture whereas with single edge rails the rack is machined into the free back edge of the rail parallel with the V faces. With the inclusion of a standard rack driven carriage for the double edge system and a pinion supplied to suit the single edge option, the whole aspect of driving the system becomes a simple process that is compact and does not require additional components and setting. While the last major introduction for the system was the floating bearings, Rees alluded to development work which could see some interesting iterations for the next product generation. by Tim Fryer, Editor of Eureka magazine, eurekamagazine.co.uk
Lubrication Sampling Methods Outlined Richard N. Wurzbach
|
MRG Labs, York, Pennsylvania, USA
|
rwurzbach@mrgcorp.com
According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard D7718 Abstract Oil analysis has enjoyed a long history of effective use in many industries and applications. With some care and knowledge about oil flow and circulation, representative samples can generally be obtained routinely with the right tools and perhaps some minor machine modification. Grease however has presented a greater challenge to effective sampling. With the important function of a grease being its ability to stay in place in the machine, getting it back out of the machine for sampling purposes has historically proven difficult. More recently, innovative approaches and novel tools have been introduced to overcome these challenges and provide the opportunity
Lubricant Sampling Machinery reliability programs rely heavily on diagnostic technologies, including oil analysis. Oil analysis, in turn, is only successful when significant effort has been taken to ensure representative samples are obtained. This is achieved by evaluating machine operation, lubricant flows and circulation, the presence of filters, sumps and other particle separation effects in the system. Often, machine design requires the installation of sampling fittings, valves or other configuration changes to allow such samples to be obtained. One method used for oil sampling is known as “drop tube sampling”. This involves using a source of suction, usually a hand pump, and a narrow Page: 134
section of flexible plastic tubing that is inserted into a reservoir, tank or housing. While samples can be obtained this way, this is generally viewed as an unreliable sampling method for most applications, since the location of the tubing cannot be controlled and results in variable samples when trended over time. Likewise, in similar machines sampled this way, the undefined location of the end of the tubing when the sample is taken also creates variability and difficulty in comparing samples. Noria shows the droptube method on the right, and the preferred installed sampling fitting method on the left. 2.1 Efforts to obtain grease samples For greases, the challenge is different, in that the grease does not readily circulate as oil does, and the sample must be extracted from the machine. Still, some early efforts at grease analysis have identified the use of suction and an inserted tube, much like the drop tube method for oil, to obtain grease samples for analysis. This has been typically accomplished with a large volume syringe and a tight fitting plastic tubing, often the same type used for oil sampling. The result can be the same inability to control the point at which the sample is taken, and additionally, the risk of filling part
Bearing News • Issue 5
of the grease sampling tubing with grease that is not representative of the area close to the target bearings or gears, known as the “live zone”. This method was identified by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for obtaining inservice grease samples from Motor Operated Valves (MOVs) in industry publications in the late 1990s and early 2000’s. However later studies showed difficulty in ensuring that the grease obtained in this method would be wholly representative of the region surrounding the target worm gears. A later EPRI study evaluated an active sampling method to “core” the sample at a set depth, immediately adjacent to the worm gear. Studies showed the ability to confirm up to 95% of the sample being from a small region surrounding the gear, and an evaluation of an introduced fault showed this method only being able to detect the trending changes in wear concentration resulting from misaligned gears. 2.2 Wind Turbine Research In 2012, members of the Danish Wind Energy industry formed a research team to evaluate methods for obtaining and analysing grease samples from wind turbine main bearings. Employees of DONG Energy, Vattenfall, and The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) combined to study a new tool for coring of grease samples and evaluate its effectiveness in the main bearing application. This research over a two-year period produced a modified T-handle tool to combine with the active core-sampling device to produce reliable and repeatable samples that were directly correlated to the as-found condition of the disassembled bearings. Figure 2 from that report shows the trends noted on multiple bearings taken over several months, which corresponded to the observed condition on these locations. 2.3 Gearbox Research In the mentioned EPRI research, a similar design to the tool used in the wind turbine research was used to obtain the samples from the gearbox. This included a clear plastic body with a precisely
fitted piston, and a handle so that the piston could be remotely actuated. Additionally, the piston had a front “stinger probe”, allowing the proper position to be located for sample acquisition. In both designs, the obtained sample is about 1 gram, judged to be a realistic quantity to obtain in most applications. Evaluating the accuracy of sampling using this method was accomplished by operating the valve actuator gearbox for 1 minute cycles and sampling every 20 cycles. After establishing a normal trend value for the gearbox wear rate, the motor drive gear was deliberately misaligned to increase the rate of wear, and the operation and sampling cycle was continued, producing the graph seen in Figure 3. These results demonstrated that the active sampling method developed for sampling these enclosed gearboxes was both repeatable, and trended to represent the changing conditions of wear that were introduced.
Standard Development Based on these studies and industry demand for guidance in obtaining grease samples, a working group was assembled in the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Grease subcommittee. Over a two-year period, a peerreviewed document was produced and sent to ballot to the ASTM Main Committee. In 2011, ASTM D7718, “Standard Practice for Obtaining In-Service Samples of Lubricating Grease” was published to provide this industry guidance. 3.1 Addressing existing practice The Grease subcommittee was intent on ensuring that certain existing industry practices were included. It was noted that certain industries were utilizing tools such as syringes and plastic tubing to extract samples. Also, a long-standing and common use of grease analysis was applied in failure analysis. The practice was written to address the special considerations when presented with failed components and there is a need to analyze any residual grease for indications of contributing failure causes. Page: 135
The sampling containers are also addressed, and include many of the acceptable, if not optimal, commonly used devices such as oil sampling bottles, both plastic and glass, and metal containers as well. Methods include use of spatulas, plastic tubing, syringes and other tools to access appropriate locations in the target machine. 3.2 Cautions to method limitations While effort was made to include historically utilized methods, attention was given to necessary precautions and limitations of some of these methods. In this way, good and representative samples are the primary goal, and those using the standard operate from a position of awareness, knowing that some methods may be more effective than others, or some can give less than optimal results unless the noted precautions are taken. Included in this is the use of plastic tubing and a syringe to extract a sample from within a machine enclosure. While this method can be quite effective at producing a sample, one note in the practice points out the non-Newtonian properties of greases, and the potential challenges of inducing uniform flow of the grease using suction. Some concern is raised that the use of tubing does not preclude the capture of grease that unrepresentative, from locations in the machine some distance from the target component: “Note that the proximity of the lubricating grease in the interior of the tubing to the bearing or gear cannot be guaranteed when using this method.”[5] 3.3 Inclusion of new technologies/approaches Among the methods outlined in the standard are the “active” and “passive” techniques enabled by the use of the Grease Thief tool. While the standard does not endorse specific products, or preclude the use of others, there is recognition of the Grease Thief as being a demonstrated and effective tool to enable the techniques outlined in several of the methods in the standard. 5 It is noted that other effective products can be included in future revisions of the standard if brought to the attention of the ASTM committee and found pertinent.
Grease Sampling Standard D7718 is broken into sections including sample handling, active sampling procedure for enclosed housings, an active sampling procedure for pillow (or pillar) block bearings and exposed bearings and gears, passive sampling procedure, and a procedure Page: 136
for sampling from failed components. 4.1 Scope and Terminology The scope of the document is laid out to direct users in the taking of inservice grease samples from various components. It outlines the need to sometimes obtain multiple samples in order to fully assess equipment condition, and the occasional need to homogenize certain samples prior to analysis. The document references other ASTM standards, including the practice for manual sampling of petroleum products, which could be considered a parent document to this more specific practice. The terminology explains the “passive” and “active” terms in their context in grease sampling, and terms such as “actuate”, where it is used to describe the active coring of grease samples from a machine. The apparatus is described, including various sample containers that can be used, and the sampling devices. Hazards and cautions are also described to ensure safe use of tools and methods. 4.2 General Procedures Important considerations that apply to all methods are discussed, including cleanliness of sampling tools, homogeneity of samples, and the importance of uniformity and design of the sampling devices used. The importance of operator training and knowledge of equipment being sampled is discussed as it has an impact on sample quality. Sample handling is described as best-practice, with importance given to shipping considerations and sample labelling. The use of containers and protective sleeves are important to prevent leakage and co-mixing of samples, and preservation of the integrity of the primary containers. Details required for proper analysis by the receiving laboratory are described as necessary in the labelling process, to ensure that this information is gathered and transmitted from individuals performing sampling to those responsible for analysis and interpretation. 4.3 Active Sampling Active sampling is described as the process of introducing one of the described sampling devices to the surface of or inside of a given machine. Figure 4 shows the “Active Grease-Sampling Device” that features a “stinger probe”, allowing the device to be inserted into a gearbox, electric motor or other similar contained housing. The Bearing News • Issue 5
stinger probe allows the target surface to be located, and the coring of the sample to be precisely adjacent to the bearing or gear of interest. The procedure for using such a device is described, including the attachment of a handle that will allow the remote actuation and coring of the sample from within the machine. Another active sampling method described is the plastic tubing method. While there are some limitations to the method described in the standard, it is in widespread use, and the standard addresses some critical considerations and technique to be considered for getting the best possible sample by this method. The procedure described is consistent with instructions found from some manufacturer or laboratory websites, such as sampling from Rothe Erde slewing bearings.[6] Figure 5 shows an image demonstrating this tubing sampling method. Another section describes the active sampling process from pillow block bearings and other similar exposed bearings or open gears. This method generally relies on the use of a soft spatula to harvest the grease from the exposed surfaces, and the use of a syringe to gather and transfer that grease to the primary sample container. This method describes the importance of removing the outermost layer of grease prior to sampling, as this exposed grease often serves to capture extraneous environmental contaminants that are not representative of the component of interest. Two spatulas or a double-ended tool are described as suitable for this task. The syringe to be used is described as having a minimum of no less than 1.8mm. This figure is based on rheological studies that determined that smaller syringe openings may change the consistency of the grease as it is sheared, and thus change some of the potentially measured properties of the grease. 4.4 Passive Sampling Passive sampling is described by the method as the collection of grease that will naturally purge from the bearing upon relubrication and operation, by use of a device that is attached to the machine drain for this purpose. The device described here is shown in Figure 6, which is
similar to Figure 4 but without the stinger probe. This device uses a thread to engage the drain of the housing. Another important design feature is the presence of purge holes, which allow excess grease to exit the container after it has been filled. In this way, the device captures the most recently purged grease within the body and protects it from contamination by environmental contaminants. A key consideration for this method is the patience that may be required in waiting for a sample. Unlike the active methods that allow for immediate gathering of the required sample, this passive method relies on the purged quantity of the grease to be accumulated in a sufficient amount for the required sample size. While relubrication tasks contribute new grease that can provide displacement of the used portion, it is strongly cautioned that overgreasing must be avoided. It is never prudent to add grease for the sole purpose of purging out the required sample quantity. Therefore, attachment of the passive sampling device, normal relubrication frequency and quantities are employed, and sufficient time and operation of the machine is allowed to produce the needed sample. There is the added benefit that this approach ensures that a purge path is maintained in the machine. 4.5 Failure Analysis The final method described is the harvesting of grease from failed components for the purpose of performing or complementing the analysis of the root-causes that have contributed to a component failure. Using appropriate tools, the component is safely and carefully removed from the machine, and where necessary, access is provided to the lubricant by removal of shields or seals. Dirt and debris is removed prior to taking the sample so that the external contaminants do not become mixed with the internal and formerly active grease. A straw or spatula is used to gather an appropriate and representative sample or samples. Samples obtained in this way can be a strong complement to the typical observational and metallurgical analysis typically performed on failed bearings and other grease lubricated components, and can contribute to a more comprehensive picture of the factors involved in a machine failure.
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5. Summary Oil analysis has been complemented by the development of proven techniques and hardware to ensure representative samples are used. While grease analysis is not nearly as widespread, there is a growing demand for analysis of grease lubricated components, and some applications have proven that significant cost-benefit can be obtained by effective grease analysis. Grease sampling, while at first primitive and limited, has received new attention, and methods and tools have been developed to improve the consistency and quality of samples being submitted for analysis. Important research by the Danish wind industry and the Electric Power Research Institute have demonstrated the importance and value of the proper methods and equipment in obtaining grease samples. The American Society of Testing and Materials and the Grease subcommittee have worked diligently to consider important factors in ensuring quality samples and the new techniques and tools that have become available to create industry guidance through this standard. Greater acceptance and use of this document will help to ensure that the lubricant analysis industry continues to grow and improve the value of inservice grease testing. A copy of this whitepaper in PDF format is available upon request from MRG Labs at info@ mrgcorp.com, or 1-717-843-8884. Reference: Wurzbach, R. “Sampling methods outlined in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard D7718” [1] Fitch, J., “World Class Oil Sampling – It is Possible“, Practicing Oil Analysis, Noria Corporation, July 2000 [2] Bolt, R., Brown, C., Pugh, M., “Easy Testing for Grease Thickness“, Machinery Lubrication, Noria Corporation, May, 2003 [3] Electric Power Research Institute, “Nuclear Maintenance Applications Center: Effective Grease Practices”, Technical Report # 1020247, October, 2010 [4] Møller, H., et. al., “Analysis of Grease in Wind Turbine bearing – a tool for condition monitoring. Part 2“, LUBMAT 2014 Proceedings, Manchester, UK, June 2014. [5] American Society of Testing and Materials, “D7718-Standard Practice for Obtaining In-Service Samples of Lubricating Grease“, West Conshohocken, PA, USA, 2011. [6] ThyssenKrupp Rothe Erde GmbH, “Grease Sampling Set“, http://www. thyssenkrupp-rotheerde.com/gb/TG/Fettprobenentnahme.shtm
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Who is Richard N. Wurzbach Mr. Wurzbach has 25 years of experience in the development of Predictive Maintenance programs and the applications of diagnostic technologies for industrial equipment. His expertise lies in the applications of Infrared Thermography and Lubricant Analysis, and the integration of various diagnostic technologies for equipment assessment. His past experience includes work at the Three Mile Island, Limerick, and Peach Bottom Nuclear Plants. He also has worked in the biomedical research and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries in the applications of Predictive Maintenance and Maintenance Optimization. He was selected to join employees of Vattenfall, DONG Energy, and Aalborg University in the Offshore Wind Main Bearing Grease Research Team. He has co-authored several technical papers with the Danish Offshore Wind group. He has also made technical presentations at the AWEA and Wind Energy Update conferences in the US, and has published over 50 technical papers and scientific journals over his career. He is certified by the International Council on Machinery Lubrication (ICML) as a Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT-I), Machinery Lubricant Analyst (MLA-II), and Laboratory Lubricant Analyst (LLA-I). He was responsible for the design and development of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Oil Analysis Laboratory, and designed numerous innovative products to improve the practice of oil sampling and analysis. He went on to design and assemble the laboratory and procedures for MRG Labs in York, PA. He also invented and developed the Grease Thief, a tool for sampling and analysis of lubricating greases. He holds two US Patents on lubricant sampling and analysis technologies. He helped to advance the ASTM Standard Practice for Obtaining In-Service Samples of Lubricating Grease. He serves on the AWEA Recommended Practice (RP) committee for Condition Monitoring, and has authored four RPs for AWEA. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Millersville (PA) University, 1988. Bearing News • Issue 5
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Cylindrical Roller Bearings With the Optimized
NEW FORCE DESIGN ZKL GROUP in Klasterec, Czech Republic launched a new cylindrical roller bearing production line last year. This line produces N, NJ, NU and NUP singlerow cylindrical roller bearings, as well as NSF full complement cylindrical roller bearings, with a wide range of hole diameters (d = 50 to 250 mm) and outer diameters (D = 120 to 350 mm). ZKL Group also manufactures cylindrical roller bearings for wagon axles and sealed cylindrical roller bearing units.
New technologies have allowed for the manufacture of cylindrical roller bearings with the optimized NEW FORCE internal design, which achieves greater durability, higher operational accuracy, lower noise and decreased loss of energy. These characteristics are obtained by optimizing the internal geometry of the bearing and using materials that meet the high standards of the NEW FORCE design. Metallurgical processes have been developed together with suppliers to improve their mechanical and fatigue characteristics. Many years of cooperation with leading suppliers guarantee a continuous process of improving the parameters of materials. Quality of the materials is ensured by internal regulations, which specify the chemical composition, purity and microstructure of ZKL bearings. NEW FORCE cylindrical roller bearings are characterized by higher dynamic and static load capacities that are comparable to the world’s leading bearing manufacturers. Following this innovation, dynamic load ratings increased on average by 25-30% compared to earlier ZKL cylindrical roller bearings. This result was achieved thanks to a completely new design and optimization of internal bearing geometry, which uses an advanced numerical method based on finite element methods. Above all, the profile of the raceway of the bearing rings, rolling surface of the rollers, and the front retaining collars have a positive effect on load capacity, limiting rotational speed and reducing noise of the bearings. The Page: 140
proposed profiles of internal bearing geometry ensure optimal distribution of stress where parts of the bearing come into contact with each other. Thanks to new manufacturing technologies, the structure of the contact surfaces are also improved, which allow for improved formation of a lubricant film that reduces bearing wear. This results in a substantial extension of operational life. ZKL NEW FORCE cylindrical roller bearings are manufactured as standard with steel and solid brass cages. Cylindrical roller bearings for wagon axles are fitted with solid brass or specially developed composite cages (PA66-GF25), which are characterized by high strength and stability during operation. Generally, ZKL NEW FORCE cylindrical roller bearings possess higher radial and axial load carrying capacities, reduced power loss, quieter operation and increased service life. By: Libor Nohal, Ph.D., Director of the Design and Technical Computing Department Bearing News • Issue 5
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