BearingNEWS Magazine September 2016 by Bearing-News.com

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Tough chAllenges require cusTomised soluTions A standard solution won‘t always be the perfect one. Which is why JESA develops tailor-made systems that fully respond to all customers‘ requirements. Specifications on the form, load, materials or sealing are responded to, resulting in a product that is ready to integrate. Maximum precision and an innovative approach are used in the process. You benefit from a one-stop solution which saves you time, capital and fixed costs.

Rte du Petit-Moncor 9 I 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne - Switzerland I +41 26 408 47 00 I www.jesa.com

THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRY4.0 ON THE PRODUCTION OF BEARINGS The latest developments in the field of power transmission and control systems are indicating that the fourth industrial revolution is advancing faster than ever before. Current technological changes which will form the base and the key for tomorrow’s smart factories are already changing the production process and functionality of antifriction-bearings. Bearings, control systems and automation are today very close to each other. An ever-increasing shift from bearings to entire systems is currently taking place. Another evolution within the bearing industry is to offer engineering and design optimization in order to reduce the number of system components. This evolution is expected to result in simplification of systems maintenance; differentiating from standard products; offering more advanced and niche solutions or to expertise in specific segments in the industry. High-end technologies such as smart bearings will allow manufacturers and end-users to monitor bearing operations constantly in order to achieve the maximum efficiency and asset reliability. The bearing of the future is expected to elevate the performance limits; easier to maintain; must be optimized for the specific application and improve the energy efficiency. We tried to figure out in this edition of the BearingNEWS magazine how the manufacturing processes and the functionality of the bearings are affected by the technological developments during the fourth industrial revolution; Industry 4.0. 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. Massimo

Page: 4

Zamboni, the Director Sales Europe/MEA Bearings & SystemPlast at Regal Beloit Belgium. He gave us a better insight in the company and its business. Our second interview is with Mr. Romeo Ghirardini, the Chief Executive Officer of ISB, the Italy based bearing manufacturer. We discussed with him how he transformed ISB from a distributor brand into a bearing manufacturer. The third interview is with Dr. Pietro Prosino, the Director at PROSINO S.r.l, who explained us the details of the production process and the importance of raw material purity and cleanliness requirements for precision bearing rings. 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 2017; a research about the world bearing market with highlights into several aspects of the bearing production processes; how to design with hybrid bearings and a research on Thailand’s bearing industry, the key market of the ASEAN countries... Together with all these interesting topics, many other bearing industry related articles, insights and developments can be discovered in this September issue of the BearingNEWS magazine. 140 pages full of BearingNEWS, We hope that you will enjoy it.

Kenan M. Özcan Editor in Chief BearingNEWS

Bearing News • Issue 6

We doubled the speed limit Improved small sealed SKF Explorer spherical roller bearings With a new design that results in up to 50% less seal friction and as much as 20% less total bearing friction, small sealed SKF Explorer spherical roller bearings reduce operating temperatures by as much as 20 °C (36 °F). As a result of longer lubricant life, these bearings can be considered relubrication-free, reducing maintenance costs. In addition they have double the limiting speed rating of previous SKF bearings, making these bearings ideal for a wider range of applications, from elevators and cranes to fans and food and beverage processing equipment. To learn more, scan the QR code or visit skf.com/sealedsrb

® SKF and SKF Explorer are registered trademarks of the SKF Group © SKF Group 2016 Certain image(s) used under license from Shutterstock.com.

What’s Rolling What’s Rolling...

FOCUS: THE WORLD’S LARGEST BEARING HANNOVER MESSE 2017: GEAR UP FOR THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ACTUAL: BEARING SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROJECT OF THE CENTURY INTERVIEW WITH MASSIMO ZAMBONI: A TRULY INNOVATIVE, DURABLE & SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION THAILAND’S BEARING INDUSTRY: THE KEY MARKET OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES RESEARCH: MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC LUBRICATION HOW TO DECIDE?

For perfect running. For all applications.

Original WITH ROMEO GHIRARDINI: INTERVIEW THE ISB EVOLUTION FROM A DISTRIBUTOR KS PERMAGLIDE A BEARING MANUFACTURER PlainINTO Bearings ®

PRODUCTION OF PLAIN BEARINGS: HIGH LEVEL OF KNOW-HOW REQUIRED 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

BEARING INDUSTRY RESEARCH: WORLDWIDE BEARING INDUSTRY ANALYSIS & FORECASTS

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

Page: 6

MS Motorservice International GmbH – A Rheinmetall Company

FOCUS: NEW BEARINGS SIMPLIFY THE WOODWORKING INDUSTRY

page

10 14 18 24 30 36 40 44 48 50 page

page

Bearing News • Issue 6

g... What Happened

in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

2016

PRODUCTION: FORGING AND RING ROLLING APPLIED TO LARGE BEARINGS PRODUCTION: SMALLER, FASTER, HOTTER OPTIMIZATION OF BEARINGS FOR CHALLENGING APPLICATIONS PRODUCTION: MANUFACTURING PROCESSING OF CUSTOM BEARING SOLUTIONS INTERVIEW WITH PIETRO PROSINO:

THE IMPORTANCE OF RAW MATERIAL PURITY ANDÂ CLEANLINESS REQUIREMENTS FOR PRECISION BEARING RINGS

PRODUCTION: MATERIALS USED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BEARINGS PRODUCTION: TAPER ROLLERS DEVELOPED FOR THE 21(st) CENTURY CASE STUDY: DESIGNING WITH HYBRID BEARINGS

PLAIN BEARINGS: PLAIN BY NAME BUT NOT BY NATURE

page

78 84 86 88 92 96 98 102

page

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INDUSTRIAL MARKETING STRATEGY DURING THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION SOLUTION: BEARINGS REMOTE MONITORING WITH ULTRASOUND CASE STUDY: APPLICATION SOLUTIONS FOR BEVERAGE

PRODUCTION: PRODUCING QUALITY, A PRECEPT FOR JESA TECHNOLOGY: CAN OPTICAL METROLOGY IMPROVE BEARING LIFE AND PREDICT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS? RESEARCH:

LIFTING IMPROVEMENTS OF SURFACE TREATMENTS ON BEARING & WIND TURBINE GEARBOX LIFE

TRAINING: EPTDA ONLINE PRODUCT TRAINING SOFTWARE: THE MESYS SHAFT AND ROLLING BEARING ANALYSIS SOFTWARE PRODUCTION: MICROFINISHING ATTACHEMENTS FOR TURNING, GRINDING AND MILLING MACHINES CASE STUDY: THE CHALLENGES OF MONITORING MOBILE MINING EQUIPMENT Page: 8

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105 110 114 116 118 120 122 124 128 130 page

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Bearing News • Issue 6

THE WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LARGEST BEARING

Thyssenkrupp Employees in Lippstadt, Germany, manufactured enormous segmental slewing bearings for two drillships. The feat pushed them to their limits, at least in terms of space. Sperm whales are almost 18 meters long. So are articulated buses and tractor trailers. The width of a four-lane highway with an exit lane is also 18 meters. And that’s the diameter of the world’s biggest slewing bearing. The massive ring weighs 190 metric tons and it could easily be fitted over the Leaning Tower of Pisa, without even touching the sides. There has never before been a slewing bearing this large. Now Thyssenkrupp has manufactured two of them, which were delivered to the customer at the end of 2015. A Dutch oil-drilling specialist needed the two largescale bearings for a very particular application: two Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units. They are both converted oil tankers that have been retrofitted with special drilling apparatuses. These tankers can easily navigate at sea to offshore oil fields in deep waters. Furthermore, they do not Page: 12

require any costly installation work, in stark contrast to offshore platforms for oil drilling. In addition, the FPSOs can process and store the oil right on board. The customer is equipping the “Olympia” and “Antarctica” tankers for drilling activities 150 kilometers off the southwest coast of Africa, where an enormous oil reservoir has been discovered at a depth of 1,400 to 1,950 meters. It is predicted to contain 660 million barrels of oil, which is the equivalent of $25 billion.

“The hall was just big enough to accommodate this contract.” Anja Quadflieg, Sales Offshore Technology, Tunneling, Cranes

Lippstadt to Singapore with a stop in Abu Dhabi Each slewing bearing from Rothe Erde connects one FPSO ship to the oil field. There is a turret-mooring system installed in the ship’s interior, which connects the lines on the ship to the 59 well centers on the seafloor. The FPSO also dynamically positions itself to compensate for currents and rough seas without Bearing News • Issue 6

entangling the pipes. An initial request was sent by email in the summer of 2013. It outlined a large-scale project and potential load cases. “The largest slewing bearings that we had manufactured previously were 14 meters,” says Anja Quadflieg, who works in Sales at Thyssenkrupp Bearings and managed the project. The customer had ordered similar, yet smaller slewing bearings before. One was installed on the “Aoka Mizu” in 2007 – another FPSO being used in the North Sea. “For the customer, it was sufficient proof of what we are capable of.” The contract for the “Olympia” and “Antarctica” was eventually awarded in the summer of 2014, following several rounds of negotiations and the clarification of various specifications. The bearings were ready at the end of 2015 and shipped to Abu Dhabi where they were reassembled under the close supervision of four Thyssenkrupp employees. Once the pipeline turret-mooring system was installed, everything was transported to the Singapore shipyard where oil tankers are being converted into FPSOs.

Tolerances in tenths of millimeters The contract was demanding for both our technology and logistics. The bearing diameters are generally based on the planned load, yet they should never be any larger than necessary. For this reason, cranes and wind turbines usually have weldless forged rings with diameters measuring up to eight meters. You couldn’t transport them otherwise. In this specific case, the diameter of the

lines that the rings needed to fit around were specified. The slewing bearing for the FPSO ship had to be far larger, which meant it needed to consist of segments. Nevertheless, each segment measures six meters. A further challenge is abrasion. To better protect the weldless rings, they are specially hardened. However, it is not possible with the segmental bearings, which is why specially hardened plates were mounted like a roller path. It is a technical feat because there cannot be any uneven surfaces. The tolerance range is within tenths of millimeters, despite the massive size. Assembly was carried out in Lippstadt. Due to the dimensions, this wasn’t so easy. “Our R&D employees had just moved into a new facility, and their previous hall was just big enough to accommodate this contract.” There was only a one-meter leeway in some areas of the building. It drew many onlookers, too. “We proudly showed our other customers what we are capable of handling,” says Quadflieg. Even employees from other Areas stopped by regularly to marvel at the sight of the record-breaking bearing. Quadflieg adds, “We could manage bigger. We can manufacture bearings with diameters measuring 25 meters, too.” 1: Master of the waves: A Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit can pump oil and natural gas from the seafloor, storing the ¬product until it can be ¬offloaded. The ship needs to move freely with the shifting waves. © thyssenkrupp 2: Selfies with the bearing: Employees showing off the completed segmental slewing bearing before it leaves the hall. © thyssenkrupp 3: It was then disassembled for delivery to the customer. © thyssenkrupp

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with

HANNOVER MESSE 2017

WITH MOTION, DRIVE & AUTOMATION (MDA)

Gear Up For The Fourth

Industrial Revolution

HANNOVER MESSE with

MOTION, DRIVE & AUTOMATION (MDA) State-of-the-art power transmission and control systems are the key to tomorrow’s smart factories. As the world’s biggest industrial technology show, HANNOVER MESSE (24- 28 April 2017 in Hannover, Germany) brings together the most advanced Industry 4.0 solutions from around the globe at one convenient location. That’s everything from condition monitoring systems to the latest production strategies for costefficient lifecycle management. Antifriction bearings, gearboxes, pumps, cylinders and valves, linear motion systems. At the Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) section of HANNOVER MESSE, you will witness the technologies that will keep tomorrow’s factories moving. MDA features future-defining innovations for the entire value chain. The MDA Forum is where the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering companies present and explain their latest innovations. This year’s Forum Page: 16

centers around the keynote themes of Industrie 4.0, sustainability and energy efficiency, condition monitoring systems (CMS), drive systems for wind turbines, and sealing technology. At MDA, you’ll discover the smart products and integrated solutions you need to optimize your drive, hydraulic and pneumatic systems and make your production processes and products more efficient and sustainable. Meet key decision makers from all sectors of industry worldwide.

Predictive Maintenance 4.0 also a key topic at HANNOVER MESSE Repairing machinery parts after a failure has occurred is so yesterday. Nowadays, thanks to advanced sensor technology and intelligent data analysis systems, it is possible to predict failures and undertake maintenance before they happen. In today’s rapidly emerging Industy Bearing News • Issue 6

SE 2017 4.0 environment, machines, components and workpieces are digitally integrated and able to “talk” to one another. This enables factory operators to continuously capture data on machine states, combine it with information from other systems (such as ERP or CRM software), analyze it and predict the optimal point in time at which to initiate maintenance. It is hoped that this new approach to maintenance – known as predictive maintenance, or PdM for short – will pinpoint impending outages before they occur, speed up overhaul processes and avoid production outages. “Predictive maintenance is currently the most talkedabout and closely watched maintenance, repair and overhaul strategy out there,” says Peter-Michael Synek, the Deputy General Manager of Germany’s VDMA Fluid Power Association. A recent study by the World Economic Forum and the consulting firm Accenture lends substance to the high hopes currently riding on PdM. According to the study, PdM can reduce the cost of planned repairs by 12 percent, cut maintenance costs by almost 30 percent and reduce unscheduled downtime by a massive 70 percent. Synek: “Predictive maintenance is a pivotal part of the Industry 4.0 landscape.” The displays and live demonstrations at the “Predictive Maintenance 4.0” showcase will be supported by guided tours that will take participants to the display stands of selected providers at various locations throughout HANNOVER MESSE. Tour participants will witness continuous machine data capture, processing and

analysis in action and learn how it can give factory operators real, useable information on the condition of their systems, machines and machine components. Peter-Michael Synek sees predictive maintenance as “the next evolutionary stage from conventional maintenance strategies” and a development that delivers major benefits to plant operators. “The ability to reduce or even eliminate unforeseen downtime and associated production bottlenecks flows through into greater productivity. Maintenance and servicing costs go down, and production quality and planning reliability go up,” he says.

Reserve your space now and witness Industry 4.0 and Predictive Maintenance 4.0 at HANNOVER MESSE 2017. EPTDA members can contact info@eptda.org for their special conditions with the EPTDA / PTDA Pavilion at HANNOVER MDA 2017. Page: 17

Several valves open in a channel below ground to drain the water from a barrage. The channel connect and the barrage.

Due to the large size of up to seven meters (23 feet), the valves supplied by Hyundai Samho have also The steel guide pulleys for these gates are equipped with bearings made by Schaeffler. The bearings u plated, making them particularly resistant to corrosion. (Image AFP)

CENT

OF THE

BEARING SOLUTIONS

ts the water saving basins

o been designed as gates. used here are chromium-

TURY

S FOR THE PROJECT

Supplies Key Components for New Panama Canal The newest of what are now three channels in the Panama Canal eliminates a bottleneck for global commercial shipping. Schaeffler has supplied more than 3,400 rolling bearings for the lock technology and for watermanagement. After a nine-year construction period, the new, third channel of the Panama Canal opened on 26 June 2016. Starting immediately, ships with a maximum length of 366 meters (984 feet) and a width of around 50 meters (164 feet) can travel this shortcut between the Atlantic And the Pacific Oceans. Until now, the passage was restricted to ships that were no more than 290 meters (951 feet) long and 32 meters (105 feet) wide. Bearing solutions from Schaeffler keep lock gates and valves moving.

Bearings for reliable lock operation Components made by Schaeffler play a key role in the operation of the lock gates. The locks are necessary both on the Atlantic and on the Pacific side so that ships can overcome a difference in height of 26 meters and pass through the interior of the country. This is achieved by three consecutive locks that are flooded with water from

The lock gates are made of reinforced concrete and have enormous dimensions: They are 50 meters (164 feet) wide, 30 meters (98 feet) high and 10 meters (33 feet) thick. (Image: Panama Canal Authority)

adjoining reservoirs. The lock gates are made of reinforced concrete and have enormous dimensions: They are 50 meters (164 feet) wide, 30 meters (98 feet) high and 10 meters (33 feet) thick. For safety reasons, two gates have been installed for each barrage that open to the side. The mechanism for opening and closing the gates was developed by Italian engineering company Cimolai Technology. To open and close the gate, each has two main drive units that drive a cable winch.

Page: 20

The drums of the steel cable winches are supported by spherical roller bearings made by Schaeffler. Since very high torques of up to 330,000 Nm are required to move the gates, there is also a gearbox on each that increases the torque of the electric motors by almost 280 times. The gearboxes developed by PIV Drives, a company Bearing News â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 6

Both at the top and at the bottom of the reservoirs, two so-called “carriages” guide the gates that weigh 3,100 tons. Here guide pulleys are used that must be able to withstand not only the gates’ dead weight but also the pressure of 430 million liters of water per reservoir. The guide pulleys are equipped with spherical roller bearings supplied by Schaeffler.

Bearings for Resource-Conserving Water Cycle One important feature of the new Panama Canal is its three reservoirs that are located next to each barrage. They ensure a resourceconserving water cycle: Several valves open in a channel below ground to drain the water from a barrage. The channel connects the water saving basins and the barrage. Due to the large size of up to seven meters (23 feet), the valves supplied by Hyundai Samho have also been designed as gates. The steel guide pulleys for these gates are equipped with bearings made by Schaeffler.

Schaeffler was able to develop some solutions based on standard products despite the tough requirements for technology in the expansion of the Panama Canal. The guide pulleys of the gates that weigh 3,100 tons are equipped with spherical roller bearings supplied by Schaeffler. (Image: Schaeffler)

owned by the Brevini Group, are equipped exclusively with tapered, spherical and cylindrical roller bearings made by Schaeffler. Most of the bearings have been coated with Schaeffler’s Triondur C to prevent wear and ensure their operation for 35 years.

“The bearings are a very critical component for the overall functioning of the lock. They have to work under any circumstances; otherwise the entire facility would stand still.”

The bearings used here are chromium-plated, making them particularly resistant to corrosion. Different variants of the Durotect coating developed by Schaeffler are used for this application.

Challenging Conditions Schaeffler engineer Francesco Capittini describes the special challenges for bearing solutions for the Panama Canal as follows: “The slow motion causes a quasi-static load in the bearings with very high forces.” In addition, the operation of the Panama Canal must work reliably 24/7 due To its significance for world trade. Maintenance intervals are scheduled only every five years. Schaeffler was able to develop some solutions based on standard products despite the tough requirements for technology in the expansion of the Panama Canal. The international network of engineers and application specialists also implemented project-specific solutions. Dr. Stefan Spindler, who is a member of Schaeffler’s Executive Board and responsible for the company’s industrial business, explains: “Our sales team is Made up of engineers all over the world.” They work with Schaeffler experts from a wide range of disciplines, such as coating engineers and calculation experts, which helps them provide our customers with bearing solutions for even the most challenging applications.”

Most of the gearbox bearings have been coated with Schaeffler’s Triondur C to prevent wear and ensure their operation for 35 years. (Image: Schaeffler)

Matteo Maretto, member of the development team at Cimolai Technology, the Italian engineering company that developed the mechanism for moving the lock gates, agrees: “The bearings are a very critical component for the overall functioning of the lock. They have to work under any circumstances; otherwise the entire facility would stand still. Schaeffler provided valuable support to us during development.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;A truly innovative, durable and sustainable solution.â&#x20AC;? Massimo Zamboni Regal Beloit

Interview

“Keep Your Equipment and Your Business Moving Forward”

Massimo Zamboni Regal Beloit

Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) is a leading global manufacturer of airflow, motion control, power transmission and power generation solutions used in commercial, industrial and residential applications. From electric motors and generators to mechanical gear drives, bearings and couplings to electronic controls, Regal’s products and systems convert power into motion and motion into power to help the world run more efficiently. Regal has sales, engineering, manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Power Transmission Solutions - one of Regal’s business segments - is much more than an array of wellrespected product brands. Together they provide solutions. Solutions that deliver superior performance. Solutions that blend the latest in technology with their years of experience and expertise. Solutions that keep your business moving ahead.

To give us better insight in the company and its business, we meet Massimo Zamboni in café Brouwershuis in Waarloos, Belgium. Having the European beverage industry high on his target list, this is an ideal setting. Massimo Zamboni is Director Sales Europe/MEA Bearings & System Plast at Regal Beloit, in the Power Transmission Solutions business segment. He has spent his entire professional life in the bearing world and has been with the company for almost 2 decades.

What is your role in the company? “In 1997 I was contacted by Managing Director Karl Lössner to join Rollway Bearing in Belgium. Since that day, the company and my function have steadily evolved. A year before, Rollway Bearing was acquired by Emerson, which was the perfect match for the innovative spirit of our brands and since 2015 we have been a part of Regal Beloit, renowned for its extraordinary technological capabilities and resources.”

How did your personal career develop in this changing organization? “Bearings, sales solutions and international development are the key elements in my career. My start, with just Rollway bearings sales responsibility, evolved into sales management for the other bearings brands of our Power

Page: 26

Transmission Solutions group as well: McGill, Sealmaster and Browning. In 2012 also System Plast was added to my portfolio, which is a global supplier of steel and engineered plastic conveying chains, chain tracks, modular plastic belts, composite housed bearings and Valu Guide® conveyor components and guide rails.”

What is the link between the bearings and System Plast? “The biggest link is between System Plast and Sealmaster. System Plast has a big focus on the beverage industry as we have been providing solutions to large OEM’s and end users for many years. For instance, the Sealmaster PN Gold mounted ball bearings are specifically engineered to provide outstanding performance for industries with corrosive wash-down environments. These can include pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and of course, food and beverage. So the majority of our System Plast customers are potential Sealmaster users and our sales force is identifying where we can provide solutions, step by step.”

What are the typical situations where you can

Bearing News • Issue 6

provide solutions with Sealmaster PN Gold?

Who are your typical customers?

“There are various applications within the beverage industry. Many of the breweries and bottling plants are evolving to lean and clean environments and those are our targets. Unsightly grease popping out of the bearings due to excessive re-lubrication? That’s a thing of the past with our Sealmaster reduced maintenance bearings.

“Among our global customers are leading breweries, mining and construction machinery manufacturers, gearbox manufacturers, port crane manufacturers, leaders in the packaging industry and oil field servicing companies. Many OEM’s in different sectors and companies involved in MRO also come to us for solutions.”

They have a high performance triple lip seal that prevents water from entering the bearing, and improved oil flow into the ball path to withstand regular wash-downs, and don’t require any additional re-lubrication. Our customers love these bearings because they are a truly innovative, durable and sustainable solution.”

Can you tell us more about Sealmaster and your two other bearing brands McGill and Rollway? “Sealmaster was founded in 1935, and has the industry’s preferred bearing products. Most known for our premiumquality mounted ball bearing line and mounted roller bearings, these top products are solutions for many and put to use in abrasive and tough conditions. Two years later in 1937 the modern cam follower was invented and patented by McGill and is today offered in more than 1400 different combinations and configurations. Rollway, founded in 1908, has the broadest range that covers many roller and ball bearings types like sphericals, tapereds, deep groove ball, and more. Since we are serving a global and very diverse market, we have a vast range of metric and inch size bearings, all of which have a long and proven history.”

How do you ensure the quality of the bearings that keep your customer’s applications moving? “I love that question, I really do. Just like our famous fellow-colleague bearing manufacturers from Sweden and Germany, we face the same competition of low cost, low quality bearings. Although the pressure is high to keep prices low, we will never compromise on quality. We have always heavily invested in quality, going from lean and highly efficient production processes to the top of the line packaging of the products. Internal audits ensure that procedures are strictly applied and quality standards continuously met. And it doesn’t stop there. To ensure the quality of the parts we maintain stateof-the-art production facilities, and to ensure quality of the application, we have highly skilled engineers all over the world to advise our customers whenever they have questions .”

Regal Beloit is a global company with a strong local representation. How do you serve your geographical area: Europe, Middle East and Africa? “The Global Rollway Distribution Center has been located

Page: 27

in Antwerp, Belgium since 1976, and in recent years has become the EMEA hub for McGill and Sealmaster. In addition to our high quality products, we offer local technical support and outstanding customer tailored logistic operations. Sales, marketing, engineering and customer service are additional departments at the Center in Belgium. Its central location in Europe, close to the seaport of Antwerp and the national airport of Brussels, minimizes transit times for sea as well as air shipments.

How do you view the current economic developments and the impact of it on the power transmission and the bearing industry? “There is not one strategy that you can implement to have a global success. You really need to have local presence, have close contact with your customers, know how they feel, what they need and when they need it. We are active in different applications, industries and countries and see different types of customers. Some customers have to act on short term and are very price conscious, while others have the ability to work on long term and are able to invest. With our large bearing portfolio, we are

Page: 28

equipped to serve both types of customer and we can grow together with them. Almost anything that turns needs a bearing, so this market will keep going and growing.”

Which are the biggest challenges you expect to deal with? “I would rather say ‘opportunities’, and there are a lot of them. Internally, we are in the process of converting the electric motors within the Regal group to Rollway bearings where we can. They will be fitted with the Rollway EMQ (Electric Motor Quality) ball bearings. Penetrating the European market with the superior quality Sealmaster bearings will require a lot of fieldwork, but once the customers see it, they will most definitely believe it. In the ‘technology adoption lifecycle’ we already have the innovators on board as well as the first early adopters. We are still at the good side of the curve and see a steep increase the next few years. McGill is also facing a growth with a heavier focus on the metric cam followers and shortly the introduction of metric corrosion resistant cam followers. As I mentioned before: seeing is believing. Challenge us and we’ll make it happen together.”

”Among our global customers are leading breweries, Mining and construction machinery manufacturers, gearbox manufacturers, port crane manufacturers, leaders in the packaging industry, oil field servicing companies and many OEM’s and companies involved in MRO.”

Sealmaster, McGill, Rollway and System Plast will be at the Brau Beviale trade show in Nürnberg, Germany from 8 till 10 November. You can visit the Regal solutions in Hall 7A, stand 315 or contact Sealmaster.PTSolutions@regalbeloit.com for more information.

Bearing News • Issue 6

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Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bearing Industry

The Key Market Of The

ASEAN C

Countries

Thailand’s Bearing Industry

Thailand’s industrial growth remains today below potential but the economy will strengthen moderately in 2017. Public and infrastructure investment will be a key driver. The low oil prices provide modest support to the industrial growth. Rates of growth in real GDP are expected to rise in the medium term, ranging between 2.5% and 3% per year. Thailand became an upper-middle income economy in 2010. Over the last four decades, Thailand has made remarkable progress in social and economic development, moving from a low-income country to an upper-income country in less than a generation. Thailand’s economy grew at an average annual rate of 7% in the late 1980s and early 1990s, creating millions of jobs that helped pull millions of people out of poverty. Gains along multiple dimensions of welfare have been impressive: more children are now getting more years of education, and virtually everyone is now covered by health insurance while other forms of social security have expanded. The Thai economy faces headwinds, and growth has been modest, at 2.8 percent in 2015 after 0.9 percent in 2014, partly on the basis of government consumption and investment, and partly on declining imports.

Automotive industry as leverage for bearing production Thailand’s automobile industry has become a part of global production network of many car manufacturers. Completely built-up commercial vehicles and personal cars were produced by locally based suppliers, and have been a major export product since 2000. Automobile production in Thailand firstly surpassed one million units in 2009, and in 2013, where production reached a new high record at 1.39 million units/year. Thailand is today the biggest automotive producer of the ASEAN countries. This develomet created a dynamic within the general consumption, household and the steel industry. The bearing industry also grew with the growing demand for ball bearings, bearing units and other types in the automotive production.

The Bearing Market

Thai Automotive Industry 2015 Stats Units

Production

Cars

1.913.002

799.632

1.204.895

761.346

356.063

462.264

1.151.656

443.569

742.631

Passenger Cars Commercial Vehicles

Motorcycles

1.807.325

Source: Thai Automotive Industry Association yazalim

Page: 32

Domestic Sales

1.639.088

Export

349.878

In Thailand, the bearing replacement market is almost big as the OEM demand. The size of the replacement market is mainly dependent on equipment population and frequency of maintenance. This segment of the market accounts for 40% of total demand of Thai bearing industry. The margins in this market are relatively higher placed as compared to OEM market. The replacement market is highly price sensitive and has higher share of unorganized players and cheaper imported bearings. From the inception of the industry, bearing manufacturing in the country is dependent on foreign technology. The organized sector of the industry has imported know-how from various internationally leading manufacturers of bearings. The import of technology is generally restricted

Bearing News • Issue 6

SOLUTIONS for a world in motion

GAR-MAX®

Bearing solutions for work and life. GGB plain bearing solutions increase the service life and performance of industrial equipment through reduced friction, increased load capacity and less maintenance than conventional rolling-element bearings. Discover the Plain Bearing Advantage.

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to small and standard bearings. Technological knowledge for the production of special bearings has not taken place so far. The main and well-known producers in Thailand are Schaeffler, NTN, Minbea, Nachi Fujikoshi and SKF who has acquired the US based bearing company PEER Bearing and its manufacturing operations in China and Thailand in 2008.

Image: NACHI Fujikoshi (Thailand) Factory

In Thailand, 45% of total demand for bearing industry is met by imports. While a part of the imports come through official channels, there is also a huge volume of illegal imports. Legal Imports generally represent the specialized bearings not manufactured in India. There are a large variants of imported bearings, each holding a

small market share in Thailand. The quality of bearings manufactured by large players in Thailand is comparable to world standards, while manufacturing by domestic manufacturing is not viable due to the small size of this market segment. It becomes uneconomical to manufacture qualitative world standard bearings as it includes huge capital expenditure for the local players. In the past, the Thai bearings industry was highly protected on account of very high import duties ranging from 150% to 240% value-added tax. As a result, illegal imports via smuggling and under invoicing of imports was the order of the day, accounting for a high 40-45% of total imports. While duty rates have come down over the last years, some producers in China, Russia and Eastern Europe dump their excess production at a very low rate. This leads to a huge price differential between domestic and imported bearings (almost 40-50%), encouraging imports. As the Thai infrastructure further develops and the industry modernizes, we can see tremendous opportunities opening up for the bearings industry. In the near future, customers will look for better and cleaner technologies, hence necessitating aftermarket services including maintenance of equipment, reliability monitoring, remanufacturing so as to keep their equipment running efficiently and for long. Page: 35

Manual or Automatic

LUBRICATION

How to Decide?

Lubrication is an essential part of machinery maintenance for nearly every production facility. On average, lubricant purchases amount to only 3 percent of a maintenance budget, but lubricationrelated activities can influence an estimated 40 percent of total maintenance costs. In order to achieve optimum reliability and maximum benefits from a lubrication program, several factors need to be taken into account. These factors are summarized by the well-known five “R”s of lubrication: • The right lubricant • In the right quantity • At the right time • At the right point • With the right method

conditions, asset criticality and maintenance strategy are analyzed.

The starting point of an effective lubrication program is the detailed mapping of all lubrication points, including their working conditions, lubrication requirements and criticality. This information is needed to select the most suitable lubricant and the quantity of lubricant needed, as well as to calculate the adequate relubrication intervals. These are the first three “R”s.

Criticality Analysis

This will help you make the decision on whether to automate each lubrication point. In order to make that decision, the pros and cons of automatic lubrication should also be understood and considered. Once the five “R”s are defined, you can determine the best way to lubricate a component with the resources available. A thorough criticality analysis of each asset will illustrate the impact of a failure in terms of: • Overall production cost • Overall maintenance cost • Environmental impact • Health and safety of personnel

The fourth “R” refers to best practices, such as tagging and color-coding (or other methodology) of both lubrication points and tools in order to avoid crosscontamination.

The most critical assets are commonly the first targets of automatic lubrication.

The fifth “R” can be defined once the application

Maintenance Strategy

Page: 36

Bearing News • Issue 6

degradation rate of the lubricant (speed, load, temperature, type of bearing, etc.). A single-point automatic lubrication system can deliver the right amount of grease at the right time to each lubrication point. This reduces both grease waste and the risk of bearing failure. For example, consider a bearing that needs to be relubricated with 2 grams of grease every week. With a standard grease gun, this would mean that the bearing should receive about 1.3 “strokes.” However, manually delivering 0.3 strokes is difficult. In reality, two strokes would likely be given. In other words, the bearing would receive 3 grams instead of 2 grams of lubricant each time.

The maturity level of a maintenance program (corrective, preventive, predictive, etc.) will dictate the skill and knowledge level required of personnel involved in lubrication-related activities. As the maturity of maintenance and associated lubrication programs increases, so does the complexity of tasks that lubrication technicians must be capable of completing. These include activities such as: • Lubricant analysis • Continuous adjustment of lubrication routes (relubrication intervals and consolidation of lubricants) • Contamination control and fluid reconditioning • Inspection routes

If we assume the technician is satisfied with two strokes (if he doesn’t see any grease coming out of the seals), then after a year the bearing will receive 156 grams (52 weeks times 3 grams per week) instead of 104 grams (52 weeks times 2 grams per week). This means that up to 52 grams (50 percent) of grease will be wasted. This example shows the benefit of accurately delivering the right quantity of lubricant (the second “R”), but what about the frequency of lubrication (the third “R”)? Extending relubrication intervals beyond the calculated limits will expose the lubricant to excessive degradation and the bearing to lubricant starvation conditions. On the contrary, shortened relubrication intervals with adjusted quantities would renew the lubricant’s properties.

Therefore, as more mature maintenance programs are adopted, the areas where skilled maintenance technicians can add value to your operations need to be carefully considered. For example, are they best utilized performing manual relubrication, which can easily be automated, or by using their skills and knowledge to perform more analytical tasks, lubricant analysis and making improvements to the lubrication program?

Benefits of Automated Lubrication There are many advantages in using automatic lubrication systems. These include reduced waste and risk of bearing failure, cleanliness, less labor, and improved environmental health and safety.

Reduced Waste and Risk of Bearing Failure Relubrication quantities are dictated by the physical space available in the bearing, while relubrication intervals are dictated by the working conditions that determine the

To illustrate this point, consider that on average, a human being requires about 2,000 calories per day. Would you rather consume your weekly total of 14,000 calories once A week or in nearly equal amounts over seven days? Page: 37

Cleanliness Lubricant contamination will also affect bearing life and increase the risk of failure. In manual lubrication programs, avoiding grease contamination can be a challenge. Processes must be clean to ensure no external contamination ingress to the grease, and each lubrication point should have a cap on its grease fitting. In addition, the utmost clean relubrication process for each point must be followed every time. In the previous example, the technician will relubricate the given point 52 times a year. As a result, the bearing will be exposed 52 times to external contamination as well as to over- and under-lubrication. By comparison, a properly installed single-point automatic lubricator can supply a continuous and accurate flow of fresh and clean lubricant, keeping the application in proper condition while at the same time preventing contaminant ingress.

Labor Savings The simple task of pushing a lever on a grease gun to provide manual lubrication can be easily replaced by a machine. However, the real issue is whether you are getting the maximum value from your skilled maintenance technicians. Such personnel can manage a lubrication program through: • Continuous improvement of the lubrication routes • Implementation of a lubricant analysis program • Implementation of a contamination control and oil reconditioning program • Implementation of a leakage control program Keep in mind that while deploying automatic lubrication systems can free personnel from time-consuming basic activities to provide extra value, it cannot replace staff who can deliver value at this level.

Environmental Health and Safety Improper relubrication activities can have a significant impact on the environment. Consider again the grease waste calculations in the previous example. Now try to estimate the impact of this waste on the environment. Naturally, it depends on the disposal practices you implement at your facilities, but in basic environmental terms, the less waste the better. Next, consider points that are difficult or even hazardous to access and the potential impact to your personnel. This is another area where automatic lubrication systems offer real benefits.

Common Problems Simply using automation doesn’t guarantee success. The technology must be considered an instrument to achieve a goal. Basic decisions and activities must still be performed. The following are typical mistakes that can jeopardize the potential benefits of deploying automatic lubrication.

Lack of Inspections Having an automatic lubrication device doesn’t mean

Page: 38

that the system won’t require any inspection. Regular inspection will help ensure the best results from an automated system. Inspection also will help to identify installation issues (damaged fittings, leaking or blocked pipes, lubricators not dispensing at the right pace, etc.) and spot when it’s time to change or refill lubricants. Moreover, lubrication routes must be updated, and manual lubrication tasks must be replaced with inspection tasks at an adequate interval. The frequency of inspection is less than that required for manual relubrication, but it still must be planned.

Improper Lubricant Selection As a fundamental in any lubrication program, the lubricant selection must precede the lubrication system selection. After all, the lubricant that goes into the application is what lubricates, not the delivery system itself. The lubricant and the automatic lubrication device must complement each other to ensure a better overall performance. Needless to say, not all lubricants are suitable for all automatic lubrication systems, and the impact of a lubrication system on the structure of the lubricant depends on the technology of that given lubrication system. Consequently, parameters like pumpability and oil separation must be taken into account when an automatic lubrication system is to be installed. Furthermore, relubrication intervals must be defined in a way that prevents the lubricant from being stationary inside the lubrication ducts, especially when exposed to extreme temperatures that could promote premature degradation. Failure to understand and act on these issues can affect the performance and associated benefits of deploying an automatic lubrication system.

Investment Costs Of course, deploying an automatic lubrication system requires some level of investment. To maximize the return on that investment, the key is to choose the right solution based on the requirements and criticality of the application. Typical solutions range from inexpensive single-point automatic lubricators to very complex centralized systems with various options for online monitoring. Determining which option is best for your application depends to a great extent on your criticality analysis.

When to Use Automatic Lubrication Automatic lubrication alone certainly is not the solution to all your lubrication issues. It must be properly understood to boost its potential benefits. However, there are solutions available in the market for virtually every application, so it is difficult to imagine that a critical application is not worth equipping with an automatic lubrication device. Author: Gustavo Sabogal, LAM Sales Manager Lubrication Products at SKF

Bearing News • Issue 6

“THE ITALIAN SPECI

FOR BEARINGS & COMPO

CIALIST

ONENTS”

ISB Factory China

THE

isb evolution

FROM A

DISTRIBUTOR

INTO A

BEARING MANUFACTURER ISB Headquarters Italy

ISB is a well-known Italian bearing, sealing and industrial components specialist.

ISB Factory China

Established in 1981, the company focused its business activities mainly on the distribution of power transmission products for many years. In the recent year the company changed its strategy and acquired a bearing production plant in Shanghai

We tried to reveal the story behind this transformation from bearing distributor into bearing manufacturer during an interview with Mr. Romeo Ghirardini, the Chief Executive Officer of the ISB. Page: 42

Bearing News â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 6

WHAT IS THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE ISB BRAND? ISB was founded in 1981 and has developed strongly over the last 20 years. Through our wide range and the high standards of quality that characterize the products of the “green brand”, ISB has established itself as a point of reference in the bearing and components industry.

WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE ISB BRAND?

ISB Distribution Center Italy

The strengths of the ISB brand are definitely represented by our wide range of products that includes over 70,000 codes handled in the warehouse, the consistent quality of our products, the largest stock in Europe ready to satisfy every need of our customers, and a quick and efficient service.

WHICH ARE YOUR BUSINESS AREAS? Bearings are key mechanical components and find their application in any machine characterized by a rotational movement. ISB, thanks to its wide range available in stock, is able to supply many mechanical engineering and major maintenance industry.We have been a reliable and efficient partner for many years in many sectors.

HOW DOES ISB DISTINGUISH ITSELF FROM ITS MARKET COMPETITORS? ISB is not comparable to its market competitors because we are unique that can guarantee consistent quality over time. All ISB brand products are characterized by a high degree of quality and precision and come from establishments that have been inspected and certified according to European and international standards. Choosing ISB allows you to make a “saving” without taking any risk from a qualitative point of view; you can count on constantly-monitored and guaranteed quality.

YOU SPOKE OF A RECENT INVESTMENT IN A PRODUCTION PLANT We have recently acquired a major holding in a production plant that covers an area of 18,000 square metres that specializes in the design and production of deep groove ball bearings for applications that require low noise and vibration, such as electric motors, gearboxes, pumps, power tools, white goods and other similar applications. ISB is now a real factory brand.

ARE THERE ARE OTHER MAJOR INVESTMENTS PLANNED? A further investment was made at the Italian headquarters, where we are building an automated warehouse that can process more than 5,000 orders per day. The warehouse will have a volume of 12,000 square metres, capable of storing over 90,000 boxes and 30,000

pallets over and above those we currently handle. This is to provide a faster and better quality service to the customer, considering the unparalleled range of stock available. When this work is completed, the ISB Warehouse will be the largest warehouse in Europe.

WHICH ARE THE INTERNATIONALIZATION PROJECTS OF THE ISB BRAND For many years we have counted on our ISB Spain division, which helps to make the “green brand” increasingly well-known on the European market, and on the invaluable support of ISB Bearing China, that serves as a real decentralized focal point for quality control as well as being our strategic commercial centre in the Far East. The globalization process is leading to the opening of new ISB offices; our new branches are ISB India and ISB Brazil, while projects underway involve countries as Chile, Iran, Mexico, USA, Panama, and Germany.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF THE BEARING INDUSTRY? Today there are no differences between the products of the most renowned brands and those of ISB. Customers are realizing this change and it is only necessary to overcome a mental preconception. ISB, considering its investments for steady growth, will continue to acquire larger market shares, aiming to satisfy increasingly demanding technical and customer service requirements. Today, ISB is the only real reliable alternative that can assist OEMs and distributors in this period of great and difficult challenges. www.isb-bearing.com Page: 43

Production of Plain Bearings:

High Level of Know-How Required The requirements to be met by plain bearings are considerable. They are generally supposed to occupy minimal space, while also withstanding high stresses as well as combining wear resistance and low-friction operation. Moreover, they must be usable across a wide temperature range and offer extremely high levels of durability. Ultimately, their service life must be as long as possible. As a result, the production of plain bearings requires very demanding and sophisticated processes – an area in which KS Gleitlager GmbH specialises High level of know-how KS Gleitlager GmbH specialises in the production of these machine elements with highly automated production facilities. In the case of internal engine applications, for example, the company produces connecting rod and crankshaft bearings from bimetallic materials, which have successfully established themselves in the oillubricated environment thanks to their high durability and excellent wear resistance. But the company also creates custom-fit solutions for applications outside the engine as well as countless industrial applications using special metal-plastic composites. The dry-running properties of a polymer sliding layer are extremely important in this regard, as are excellent running characteristics in mixed friction operation (grease lubrication).

Plain bearing A plain bearing consists of a carrier layer and a sliding layer, with an additional running-in layer applied in the case of a three-component bearing. The carrier layer ensures that the bearing is securely positioned inside the housing and effectively dissipates the static and dynamic loads as well as the frictional heat to the connecting structure. Depending on the bearing type, different coatings are applied to the carrier material.

Production processes The coating of the metal-plastic composite (Permaglide®), for example, takes place on a production line that is approx. 100 m long. The individual production Page: 44

steps are perfectly coordinated to ensure optimum product quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. As a result, the materials used in the production process, such as steel, sintered bronze and solid lubricant, are subject to strict quality regulations. Compliance with these regulations is continuously assured in the form of metallurgical analyses and strict adherence to formulations. For procedural and cost reasons, a coil is only coated up to a maximum width of 250 mm. By contrast, the plating procedure employed in the manufacture of bimetallic materials – particularly steel and aluminium compounds – is entirely different. First, the workpiece surfaces are cleaned and activated. The materials are then joined in the plating mill. Peel tests are taken during production to ensure the adhesion of the layers. In some cases, galvanic layers are also applied to the finished plain bearings electrochemically to improve the running-in behaviour and adaptability of the steel and non-ferrous metal compounds. Positive effect: The relatively soft layers also enhance the ability of foreign particles to be embedded into the sliding layer. If, on the other hand, extremely hard layers are required, aluminium-tin alloys can be applied to the copper-based base materials by means of a sputtering process. This results in extremely high wear resistance combined with minimal susceptibility to seizing. Since such finecrystalline sputter layers involve relatively complex and expensive post-processing of the plain bearings, they are only applied to bearing elements that are subject to very high stresses. Bearing News • Issue 6

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

• • • • • • • •

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

• • • • • • • •

www.permaglide.com

MS Motorservice International GmbH – A Rheinmetall Company

For perfect running. For all applications.

Original KS PERMAGLIDE Plain Bearings

Component manufacture from prefabricated strip The subsequent processing of the strip material will now be discussed using the example of bush manufacture. First, the strip material is cut into smaller strips using a circular blade. The strip width is based on the width of the part being produced, with volume changes in the subsequent machining steps also taken into account. The cutting depth and cutting speed are adapted to the material and the relevant plate thickness. In the next work step, the inner and outer chamfers are applied to the narrow strips and a final strip width adjustment performed if necessary. On the steel side, the chamfer is applied using a profiling tool. On the sliding layer side, the chamfer is cut using a chasing procedure. The width of the strip is adjusted by trimming. The chasing process also removes any existing cutting burr. If (lubricating) grooves are required on the finished part, these can be applied through reaming or cutting. The actual bush manufacture takes place in a third operation, in which the ready-cut narrow strips are first passed through an alignment station by a feeding device. In this step, optical defect detection ensures that only flawless strip material is used in the machining process. This guarantees that the boards produced in the punching unit are of a length equivalent to the developed view of the bush diameter. Other features such as bores, slotted holes and lateral recesses can be punched in this station. The part number and manufacturer code are also applied to the steel back of the plain bearing in this step. The components then pass through the bending station. Here the boards are reshaped into cylindrical bodies using a two-part bending tool. The exact dimensions of the bushes are established in a downstream calibration process based on the specified size. Regular dimensional checks of the finished parts are performed on product-specific measuring equipment. In the case of impermissible dimensional deviations resulting from worn moulding tools, the punching and bending process is stopped automatically and the affected batch is discarded. For larger dimensions, or to create special shapes, alternative forming processes can be used, such as die bending or rolling on round bending machines. All punched parts, such as thrust washers or punched and formed parts, are also created from the strip.

Flange bush production When creating flange bushes, an additional machining step must be initially performed on the cylindrical bushes. In this step, part of the material is reshaped by 90° in multiple stages. Due to the relatively small bending radius at the Page: 46

flange and the high stiffness of some materials, not all materials are equally suitable for reshaping flange bushes. In this case, however, variations can be created comprising a combination of a cylindrical bush and a thrust washer. The parts are finally joined in a laser welding process. This allows different materials to be joined in the flange and the cylindrical area while taking technical and economical aspects into account. Finally, Kolbenschmidt compound plain bearings are cleaned in state-of-the-art wash systems before galvanic corrosion protection made from tin is applied to the steel back. Mass-produced products in particular are then subjected to a final visual inspection, in which faulty parts are automatically identified and rejected by means of a high-speed measurement system – all in the name of Maximum product quality.

KS PERMAGLIDE® plain bearing Low-maintenance and maintenance-free plain bearings The name Permaglide®, a registered trademark of KS Gleitlager GmbH, embodies the product characteristic of permanently low-wear sliding. Low-friction plastic compounds in porous bronze structures are used in applications where there is no lubrication using oil or grease available. This has created low-maintenance to maintenancefree plain bearing solutions for use in vehicles, machinery and many other applications. By using plastic on a metallic base material, a material combination is created which offers both good sliding characteristics and the bearing capacity and thermal conductivity of metal. The use of solid lubricants in the plastic matrix makes it possible to use Permaglide® plain bearings even without oil or grease lubrication. Bearing material development has the objective of linking two opposing goals: to always find an optimum between high mechanical load bearing capacity and high wear resistance (hard material), while providing good adjustability and emergency running properties (soft material). As a global supplier to the automotive industry, KSPG’s expertise in air supply systems, emission control and pumps and in the development, manufacture and spare-parts supply of pistons, engine blocks and plain bearings puts it right at the top of the markets. KS Gleitlager is the specialist for high-precision sliding elements in the KSPG Group. The introduction of new technologies in production and surface finishing, innovative material developments and a clear customer focus have made KS Gleitlager into one of the world’s leading suppliers of metallic bearings and metal-plastic composite bearings Bearing News • Issue 6

Bosnia & Herzegovina Slovakia China

Automotive Railway Heavy Industrial Fluid Power Alternative Energy

www.nninc.com info@nninc.com

NEW BEARINGS SIMPLIFY THE

WOODWORKING INDUSTRY Both speed and precision are desirable attributes for the bearings used in spindles for machine tooling applications. High-speed capability and accuracy are significant factors also for woodworking and other ‘soft material’ industries. Add the increasing pressures of a globalised market – productivity, efficiency, competition – and the buyers of bearings for electrospindles are eager for ways to improve quality without increasing costs. SKF is a major supplier of bearings for HSD, one of the world’s leading producers of electrospindles for woodworking applications. As such, SKF decided to work with its long-time customer to develop a new series of bearings that would meet the needs of its client and the industry as a whole. HSD (the name stands for “high speed development”), located in Pesaro, Italy, represents 60 per cent of the world market for electrospindles for light applications, and, as such, is the industry’s point of reference.

“We got it right the first time because HSD was fully convinced after testing the prototypes,”

Testing of a Spindle-Module by an HSD machine operator

HSD and SKF have been collaborating since 1992, when the former was founded. SKF provides a bearing not only for HSD’s spindles but across the customer’s product range, including boring heads, 5-axis heads, and aggregates. From the outset, the Italian company was drawn by SKF’s reputation for quality and its technical support, as well as the breadth and depth of SKF’s assortment of super-precision bearings. So in 2012, Mario Mattia, SKF Sales Manager Machine tools Italy, and Massimo Sandri, SKF Account Manager Machine tools Italy, sat down with the managers of HSD to define the requisites for a new competitive bearing specifically for woodworking sector spindles. “Our challenge was to develop a standardized product that would satisfy the requirements of different clients. We realized it was a demanding task,” says Mattia. SKF also talked with the technical offices of other clients to define the main requirements of spindles dedicated to this application. The next six months were devoted to internal development and testing. By 2013, SKF was ready to supply prototypes to HSD.

Page: 48

Bearing News • Issue 6

reports Mattia with satisfaction. By mid 2014, SKF was supplying a series range of bearings and at the end of the year it signed an 18-month contract with HSD. SKF had developed what is now the S70 .. W series -- sealed super-precision hybrid angular contact ball bearings for woodworking applications. “Listening our customers’ needs, we found that an18° contact angle was the optimized solution,” notes Sandri. The bearing was also designed to deliver accurate preload, prior to mounting, equal to zero and is available in a range from 25 to 55 mm shaft diameter. Furthermore, the solution has an optimised PEEK cage with patented design that reduces noise and vibration, especially at low to medium speeds. It combines very high stability at low/ medium speeds with the ability to accommodate very high speeds (speed factor A = 1.6 million n dm ). “As a result, the client perceives a better-running product,” Mattia points out. The rolling elements are made of bearing grade silicon nitride Si3N4 and rings of bearing steel. These hybrid bearings offer higher speed capability, more rigidity, less energy consumption, reduced frictional heat, reduced centrifugal and inertial forces within the bearing. They are also less prone to damage in situations of rapid starts and stops.

Overview of the 8.000 m HSD electrospindles production facility in Pesaro, Italy

introduction of impurities and has been so well received that, according to Mattia, other clients who had not previously considered sealed bearings are now using them. special packaging with 15 bearings per box. The result is less handling and materials disposal for the client, and easier logistics for both supplier and customer. Reactions of the market launch of the SKF S 70 .. W

The bearings have non-contact seals fitted on both sides and are filled with premium grease. These sealed bearings have been filled with the appropriate amount of high-quality grease under exacting conditions at the SKF factory. The seals hold the lubricant inside so the client can use the bearings directly without having to lubricate. Therefore, mounting time for the client is faster. This feature also avoids possible contamination or SKF S70 .. W series -- sealed super-precision hybrid angular contact ball bearings for woodworking applications.

Massimo Sandri Key Account Manager at SKF Machine Tools Italy

Fabrizio Pierini General Manager of HSD

Mario Mattia Sales Manager Machine Tools at SKF Italy.

series have been very positive, with clients enthusiastic about the performance of the bearings. “At SKF, we are aware of the ever-increasing demands on spindle applications in the workplace. With that in mind, we developed this new cost-effective bearing series that offers high-speed capabilities together with lower sound and vibration levels ” notes Sandri. Meanwhile, both speed and precision continue as change agents in the partnership between SKF and HSD. The two companies have begun discussions on bringing intelligence into HSD spindles through SKF bearings.

Page: 49

A Bearing Industry Research:

WORLDWIDE BEARING INDUSTRY ANALYSIS & FORECASTS

A Bearing Industry Research:

WORLDWIDE BEARING INDUSTRY ANALYSIS & FORECASTS

The global bearings market is expected to slow down in the and grow with an average of 1 to 1,5% in the coming years. The current global market size at manufacturers sales level is estimated Around 45 to 47 Billion $. The bearing manufacturers and distributors profitability on product sales is also expected to go down till 2025. The profitability for the sales of general services and engineering supporting activities will do it better during this period according to the forecasts. The USA represent more than 14% of the global demand and 20% of the global production of bearings. In South America, Brazil is the major market and makes up more than 50% of the regional demand, which is expected to decline in the next five years. Europe produces today 25% of all bearings in the world and consumes 30%, where only Germany accounts for 10% of the global demand. Asia-Pacific is expected to remain the largest market for the next ten years. Further industrialization and infrastructure development is expected to drive the regional market growth in Asia over the forecast period, it is said that 60% of the turnover will be in Asia-Pacific region and the BRICS countries which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; five of the world’s major emerging economies. It’s also suggested to keep an eye on regional dynamic markets such as Iran, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea. China accounts today for 30% of the global demand for bearings, where the bearing companies represent around 20% of the world bearing market, with more than 80% sales in Asia, less than 10% in Europe and 7% in the United States. The main international bearing companies in China are accounting for about one third of the market share, the rest of two thirds is represented by local manufacturers.

agriculture and general machinery industries. Sales through distributors (industrial distribution and the independent vehicle aftermarket) maintained around 30% of the world bearing demand, of which around 25% is related to the vehicle service market and around 75% to the industrial market. World 6 largest bearing manufacturers accounts for 60% of the sales worldwide. Only Japan, China, Germany and USA are consuming 60% of the production in the world.

The Golden years of the bearing industry The 1960’s to 2011 are said to be ‘The Golden Years’ for the Bearing Industry, as in this time period, a major turn of events proved to be the major factors that drove this industry to the peak of growth and profitability. The 1960’s to early 70’s was Post-War buildup of Germany and Japan, and from late 1990’s to 2011, this industry was driven by the fast development of China. Both periods contributed to booming resources industry, particularly mining and metals. Also, these periods had the same impact on the bearing industry as there was shortage of products and a great opportunity for increasing profitability.

Other Asian markets account for about 10% of the global demand; which include countries like India, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea, whereas Japan’s share of the total world bearing market accounts for another 10%. The industrial OEM markets account currently for almost 40% of the world demand for bearings. Major end-use markets include the railway, aerospace, mining, construction equipment, automotive, Bearing manufacturer profitability analysis

Page: 52

Bearing News • Issue 6

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ALMAGARD HAS STAYING POWER FOR ULT IMATE 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.

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Current challenges for the bearing industry The bearing market is initially an oligopoly market dominated by a few number of producers with a considerable influence over the market price. However, they must always consider the actions of the other firms in the market when changing prices. This situation changed rapidly during the globalization process and the entrance of China and other Asian countries in the market. The bearing industry is today a semimonopolistic competition market with pure competition between the many suppliers and the barriers to entry are rather low(er) depending on the location. However, the producers try today to achieve some price advantages by differentiating their standard products from other similar products, offering more advanced and niche solutions or try to expertise in specific segments in the industry. Counterfeiting bearings is another serious issue that will keep causing damage to the industry and even serious injury to end-users. This current counterfeits expected to pose a challenge to the bearings market growth over the forecast period as well.

Asia Pacific region, especially in India, China, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia and Japan. As the demand for vehicles, mainly passenger cars and two wheelers, is constantly on the rise In all these countries.

Shift from bearings to entire systems According to some bearing industry experts an everincreasing shift from bearings to entire systems is currently taking place. Another evolution within the bearing industry is to offer engineering and design optimization in order to reduce the number of system components. Finally, there is also simplification of systems maintenance; thanks to intelligent solutions or intelligent products.

Wind Energy is the future Bearings are one of the most important components of wind turbines and require designs that optimize reliability and economic efficiency. while taking into account the characteristics of the applications. This market is driven By a number of factors like the large number of ongoing projects and innovations in the wind power generation Sector along with the growing demand for efficient wind turbine components, especially the growth in emerging economies in Asia-Pacific, with India and China being the key drivers.

Bearing Industry Key Drivers for 20172025 • Investments & regulations in renewable energy • Increase in automotive production • Simplification of asset maintenance • High-tech developments • Infrastructure Investment in emerging countries

New technological developments An example of the many messages that we daily receive from counterfeit bearing suppliers

Bearing market driven by growth of the Automotive industry The automotive original equipment bearing markets, accounted for more than 30% of the total bearing market; with Europe accounting for 20%. Among all the industries, automotive is currently the highest revenue generating industry in the world. The increasing production of vehicles across the globe is pushing the growth of the bearing market, globally. In the coming years, the demand for automotive bearings is expected to rise in Americas, Africa, Europe and the

Industries such as the medical, robotics, aerospace, defense and other technological orientated industries have a huge demand for effective, heavyduty, SMART and durable bearings in order to meet the industry standards and demand in various hi-tech applications. Increasing demand for bearings from these industries is also expected to drive the bearing market during the forecast period. High-end technologies such as SMART bearings allow manufacturers and end-users to monitor bearing operations constantly in order to achieve the maximum efficiency and asset reliability. The bearing of the future is expected to elevate the performance limits, reduce the number of system components, must be easier to maintain (ex.: split-bearings), optimized for the specific application and must improve energy efficiency. Page: 55

What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

2016 Page: 57

What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

January

2016

EPTDA welcomes 4 new member companies at the start of 2016 EPTDA, the leading association in the PT/MC industry across Europe, the Middle East & Africa region welcomes 4 new members in the New Year. These new members have joined EPTDA in their search to develop their business internationally, connect to key representatives of the industry, develop sustainable partnerships and benefit from the numerous advantages the association offers to its members. 1) O RTIZ ASPIZUA HNOS. S.L.U. (Zitro) is a company set up with the trust built on the impressive experience of its members. Offering a big stock of bearings, steel balls and pillow blocks, as well as other transmission products, ZITRO employees are all familiar with the techniques, markets and problems of the different sectors of industry. 2) Since its establishment in 1994, Lindis has developed its business in importing and distributing power transmission products on the Spanish, Portuguese and North African markets. Lindis acts nowadays in two different business lines: the first one relates to the supply of products to resellers customers whose network can cover all our market: On-line shops, huge stocks and quick services are the main key elements; the second line is focused on OEMs, where our quality products, coming from very well-known brands, and our staff expertise, give us the advantage to collaborate with our customers in finding the best solution for their applications. 3) Corsair Sarl was formed in Switzerland in 2005 to service the local industry within Swiss borders and they have had continued to grow these first ten years dealing throughout the French, German and Italian areas of Switzerland. Having a staff with language expertise in seven languages, Corsair can deal on a worldwide basis with other Bearing and Power Transmission Trade customers. It carries large stocks of FAG, INA, SKF, and SNR, PIX V Belts and Timing Belts and offer Pulley and Chain drives as a complete transmission package for all local customers. 4) C ompania Internacional Transmisiones S.A. (CITSA) was established in Barcelona (Spain) at the end of the 70s. Their aim was to offer mechanical transmission solutions for industry with elastic coupling Samiflex. Throughout the experience they accumulated in the field of mechanical transmission, they developed Samiflex couplings in all versions. Additionally, they provide other coupling types as well, bringing their “know-how” and engineering support service.

January

MCB and ILJIN strengthens partnership in MEA with MOU signing ILJIN, the leading global wheel bearing manufacturer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mineral Circles Bearings (MCB) to strengthen the partnership established in 2012. The agreement was signed by Yoon Joo Lee, ILJIN Global’s Executive Director, and MCB’s Managing Director, Safaa Alwan, at the latter part of 2015. The MOU focused mainly on the new tapered roller bearing range and business cooperation strategies for Middle East and Africa (MEA) for year 2016.

January

Schaeffler (UK) refurbished thousands of yoke type track roller bearings for Alstom Precision bearing manufacturer Schaeffler (UK) Ltd refurbished thousands of yoke type track roller bearings for Alstom, the company responsible for maintaining the entire West Coast Mainline fleet of 56 high-speed Virgin Pendolino trains. The 60-week refurbishment programme involved the refurbishment of nearly 5,000 track rollers. The yoke type track roller, which was custom designed by Schaeffler in the early 1990s specifically for use on the Pendolino train, is part of a yoke type track roller unit that is used on the coach body tilting system. In conjunction with the rails, the yoke type track roller units act as a roller-supported cradle system, which allows the coach body to tilt into bends in the track in such a way that the direction of the coach body axis matches the resulting acceleration.

January

Fersa Bearings acquires a 49% stake in NKE Austria GmbH Both manufacturers combine their strengths and competences to become even stronger strategic suppliers of bearings for global OEMs and distributors in their market segments, with NKE as a premium alternative for the industrial market sector, and Fersa in the automotive market sector.

Page: 58

Bearing News • Issue 6

February

ABF Bearings extends its opening hours ABF Bearings has extended its opening hours. All orders received before 17:59 are subject to guaranteed same-day shipping. As a result, the sales department of the Dutch bearing wholesaler can also be contacted until 17:59. “The service of our customers depends on our reliability”, says Quirijn Fabrie, owner of ABF Bearings. “The products that we supply are often required urgently, for example an idle production line that is awaiting new parts.”

February

GGB France Recertified to Global Standards GGB France is the first GGB company to successfully achieve integrated recertification to four global standards – ISO 9001 for quality management systems, ISO/TS 16949 for quality management in the automotive supply chain, OHSAS 18001 for health and safety management systems, and ISO 14001 for environmental management systems. Conferred by AFNOR Groupe, the French national member of the International Standards Organization (ISO), and valid until 2018, the recertification covers the Annecy and Dieuze production facilities for self-lubricating bearings and high-performance bearing solutions.

February

ZKL launched a new cylindrical roller bearings with the optimized NEW FORCE design ZKL GROUP, Czech Republic launched a new cylindrical roller bearing production line last year. This line produces N, NJ, NU and NUP single-row 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.

February

Eight persons arrested during counterfeit ball bearing raid The Central Crime Branch of Greater Chennai Police on Thursday busted a fake ball bearing racket operating out of Broadway. They seized Rs 3 crore (30 Million Indian Rupee) worth fake ball bearings which were being sold under the brand name of the Swedish firm SKF. The CCB team has also arrested eight persons, including two brothers who were masterminded the racket. According to the police, the brothers purchased cheap quality ball bearings from Mumbai and then repackaged them as SKF bearings. They had forged the seals and other imprints to sell their wares as genuine products, the police said. A vigilance team from SKF, which supplied bearings to industries, auto majors and ship building units, had lodged a complaint with the city Commissioner of Police TK Rajendran alleging that counterfeits of their products were being sold widely in Chennai, allegedly by their own dealers. The company in-house team had started an investigation after they received several complaints regarding the quality of their products from customers. Upon examining the bearings, they found them to be duplicate. The complaint was then forwarded to the CCB following which CCB deputy Commissioner Jayakumar formed a special team to investigate the case. The team then started monitoring the registered dealers of SKF and found out many shops in Lingu Chetty Street, Thambu Chetty Street and Angappanayagan Street in Broadway had been selling fake bearings. Police then zeroed in on warehouse owned by brothers Santhosh Kumar Jaiswal (42) and Dilip Kumar Jaiswal (48) and seized several fake SKF bearings.

Page: 59

What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

March

2016

Download The Worldwide Bearing Design Activity Report for 2015 Engineers come regularly to TracePartsOnline.net looking for supplier-certified 3D product models and specifications to use for design projects. After completing the online registration, design engineers can instantly download millions of CAD models for free in the CAD format they want. In 2015 alone, TraceParts delivered over 60 million CAD models from its CAD library, helping more than 2,5 Million registered designers find the component they need for their application. This Design Activity Report will give you detailed information about the profile of design engineers who downloaded CAD models per product family, country, type of industry, job title, department and size of their company. You can download this report at: www.bearing-news.com/download-the-worldwide-bearing-design-activity-report-for-2015

March

Schaeffler AG revenue increases to above EUR 13 billion Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler was able to continue moving along its successful course in 2015. The company expanded its revenue by 9.1 percent to EUR 13.2 billion. At constant currency, the growth rate amounted to 3.5 percent. “We were able to considerably increase our revenue in the previous year, despite the challenging environment. We are planning to continue on our profitable growth path in 2016, as well. Our strategic concept “mobility for tomorrow” puts us in a good position to do that,” said Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO. • Revenue rises by more than 9% – EBIT margin before special items at 12.7% • Automotive division growing more rapidly than market – realignment of industrial division well under way • Over EUR 1 billion invested – 1,900 new jobs created • Dividend proposal of 35 cents per share – special dividend of 15 cents per share • Technology and innovation driving future growth – revenue growth of 3 to 5% at constant currency expected for 2016

March

Timken Names Roellgen, Ruel and Connors to Executive Sales and Marketing Roles The Timken Company, has named Andreas Roellgen and Brian J. Ruel to the positions of vice president of sales. Ruel leads the company’s selling team across the Americas, and Roellgen will oversee the Timken sales organization for the rest of the world. In addition, Michael J. Connors will lead the company’s marketing organization as newly appointed vice president of global marketing. Mike Connors

March

Andreas Roellgen

Brian Ruel

Timken Names Roellgen, Ruel and Connors to Executive Sales and Marketing Roles SKF announces the opening of a newly-built sealing solutions factory in Zapopan, Mexico. The new facility is located near the Group’s existing sealing solutions factory in Guadalajara, allowing for continued expansion of production, predominantly for automotive original equipment manufacturers in North America. Stéphane Le Mounier, President, Automotive and Aerospace, says: “Our expansion in Mexico enables us to continue to develop our seals business across North America. Combining modern manufacturing technologies with our existing logistics infrastructure in the region will both contribute to improved production efficiency and service levels for our customers.”

Page: 60

Bearing News • Issue 6

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What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

March

2016

NN will start production of Cylindrical Roller Bearing Cages NN, Inc., a diversified industrial company, announced today that it will begin production of a new series of Cylindrical Roller Bearing cages that utilizes a proprietary process technology. NN developed this technology at one of its R&D innovation centers and has been working closely with major bearing suppliers to validate the new process. The flexible manufacturing technology allows bearing manufacturers to replace expensive machined cages resulting in significant cost savings. It also reduces tooling costs and shortens lead times on samples providing customers a cost effective fast to market solution for their cylindrical bearing applications.

April

Aetna Bearing has been acquired by ABC Acquisition Co., LLC Since 1917 Aetna has been a world class anti-friction bearing manufacturing company. Aetna’s commitment to quality products and dedication to constant and on-going quality improvement of both products and services have positioned the company as a product and service leader for the new millennium. Aetna’s products are used throughout the world in automotive, truck, agricultural, aircraft, and industrial equipment and a number of other diverse applications. In a world of manufacturing over capacity and low prices for all types of bearings, Aetna Bearing offers rapid response lead time and quality product at competitive prices. The company is large enough to supply demanded quantities to OEM assembly lines and small enough to respond nimbly to your unique bearing requests. Aetna is based out of Franklin Park, IL and will continue to advance its engineering leadership, manufacturing innovation, and global supply chain footprint. “We are extremely thrilled about the future prospects of Aetna, given its illustrious 100-year history, a culture of innovation and undivided commitment to its customers. We will continue to focus on working closely with our current and future customers and delivering solutions that will transform the level of engagement and experience,” said Kal Beidas, Aetna Bearing Company President. For more information about Aetna and to learn more about what they do, please feel free to reach them at info@aetnabearing.com or call them at 630-694-0024. website: www.aetnabearing.com

April

NSK replaces spindle bearings on large surface wheel lathe The Doppelmayr Graventa Group in Wolfurt, Austria, a specialist in the manufacture of surface and aerial ropeways, has benefited from the expertise of NSK in replacing the main spindle roller bearings on an extremely large surface wheel lathe. Due to the lathe´s age and the obsolescence of the spindle assembly, the project entailed a significant amount of reverse engineering, supported by the team at NSK, before double row cylindrical roller bearings were specified for the central bearing positions. Due to the global rise in demand for ropeways, which are seen as an economic and rapid alternative to conventional ground transport in both inaccessible and highly urban landscapes, business at the Doppelmayr/ Garaventa Group has seen the manufacture of more than 14,600 ropeway systems for customers in 89 countries to date.

Page: 66

Bearing News • Issue 6

The company to turn to

One of the largest stocks of plain bearings in the WORLD Full technical support service Advanced test and inspection services Rapid in-house manufacture of bespoke bearings

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What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

April

2016

EPTDA Welcomes Four New Members in April 2016 EPTDA, the leading association in the PT/MC industry across Europe, the Middle East & Africa region welcomes another 4 new members during 2016. The leading association in the PT/MC industry across Europe, the Middle East & Africa region welcomed already 4 new members at the beginning of 2016. 1) TRM is a consolidated specialised industrial supplier of linear motion and positioning solutions and of mechanical transmission components and bearings. Ever since its inception, back in 1989, the company has skilfully made its mark by selecting top-quality products and industrial partners, focusing on the level of specialisation and aiming at dimensional and geographical expansion. The focus on continuous technological evolution in the fields of automation applications and precision mechanical engineering has enabled TRM to expand its product portfolio, by combining its own product brands and the distribution of primary brands. 2) PT/MC company Duursma has specialised in power transmission since 1896, with highly motivated and well-trained staff to serve its customers 24/7. As a distributor of A-brands, with product specialists in every field and 11 stores in the Netherlands, Duursma is a force to be reckoned with in our industry. Its status as technical wholesaler, its local presence, in-house repair shops, tailor-made warehouse solutions on site, sufficient stock and lean organisation are just a few of the attributes that make it a perfect technical partner for any industry. The company handles drive technology, bearings, pneumatics, hydraulics, hand and electric tools, processing (including metal processing), welding equipment, personal protection, industrial hoses and much more. Duursma is privately owned and has been a member of Industrie Partner (IP) since 2014, and of the ONE group since 2016. All with the aim of staying ahead and strengthening its position through collaboration with like-minded companies that put the customer first. 3) N ACHI Europe GmbH is part of the NACHI Fujikoshi Corp. and has been serving the industry for almost half a century. NACHI has an extraordinarily long and successful history in manufacturing a broad range of highly sophisticated technical products. Apart from bearings, it makes tools, hydraulics and special steel, as well as robots. About 6,000 people in 50 locations worldwide are highly motivated to meet customer requirements. 4) O NE is a cooperative venture between companies in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. It offers a Europe-wide network for the procurement of mechanical spare parts, coupled with high standards of technical services. Supply capability and customer services associated with the products are the basis on which supply concepts for total cost reduction and process optimisation at the customer end are developed.

April

Innovative technology The new production facilities will also be equipped with machines featuring state-of-the-art grinding technology for manufacturing rolling bearings. The production volume in the Hungarian plant will increase by approximately 50 percent. The number of employees will also increase by around 500 during the next few years. Schaeffler will therefore become the largest employer in the region. Increasing customer requirements for rolling bearings The foundation stone for the extension will probably be laid in the late summer of this year. The first parts from the new production facilities are to be delivered in the second half of 2017. “With this investment in the Debrecen location, the Schaeffler Group is increasing its capacities for the European market. We will therefore be able to fulfill the growing requirements for rolling bearings from customers in the automotive sector even more reliably and quickly. Our objective is to become even more customer-focused”, says Dietmar Heinrich, Schaeffler’s CEO Europe. The plant in Debrecen

Page: 70

The Schaeffler Group is increasing its capacity by building a new manufacturing hall in Debrecen, Hungary. The laying of the foundation stone is planned for this year and the first products are to be delivered in the second half of 2017. The project is also of great importance for the Hungarian economy.

This photo montage shows the planned extension with the dark gray roof directly next to the existing manufacturing hall of the Schaeffler plant in Debrecen, Hungary.

CMY

Schaeffler will invest 80 million euro for plant extension in Hungary

Szikora Levente from the Hungarian Investment Agency, Péter Szabó, Managing Director of FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft., the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner, CEO of the Central and Eastern Europe subregion at Schaeffler, Róbert Ésik, President of the Hungarian Investment Agency and Dr. Barcsa Lajos, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, are delighted about the investment for extending the Schaeffler plant in Debrecen.

The production location in Debrecen is one of two Schaeffler plants in Hungary. Around 1,400 employees manufacture mainly rolling bearings for the automotive industry at FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft. Bearings of up to 120 mm diameter are produced for the Europe region.

Bearing News • Issue 6

What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

April

2016

C&U Americas Receives 2015 BorgWarner Supplier Quality Excellence 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, has received the “2015 Supplier Quality Excellence Award” from BorgWarner Inc. The award was given to C&U Americas in recognition for consistently providing superior quality parts during the 2015 business year. C&U supplies various bearings for alternators and starters to the BorgWarner Power Drive Systems plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. BorgWarner presented the award to C&U Americas during its Annual Supplier Conference, which was held February 25th, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Quijote San Luis Potosi, Mexico. On hand to accept the award were Victor Lopez Navarrete, C&U Americas Regional Manager-Mexico, Mike Caldwell, C&U Americas Quality Manager, and Tom Rouse, C&U Americas President.

May

C&U Americas Receives 2015 BorgWarner Supplier Quality Excellence Award Carter Manufacturing Limited www.carterbearings.co.uk has signed a distribution agreement with US custom bearing specialist Napoleon Engineering Services (NES) www.nesbearings.com to provide custom engineered bearings in small and medium order quantities and on fast lead times to the aerospace industry and other markets in Europe. Based in Olean, NY, USA, NES specialises in the manufacture of custom bearings, as well as bearing testing and inspection for a wide range of industry sectors including aerospace, defence, automotive, oil and gas, medical, and wind energy. NES specialises in the supply of custom engineered bearings with unique designs and superior raw materials, in small lot sizes and on fast lead times. Custom bearings include deep groove ball bearings, angular contact ball bearings, double row self-aligning bearings, needle roller bearings and cylindrical roller bearings, in outside diameters that range from 20mm up to 350mm. With its 22,000 square foot facility, NES combines the capabilities of a large bearing manufacturing facility with the precision and attention to detail of a small bearing shop. As Chris Napoleon, President and Chief Engineer at NES states: “Carter is a great fit for NES, as we are both niche providers of bearing products and services for similar markets. The aerospace industry in particular requires highly engineered bearing products in very small batch quantities but on faster lead times than the major global bearing suppliers can provide. Our typical lot size for custom bearings is 25 to 50 pieces, with lead times of between 12 and 26 weeks, which is significantly faster than other major bearing suppliers.” Karl Brundell, Managing Director of Carter Manufacturing Limited commented: “We are delighted to be appointed as the sole distributor for NES products and services in Europe. With our local market knowledge combined with NES’ expertise in the manufacture of custom bearings for challenging applications, we would expect to see a great deal of interest from customers in Europe who will see strong opportunities for custom engineered bearings. “In a marketplace that has traditionally been dominated by major global bearing manufacturers that require large volumes to start production, this new distribution agreement will provide a solution to satisfy this need,” he added.

May

BOWMAN Develops New Bearing Test Machine Bowman International’s expert team of engineers has developed a bespoke bearing test machine, providing an in-house facility that can determine bearing capabilities and provide fault analysis for plain bearings. The development of the advanced test machine means Bowman, which specializes in the manufacture and supply of bearings and sintered components including the Oilite® and BowMet® ranges, can test bearings on behalf of customers under their exact application conditions, with real time test data, remote computer operation and bearing failure onset shutdown function. Paul Mitchell, managing director of Bowman International, said: “This facility significantly contributes to our position as plain bearings specialists. We have already used it to advise and consult on bearing specification to deliver the most suitable bearing for individual projects, even where the engineer might be unsure of the best solution and to validate material selection prior to production. “The test machine was designed and developed in-house as part of the development of our BowMet® range of rolled bearings and it has already proved invaluable, not only for providing data on our own products, but also for testing bearings on behalf of customers too.”

Page: 72

Bearing News • Issue 6

Traditional producer of rolling bearings

WWW.ZKL.EU

May

BMI Launches Production of Current Insulated Bearings When a stray current in an electric motor uses a bearing as its path to ground, bearing damage can occur. The electrical current passing can cause micro cratering in the raceways of inner & outer rings and on the rolling element surface which ultimately changes the structure of the metal. Once bearing damage from electrical corrosion has begun, increased noise levels, reduced effectiveness of lubricant and excessive vibration will drastically decrease bearing service life. In addition repair work this also incurs additional cost due to machine downtime and lost production. Current passage also has a negative influence on the lubricant. To overcome this problem BMI engineers have developed in collaboration with a university a Taper Roller Bearing 32212-Electrically Insulated-1 special ceramic coating which ensures 100% protection and electric insulation. The coating is applied using “plasma spraying technology” to counter the electric pitting. Sophisticated pre & post application processes yield outstanding coating quality which is wear resistant. The coating can be applied on the inner or outer ring depending upon the application. The insulation has the guaranteed breakdown resistance for at least 1000V in standard. For higher resistance as well R&D team has developed a special coating to ensure insulation up to 3000V. Currently BMI is serving electric motor manufactures but this type of product is used in Traction motor of railways and wind power generators as well. The material for ring & roller is SAE52100/100 Cr6 but the bearing is manufacture to sustain higher RPM’s for electric motor application Additionally, BMI is capable of manufacturing cylindrical & taper roller bearing as well with electric insulation. Typical Application: Traction motor of railway vehicles, Electric motors ( AC/DC ), Generators ( wind power )

May

Schaeffler investing nearly 84 million euros in the USA Lynn Kier, VP Communications & Marketing; Greg Tinnell, Sr. VP Human Resources; Dr. Greg F. Rutherford, Ph.D., President of York Technical College; Bruce Warmbold, CEO Americas; Michael Johnson, Vice-Chairman, York County Council and Marc McGrath, President Automotive during the ceremonial groundbreaking celebration in Fort Mill on April 4, 2016.

The Schaeffler Group is increasing its capacity at two US locations by building new manufacturing halls and administration buildings. Excavators have already started work in Fort Mill, South Carolina and a June groundbreaking is planned for its expansion in Wooster, Ohio. In total, Schaeffler is creating more than 350 new jobs in the US. Expansions and 250 additional employees in Wooster Schaeffler is investing a total of 60 million dollars, the equivalent of approximately 52 million euros, in its Wooster, Ohio facility. The expansion, which is approximately 8,500 square meters, will include production space, a shipping hall, and offices while creating 250 new jobs. Schaeffler is already the largest employer in Wooster with over 1,700 employees. The location in Northeast Ohio designs and manufactures components for automatic transmissions such as torque converters and converter lockup clutches for the automotive industry. The company will break ground in June 2016 and completion is planned for 2017. New buildings and 105 new jobs in Fort Mill Schaeffler is investing 36.5 million dollars, the equivalent of about 31.6 million euros, in the expansion of one of its two plants and the addition of a corporate office building in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The expansion will create additional space for production and the corporate office will include a conference center, offices and a company restaurant. In addition, the plant entrance is being remodeled. More than 100 new jobs will be created in Fort Mill within a short time. Around 1,200 people are currently employed at the Ft Mill facility. It produces rolling bearings, bearing components, and camshaft phasing units. It also serves as the regional headquarters. The project will be completed and production will launch in the fall of 2017.

June

Strategic Partnership between JTEKT Corporation and the Nadella Group TEKT Corporation and the company Nadella Group are starting a strategic partnership allowing the Nadella Group to have the exclusive rights of selling the Nadella Needle Roller bearing Products range to the Industrial Distribution segment, on a worldwide basis. From now on JTEKT Corporation will be a strategic subcontractor and will dedicate its capabilities and resources only to the manufacturing of this product line on behalf of the Nadella Group. After having conducted a comprehensive study of the opportunities to make use of the market challenges, both parties have decided to concentrate on their own area of excellence. It means manufacturing by JTEKT Corporation, on the one hand and Sales and Marketing for Nadella Group, on the other hand. Active since decades in this specialized product line, the Nadella Group has developed in recent years an aggressive approach not only in terms of Sales but also in terms of Engineering and Marketing support. As the manufacturing partner JTEKT Corporation will not compromise on quality and will continue to invest and re-organize its operations to offer the Nadella Group customers the utmost quality at the most competitive price.

Page: 75

What Happened in the

Bearing Industry First Half of

June

2016

Development of “Tapered Roller Bearings” with an early failure detection function enables early detection of bearing peeling NTN Corporation (hereafter, NTN) has developed “Tapered Roller Bearings” with an early failure detection function which can detect flaking that occurs on bearings during operation.

(Bearing outer diameter φ130 mm, bearing inner diameter φ65 mm). Support available for all sizes upon consultation

Continuous use of bearings with flaking failure leads to a risk of damage to peripheral components such as the shaft and housing due to abnormal bearing rotation. Furthermore, this will also cause secondary damage such as damage to gear parts when flaked fragments from bearings are dispersed and become stuck in the gears. Therefore, when flaking occurs on bearings, it is best to stop operation promptly. However, until now, it was difficult to detect flaking on bearings because it was undetectable due to the vibrations or noise of the entire machine. On the other hand, it is necessary to have a replacement period for bearings as long as possible to reduce the life cycle cost of the machine. However, because the risk of bearing damage including secondary damage increases the longer the replacement period, so that the actual bearing replacement period is usually set to a much shorter period than the expected operating life of bearings from the perspective of risk reduction. Due to these factors, there has been a need for technology to detect flaking on bearings in the early stages and for technology to reduce the possibility of secondary damage due to flaking as much as possible.

NTN has developed a product that prevents flaking fragments from being discharged outside of the bearing by installing a filter seal on the outer ring, which is a stationary ring on the tapered roller bearings, and by optimizing the clearance between the inner ring and filter seal. Also, by optimizing the sensitivity of the damage detection sensor attached to the filter seal, NTN has achieved a technology that can detect whether flaking only has occurred at an early stage without detecting fine iron powder or suspended metal particles. In addition, the filter seal has a special construction that also allows it to be retrofitted to existing tapered roller bearings.

Front view

Rear view

NTN will propose this technology over a wide area for tapered roller bearings used on machines in the general industry and continue to contribute to reducing the life cycle cost of machines.

June

OAV announces its latest miniature Thrust Air Bearing: OAVTB16i04 OAV Air Bearings, your exclusive source for high precision air bearings, now announces its latest miniature Thrust Air Bearing: “OAVTB16i04.” The OAV Thrust Air Bearing is a breakthrough innovation in air bearing technology which is capable of fully integrating a three-way frictionless surface.

Miniature Thrust Air Bearing:

The C04TB1 face collar increases stiffness, prevents

“OAVTB16i04” the shaft or bushings from moving side-to-side OAVTB16i04 runs on a 4 mm standard shaft size with ultraprecision, zero friction motion. The C04TB1 face collar increases stiffness, prevents the shaft or bushings from moving side-to-side, and preloads opposing thin film pressure, maintaining the perfect gap and tolerances.

June

SKF opens new facility in St. Louis SKF celebrated the grand opening of its new facility in St. Louis, Mo. This facility will serve as the North American headquarters for its Lubrication Business Unit. Located in NorthPark, near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, the 310,000-square-foot facility includes engineering, manufacturing and testing operations, sales, marketing and administrative offices, as well as a state-of-the-art distribution center. Development was led by CRG Real Estate Solutions and M Property Services. Construction was completed in approximately one year by Clayco, a full-service, design-build firm. Currently, the building is in the process of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for sustainable building. LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to Robert Law, the move from the previous location is being completed in phases. Office personnel relocated in mid-October 2015, and metal-cutting equipment began being moved near the end of 2015. The relocation of manufacturing and product assembly is ongoing and expected to be completed in August 2016.

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Bearing News • Issue 6

June

NBI Bearings Europe S.A., a manufacturer of high quality bearings, opens a new manufacturing plant in Spain.

NBI Bearings Europe S.A. is a company which designs, manufactures and markets high quality and performance bearings. After 14 years of successful development, which resulted us to be present in more than 50 countries, the company will strengthen its growth plan by opening a new manufacturing plant in Spain, mainly focused on the expansion of its product range. “The initial investment will be around 10 million euros and the plant will be equipped with the latest machinery”, states the Managing Director, Roberto Martínez. The company already has one manufacturing plant located in China with a facility of more than 30.000 m2 and equipped with modern machineries. This includes 15 production lines with quality control that give effective response to customer needs at all times. The plant in China is fully equipped with machines to manufacture high precision bearings and includes an Aichelin heat treatment line, CNC precision grinding and super finishing machines. This allows us to manufacture cylindrical, tapered and spherical roller bearings with inner diameters measuring from 15 mm up to 1600 mm. The increasing amount of new orders generated over the last few years has been the fundamental reason for building the new plant. “We will continue to market our current range manufactured in China, but broaden our offer with the new ranges that will be produced in Spain”, affirms the Managing Director, Roberto Martínez. The initial investment comes to roughly 10 million euros and the new plant will be set up with modern grinding machines from European manufacturers. This will allow us to manufacture 4 types of precision bearings with inner diameters measuring 80-240 mm: spherical roller bearings with steel and brass cage, tapered roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings and spherical plain bearings. Our facilities in Spain are already equipped with 3 complete laboratories, which has been operating since 2015. This includes a dimensional and metallographic laboratory, and also a bearing life testing facility with equipment for noise and vibration testing. As a result of these state of the art technology we are able to better support our clients’ needs. The new facilities will not only bring quicker service to our clients, but will also provide high quality and precision products. This new challenge will become reality by the end of 2016.

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As precision bearing experts, AST recommendations go beyond bearing type, size, and lubricant. Meticulously focusing on your application from the cutting edge of bearing technology, our engineering team uses custom measures to ensure your best bearing choice. We routinely deliver high quality products and services, better performance, and cost savings, which is why many manufacturers call us.

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SMALLER,

FASTER, HOTTER: Optimization of bearings for challenging applications

• Adding value and improving bearing performance by incorporating new design features such as special flanges, shafts and housings. • Optimising bearing performance by replacing traditional bearing materials with special materials for high speed, high temperature or harsh operating environments. • The use of surface coatings such as sub-micron sputtered coatings to further optimise bearing performance and to make bearing behaviour more predictable/consistent in harsh environments. There are many different design features and techniques that can be applied to a bearing to optimise and improve its performance in order to meet particularly challenging (i.e. high speed, high temperature, harsh operating

Adding new design features or applying special techniques and coatings to bearing components can optimise the performance of bearings for challenging applications, providing unique bearing solutions to clients’ problems, says Nick Dowding, Business Development Manager at The Barden Corporation (UK) Ltd.

conditions) applications. These techniques include applied coatings, altering the geometry of a specific bearing component or replacing conventional bearing materials with high performance alternatives.

Silver-plating of metal cages In some high speed, high temperature applications, steel cages can be coated with silver to improve lubrication performance and reliability. Silver plating improves the lubricity of the bearing, making it more robust and resistant to oil-off events. In the case of lubricant failure/starvation, the silver-plating acts like a solid, dry lubricant, allowing the bearing to continue running for a short period of time or in an emergency situation. Application examples include aerospace starter generator bearings and bearings for air conditioning units on trains.

Ceramic hybrid bearings For high-speed applications, replacing the steel balls with ceramic (silicon nitride) balls can radically improve bearing performance in several ways. First, because ceramic balls are much lighter than steel balls, reducing centrifugal forces and improving dynamic conditions whilst their surface finish is almost perfectly smooth, they exhibit vibration levels two to seven times lower than conventional steel ball bearings. At higher speeds, internal loading in the bearing is also reduced. Secondly, ceramic hybrid bearings also run at significantly lower operating temperatures, which in conjunction with the lower mass allows running speeds to increase by as Page: 84

Bearing News • Issue 6

much as 40-50%. Lower operating temperatures and reduced heat build up inside the bearing helps extend lubricant life, sometimes up to five times longer than conventional steel ball bearings. Examples of applications for ceramic hybrid bearings include high-speed vacuum pumps, medical/surgical hand tools and aerospace fans and generators.

Materials In materials technology, the most appropriate bearing materials can be selected to maximise bearing performance. Special ring materials are used successfully in aerospace and non-aerospace applications, combining superior corrosion and wear resistance with the ability to withstand higher dynamic loads than conventional bearing steels. When used in conjunction with ceramic balls, significant gains in bearing life and performance can be achieved. Ring materials can be optimised for specific applications. The four predominant ring materials used by Barden are AISI 440C (corrosion-resistant steel), SAE 52100, AISI M50 and Cronidur 30®. For high temperature applications (up to 345°C) AISI M50 tool steel or a special tempered version of Cronidur 30® are suitable and are widely used in high temperature aerospace accessory applications such as bleed valve systems on aircraft. Cronidur 30® is a martensitic through-hardened, high nitrogen, corrosion-resistant steel that can also be induction case hardened. This material enhances corrosion-resistance and improves the fatigue life and wear resistance.

Full complement bearings Full complement bearings capitalise on the space normally occupied by the ball retainer. This allows for more balls, which in turn provides an increase in load capacity, either predominantly radial, in the case of filling notch designs, or axial and in the case of angular contact designs. The use of preloaded angular contact pairs can also allow bi-directional axial loads to be applied. Applications here range from high temperature valves for aerospace applications, to missile fin supports and emergency touch down bearings.

Sub-micron coatings The role of surface engineering in rolling bearing technology is also becoming increasingly important as bearings get progressively smaller, but are still required to run faster, at higher temperatures, carry higher loads and operate reliably for longer periods. Advanced coatings and surface treatments can be applied to bearings that combat friction, prevent corrosion and reduce wear, even under the harshest operating conditions. The resulting benefits are higher power density, improved performance, more predictable/consistent bearing behaviour (particularly in harsh environments), lower running costs and longer service intervals. Multi-layer sub-micron (sputtered) coatings, for example, can be employed to enhance the physical and tribological characteristics of bearing surfaces. The success of such

techniques relies on the avoidance of distinct layers by generating a graduated or diffused interface between different materials. Similarly, keying layers such as nickel or copper are frequently used to improve the adhesion of soft films to hard or passivated substrates. Sub-micron coatings can be applied to the internal and external surfaces of bearing rings and rolling elements if required. For example, molybdenum disulphide (MOS2) or tungsten disulphide (WS2) can be sputter coated to the surface of bearing components in order to make bearing behaviour more predictable in harsh environments.

Special polymers In some high speed applications, the ball separators or cages can be supplied in special polymer materials. These components are vacuum-impregnated with oil to increase the life of the bearing. The special polymer material retains the oil in a controlled manner when vacuum impregnated. Application examples include bearings for high speed aircraft gyros. Other special polymers can be provided for high speed harsh environments where the bearings require high resistance to chemicals or thermal attack.

Adding value through new design features Pressure to reduce costs in all areas of manufacturing means that the integration of bearing systems into mating components is becoming more common. The resulting assemblies are neater, more compact, faster to put together and offer the additional benefits of reducing space and mass, whilst resolving the issues of tolerance stack-up. Special design features can be incorporated into the bearing to improve its performance. These features include flanges, shafts and housings, which make fitting easier, faster and more accurate, which in turn, reduce assembly time and overall operating costs. For more information, please contact the Barden Marketing Department on +44 (0)1752 725531 or visit thewebsite at www.bardenbearings.co.uk

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Manufacturing Processing of

CUSTOM BEARING SOLUTION Napoleon Engineering Services provides insight into manufacturing of custom bearings

As global bearing giants increase their global footprint and concentrate on core product lines, the sources for custom bearings solutions has diminished significantly. In the past, it was common for bearing manufacturers to publish catalogs listing all of their nonstandard bearings for a variety of applications. Today, most “special” catalogs have gone out of print and so has the desire to make these bearings due to small production quantities and loss of original manufacturing capability. The exception is Napoleon Engineering Services (NES), the proud US manufacturer of custom ball and roller bearing solutions. According to NES president and chief engineer, Chris Napoleon, “There is no demand shortage in the market for high temperature, corrosion resistant, high fatigue life, and dimensionally unique solutions for industrial and aerospace bearing applications. That’s why we developed Denali Bearing Solutions.” Denali Bearings, manufactured in Olean, NY, stand for more than just custom bearings with unique characteristics or features to work in tough applications. According to Napoleon, “It also represents our philosophy of retracing the roots of our original bearing manufacturers in the US that placed a tremendous value on service. Where service means picking up the phone in two rings, listening to the customer, making what the application needs through proven engineering and manufacturing solutions, incorporating unique materials, processes and configurations into the design, and having regular Page: 86

communication with the customer about manufacturing status. It’s also important to provide additional services such as failure analysis, product testing capabilities, first article inspection, and material and process traceability. To do this and deliver the quantity that’s needed within a short time frame makes the overall experience more personal, satisfying, and reliable as opposed to buying a commodity and hoping it will work.” The Denali Bearing product and philosophy is not easy to execute and that’s why few have the capability to offering these services. Understanding the resources and steps necessary to manufacture a custom bearing reveals how challenging the Denali Bearing Solution is to produce. The first step in creating the Denali Solution was to establish broad manufacturing capability in soft turning, heat treating, hard turning and milling, grinding, nondestructive testing, specialty processes, superfinishing, inspection, and testing across a variety of bearing types in need of customization. They include deep groove, angular contact, thrust and self-aligning ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearing and needle roller bearings. Having manufacturing capability to produce this wide range of parts in size ranges from 20mm through 350mm outside diameter provides a lot of options for NES to support the custom bearing user. Over the last 10 years the development of hard turning and milling to incorporate unique physical features after the hardening process has really benefited the custom bearing manufacturer. Adding anti-rotation features, provisions for bearing monitoring devices such as thermocouple and accelerometers, offset flanges, oil lubrication ports, puller grooves, and threaded mounting holes are all possible through hard machining that was once very time consuming and costly to produce. Being able to manufacture special configurations is

Bearing News • Issue 6

important and valuable but it’s just the start. There are a variety of bearing steels available beyond the ubiquitous 52100 and 440C steels that offer enhanced operational benefits. If corrosion resistance is critical to bearing life within the operating environment then NES has several materials and heat treatment processes that maximize the resistance to corrosion. From space to medical applications the use of 440C is commonly used. But there are much better choices for improved corrosion resistance and wear resistance. The use of Cronidur® 30 and XD15NW are superior in both categories over 52100 and 440C. NES has heat treatment processes that maximize specific operational benefits related to corrosion resistance, fatigue life and high operating temperature. NES has also been working with NASA to manufacture bearings made from Nitinol 60, a unique material with the highest corrosion resistance capability of any rolling element bearing material available today. Nitinol 60 also possesses super elastic properties providing significantly higher resistance to true brinelling making it of particular interest to the space community due to launch load conditions. The challenge with this material is holding the bearing during machining. Conventional techniques using magnetism are unusable since Nitinol 60 is completely nonmagnetic. As a result NES has developed proprietary work holding techniques for use with its CNC grinding machines. The nonmagnetic characteristics, though challenging to the manufacturer, offers another unique product solution for NES application engineers and their customers. NES has observed two situations that

often require the use of specialty bearing materials. When existing equipment is pushed to extreme operating limits to increase machine output this results in increased loads and temperatures yielding thin life margins. The other situation involves new equipment where bearing design analysis is left to the end of the development process creating physical size constraints for the ideal bearing. In both of these cases the use of high fatigue life bearing steels can save the day. High life steels such as M50, M50NiL, and Pyrowear® 675 are a few of the materials NES can choose from to bolster bearing life. Using premium through and case-hardened steels, special heat treatment processes, and platings such as Titanium Nitride on cage wear surfaces allows for incredibly high life adjustment factors over standard bearing steel. “Increasing bearing life by more than 20 times yields huge operational benefits to the customer,” says Napoleon. Again, these materials are not easy to work with and require significant attention to detail in design of stock allowances and material removal after heat treatment to ensure surface, subsurface and core material properties. Another area of interest to NES, which is often overlooked is the importance of the cage that maintains rolling element separation and proper load distribution. Cage material, coatings, additives, clearances and lubrication provisions all play a major role in establishing and maintaining optimum bearing operation and offering the strength needed with minimal friction. “Designing a bearing using specialty material is rather easy,” according to Napoleon. “Having the right manufacturing operation and process technology is much more difficult. But when you can combine those two elements with an emphasis of servicing the customer, you find people lining up at the door looking for the Denali Bearing Solution.”

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The Importance of R and Cleanliness for Precision B

Raw Material Purity s Requirements Bearing Rings

The Importance of Raw Material Purity and Cleanliness Requirements for Precision Bearing Rings Dr. Pietro Prosino Director at PROSINO S.r.l, Explains the details of the production process and the importance of raw material purity and cleanliness requirements for precision bearing rings.

The production of high precision bearing rings requires a special production process and expertise. PROSINO S.r.l. is producing in Italy since 70 years a wide range of high precision rings from 3 mm to 300 mm OD for the bearing industry worldwide. The competence of the company starts from the sourcing of the best raw material, turning with different high-end technologies, heattreatment, grinding and vibro-polishing. We know that everything starts with the raw material cleanliness. How do you measure the steel purity? What are the cleanliness requirements? Raw material cleanliness is judged on the base of the presence of inclusions coming from the steel making process. In order to judge the level of inclusions we refer mostly to two international norms: ASTM E45 and ISO 4967. Both norms require the analysis of a metallographic sample followed by visual judgment. The inclusions types are sorted in 4 types: A (Sulfur), B (Alluminium), C (Silicium), D and DS (Oxides), which are subsequent divided in Thin Oxides and Heavy Oxides. The cleanliness requirements depend from the final

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application. Since our company is heavily involved in the manufacturing of super precision bearing rings, the standards are the most severe in the industry.

The table shows us an example of how inclusions are sorted.

an you give us an example case of steel C inclusions? Steel inclusions are particularly dangerous for the performance of bearings, since if they appear on ball or roller track they can compromise the whole bearing performance and eventually life. Inclusions are normally very hard and they can damage rolling elements like balls and rollers and lead to material cracks, increase of roughness and noise.

“Globular annealing heat treatment is very important for both the machinability and for the performance of the bearing.” Bearing News • Issue 6

hat is the difference between sulphides and W titanium carbides? Sulphides are characterized by low hardness and for this reasons, during steel making process (drawing and laminating) they acquire a thin and long shape and aligned in the direction of machining. Sulphides, in reasonable quantity, facilitate steel machinability, since they can be considered a sort of natural lubricating elements and help the chip breaking process (being lowmelting point compounds). Titanium carbides are elements that can be found less likely. These elements are characterized by very high hardness and for this reason, during the whole manufacturing process they do not change their roundish shape. These carbides could lead to problems during machining, like very high degree of tools change and if found on the bearing track they can damage rolling elements like balls and rollers

re there other process(es) which are from A high importance and determinative for the precision level? Globular annealing heat treatment is very important for both the machinability and for the performance of the bearing., because it allows to obtain homogeneous mechanical properties. The stress reliving treatment allows to reduce and control the residual stresses which are generated during hardening. A reduced amount of residual stress ensures the dimensional stability in the subsequent processing stages and during operation of the bearing. In this way the accuracy of the bearing is improved.

Special in house Double Anhealing and Subreezing Heat Treatment

hat is double-annealing and subfreezing W (S0)? Heat treatment operation

Double annealing consists a sequence of annealing at increasing temperature, while the cryogenic tempering consists in bringing the rings to a temperature of -80 Â°C (we use liquid nitrogen gasified) and subsequent tempering. These two types of treatment aim to reduce the amount of residual austenite given by the heat treatment of the bearings and avoid, therefore, that the austenite will change its status when the bearing is at work. A reduced amount of residual austenite ensures high dimensional stability over time and prevents the formation of cracks in operation.

What is your production capacity?

Special in house Double Anhealing and Subreezing Heat Treatment

hich inclusions can occur during tubing / W forging? Non metallic inclusions are not caused by tubing/ forging/laminating process, but by the composition and cleanliness of the steel bath during the initial steel making process. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we work only with steel sources that can give a certain assurance to us.

We produce every year more than 9.000.000 rings/year with dimensional range from bore 3mm until 300 mm of OD. We are specialized into spindle bearing rings and we work with 10 bearing producers located mostly in Europe and with their subsidiaries in US or Asia.

ow do you see the future of bearing industry in H Europe? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m confident that Europe will still produce a lot of bearings in the automotive sector and the high end industrial segment, due to excellent quality and stable price level. Page: 91

g n i r a Be s l a i r e t a M • Ceramics • Chrome • Steels • Stainless • Steels • Plastics

The bearing industry uses different materials for the production of the various bearing components. The materials are processed to achieve desirable properties to maximize bearing performance and life. The materials described here are the most commonly used.

Bearings Made of Chrome Steel - SAE 52100 The most common material used to produce the load carrying components in precision ball bearings, roller bearings, and tapered roller bearings is 52100 chrome steel. These components are the bearings inner and outer rings, balls and rollers. The chemical composition of this steel has high carbon and about 1.5% chromium content. Using controlled processing and heat-treating methods the finished bearing components have high strength to resist cracking and a hard surface to resist subsurface rolling contact fatigue. The typical surface hardness for bearing components made from this material ranges from 60- 64 on the Rockwell Hardness C scale (Rc).

Extra clean 52100 chrome steel The raw steel used to produce high precision miniature bearings is processed with additional melting steps. The result is a type of steel with very uniform fine grain material structure, the bearing contact surfaces can be super finished very smooth so the bearing is very quiet. The most common heat treating method for chrome steel is to thru harden the steel in a controlled atmosphere furnace. Bearings manufactured from chrome steel can operate at continuous temperatures up to 120°C. Where higher temperatures are encountered, it is possible to Heat Stabilize the bearing components. By varying the heat treating process, bearings can be produced so they are capable of operating at temperatures of 220°C, and higher. For these applications, the components must be subjected to a tempering treatment at a higher temperature corresponding to the service temperature. This elevated tempering treatment has a detrimental effect on the hardness of the material and the load carrying capacity of the bearing is reduced.

SAE 52100 is an excellent general purpose bearing steel. Due to its excellent hardness and wear resistance, it exhibits good fatigue life in rolling element bearings. However, the corrosion resistance of chrome steel is poor because of the low chromium content. The surfaces of the bearings must be protected with a coating of rust inhibitor or oil to stop oxidation. As can be seen in the following table, the standard chemical composition of chromium steel will vary depending on the country where it is produced.

Bearings Made of Stainless Steels Stainless steel materials are used to make bearing components because it is more resistant to surface corrosion due to the higher content of chromium (~18%) with the addition of nickel. The chromium reacts with oxygen To form a layer of chromium oxide on the surface, Creating a passive film.

Martensitic Stainless Steel - AISI 440C The carbon content in 400 series stainless steels is high enough so it can be hardened using standard heattreating methods up to Rc58. Due to the lower hardness, the load carrying capacity is 20% lower in bearings made from this material, than they are with 52100 chrome steel bearings. The level of carbon content means the components are magnetic. The corrosion resistance is “good”, when 440C material is exposed to fresh water and mild chemicals. This material is primarily used by US bearing manufacturers. Miniature bearings made from conventional 440C stainless steel will be slightly noisy because the large carbides that normally concentrate at the grain boundaries are exposed in the raceway finishing process. Larger bore bearings are not as affected by this condition. Bearings made from 400 series stainless steel can operate at higher temperatures than chrome steel, up to 250°C continuous. Bearings made from this material are generally more expensive than chrome steel bearings.

in hardness up to Rc 60. Although this is one of the most widely used stainless steels for ball bearings, there is no AISI designation for this material.

Martensitic Stainless Steel – SV30 Martensitic stainless steel can be modified during the processing of the raw steel by lowering the carbon content and introducing nitrogen as an alloying element. The nitrogen increases the saturation of the chromium which transforms into chromium nitrides, instead of chromium carbides. The result is a high strength, high hardness steel with a superior microstructure that extends fatigue life by as much 100%(double) in certain applications. This material also offers enhanced corrosion resistance, even better than 440C and ACD34 – up to 5 times better. Bearings manufactured from this material can carry a price premium of 20 - 40% but often can be more than offset by the gains in superior performance. More information is available in the SV30 Technical Information Sheet.

Heat Treatment of Bearing Steels When bearing steels are in their soft (unhardened) state, metallurgists refer to their structure as being in the pearlite state. In order to harden the steel it must be heated to a very high temperature and then cooled very rapidly. When heated in the heat treat furnace

Martensitic Stainless Steel–ACD34 / KS440 / X65Cr13 Many miniature bearing manufacturers make their rings and balls with a stainless steel material with slightly lower carbon and chromium content than AISI 440C known under several names including ACD34, KS440, and X65Cr13. After heat treatment, this material has smaller carbides so the bearing will have superior low noise characteristics while offering the same corrosion resistance as 440C. For bearings produced from this material, some manufacturers will publish the same load ratings as those for chrome steel. This is due to the use of tightly controlled heat treating methods that result Page: 93

to 1,750°F, the structure transforms from pearlite to what is known as austenite. After quenching (very rapid cooling), the structure then transforms from austenite to martensite. Once transformed to martensite, the steel becomes very hard. However, at this point it is not considered “thermally stabilized”. This is because not all of the austenite transforms into martensite during the quenching process. This phenomenon is called “retained “austenite”.

Bearings made from medium or low carbon alloy steel material are typically called “semi-precision” or “commercial grade” bearings. The typical materials are AISI8620 or AISI4320. The inner and outer rings are surface hardened in a heat-treating process call case hardening or carburizing. Bearings made from these materials cannot carry high loads or operate at high speeds and they do not have corrosion resistance. The bearings made from these materials are usually low cost.

If the steel is not thermally stabilized, the retained austenite will over an extended period of time (possibly years) transform into martensite. This transformation is accompanied by an increase in volume that is called metallurgical growth (not to be confused with thermal growth). Metallurgical Growth will cause a change in dimension and form of any steel parts such as bearings’ even at room temperature.

Low Carbon Alloy Steel

While not a problem with low precision commodity type bearings, in high precision (ABEC 5P, 7P, 9P) miniature bearings this lack of dimensional stability can cause problems. In order to eliminate this unwanted metallurgical growth, the steel must be subjected to thermal stabilization. This is accomplished by repeated cycles of chilling at -120 F and tempering to transform a large percentage of the retained austenite to martensite. The tables below show the chemical composition of the stainless steel alloys discussed above.

AISI316 Austenitic Stainless Steel Bearing components made from 300 series stainless steel materials have greater corrosion resistance and are non-magnetic because of the low carbon content. However, the tradeoff is that this material cannot be hardened so the bearings can only operate under low loads and speeds. The surfaces of the bearing undergo a chemical reaction With the oxygen called a passivation process; the passive Film developed on the surface protects the bearing from corrosion. The corrosion resistance is best when the bearing is not completely submerged in liquid (such as underwater applications). Bearings made from this material are usually special order items requiring minimum quantities; in addition they are more expensive.

Other 300 Series Stainless Steel The bearing shields, seal washers and ball retainers are sometimes made from AISI303 or AISI304 stainless steel because they have moderate corrosion resistance and are better for forming into the various shapes.

Bearings Made of Carbon Alloy Steel Carbon steel materials are used to produce various components of bearings and have two basic types, Medium versus Low Carbon Alloy Steel.

Medium Carbon Alloy Steel Page: 94

Low carbon steel is used in the production of bearing cages, metal shields and metal washers around which rubber is molded for seals. Common materials are AISI C1008 and C1010. The material needs to be protected from corrosion with a coating of oil/grease (cages) or by plating (shields). Additional information on Retainers and Closures can be found in the respective technical bulletins.

Bearings Made of Plastics and Non-Metallic Materials Cages Plastic materials are sometimes used for bearing cages. The most common is molded nylon plastic but molded acetal (POM) is also used. Other polymers are used in special bearing designs where specific performance requirements such as high speed, or low torque or low noise are identified. Cages made from phenolic (phenol-formaldehyde) materials are most common in high speed ball bearings used in machine tool equipment spindles. The phenolic cages are lightweight and have high strength. The cost of processing this material has led to an increase use of plastics in its place. Additional information is contained in the Cages technical bulletin. Seals The most common seal material is nitrile rubber or Buna rubber. It has good mechanical properties, can be used across a wide temperature range, is resistant to many chemicals and is low in cost. Materials such as Viton and Silicone are expensive elastomers and they’re usually used when an application requires their unique properties. Bearings Made of Ceramic Materials Bearings made with ceramic materials fall into a specialty niche in the bearing industry. The most common arrangement is a hybrid bearing, usually with stainless steel rings and ceramic balls. The most common ceramic material used is silicon nitride. Balls made from this material are hard, up to Rc78, and have a very smooth surface. Hybrid bearings are more expensive than all stainless steel bearings. Bearing News • Issue 6

TAPER ROLLERS

DEVELOPED For the 21(st) Century

NN, Inc. has developed a Class 1 taper roller product line. In keeping with its strategy to be the world leader in precision components; the concept, design parameters and manufacturing technology to produce this new standard in bearing rollers was developed at the NN R&D center located in Veenendaal Netherlands. This new roller technology provides a lower friction profile and significantly reduced noise signature that will benefit applications in many end markets such as Automotive and Industrial machinery. The Class 1 Rollers The design approach started with today’s high quality taper rollers and identified new parameters targeted at achieving lower rolling friction and a reduced noise signature. Once these parameters were decided, manufacturing technologies were developed to ensure these new standards could be met in high volume production. In order to achieve the end face quality, NN developed a specific honing process. This new honing process achieves a low surface roughness and allows various end face profiles to be created based on our customer’s application needs. We can produce a precise radius and a more spherical form to reduce the contact surface (friction) and create an optimal positioned contact point between the roller and the flange. “NN packs the Class 1 rollers in protective tubes. This is required since the new specification are so stringent that even the smallest amount of post process handling damage is not tolerable. “Eliminating additional handling combined with the new Class 1 design specifications provides a significant quality improvement to the final bearing,” says Hans Wetstein, Director of R&D for the Precision Bearing Components Group of NN. “The final result is a set of rollers with a very tight spread on diameter, conicity and profile combined with world class quality that delivers the next level of bearing performance.” Said Hans Wetstein, Director of R&D for the NN Precision Bearings Components group. “The final result is a set of rollers with a very tight spread on diameter, conicity, and profile combined with Page: 96

world class quality that delivers the next level of bearing performance”.

The Class 1 Process Technology To produce the Class 1 roller, NN developed a new proprietary centerless grinding process. The process uses a purpose built in-house machine with extreme base stiffness combined with a hydraulically locked feed wheel and blade slides. Integrated in the machine is an Active Geometry Control System (AGCS) which measures the geometry of 100% of the produced rollers. The self-learning software analyzes the collected data and can make predictions of the grinding wheel condition and behavior. With this constant stream of data, optimal control of the grinding machine is achieved with very Little operator attendance. The result is world class Rolling elements, the NN Class 1 taper. The Class 1 Roller is the new standard for taper roller bearings, delivering lower friction and reduced noise. Class 1 roller customers will also see a significant improvement in process efficiency and lower scrap rates in the bearing channel. Bearing News • Issue 6

Designing with

Hybrid Bearings If extreme speeds, temperatures and lifetimes interest you, then you’re at the right place. Erick Sloan from Carter Manufacturing Limited writes a follow up to designing with ceramic bearings, as an Engineer’s guide to designing with hybrid bearings. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid bearings followed by some specialist dry film lubrications and end with a few interesting examples of cutting-edge application already using hybrid bearings. Let us begin by defining the terms hybrid bearings versus ceramic bearings. For the purposes of this article, hybrid bearings are defined as a composite assembly of metallic rings and ceramic rolling elements while ceramic bearings have both ceramic rings and ceramic rolling elements.

Figure 1: A table of hybrid bearing suggested combinations

Hybrid bearings have many advantages that set them apart from conventional steel bearings; however, there are also a disadvantage or two. We’ll start with the advantages.

Advantages Increased Speed Capabilities • Silicon nitride is 58% less dense than conventional bearing steel which minimizes the centrifugal forces acting on the raceway as the ceramic balls rotate. This increases the speed capabilities by 20-50%. • Applications: Motorsport, Machine Tool Spindles, Turbomachinery and Dental Drills. Increased Lifetime • Silicon nitride is roughly 2 times harder than standard bearing steel. This causes the ceramic balls to polish the metallic raceway as it rotates creating a smoother running surface thus prolonging lifetime.

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• Applications: any application trying to maximize service life. Run Lubrication Free • Hybrid bearings are able to run lubrication free as the interaction between steel and ceramic do not induce micro-welds. • Applications: Ultra High Vacuum, Cryogenic, Space/ Aerospace, Scientific Instrumentation and Chemical/ Medical. • Extreme Temperature Capabilities • Cryogenic temperatures, -273⁰C, are achieved due to silicon nitrides low thermal expansion coefficient and ability to run without lubrication. • Applications: Cryogenics, Scientific Instrumentation and Space.

Bearing News • Issue 6

educed Static Load R Capacity • Due to the brittle characteristics of ceramic materials, the static load capacity is reduced by about 30% from the conventional steel equivalent while the dynamic load rating remains the same. imited Availability L • Hybrid bearings are highly specialized bearings and because of this, the supply chain is minimal. It is important to have a trustworthy supplier with a large investment in high quality stock such as Carter Manufacturing Limited.

Figure 2: CAD render of hybrid angular contact bearing for a cryogenic pump

• Hybrid bearings with full complement construction and specialist high temperature alloys such as BG-42® can achieve temperatures of up to 900⁰F (482⁰C). • Applications: Gas Turbines, Jet Propulsion and Exhaust Butterfly Valves. Minimized Start-up/Running Torque • Hybrid bearings don’t require lubrication, are harder and have lower inertia than conventional bearings. This minimizes the start-up and running torque allowing the bearings to initiate and sustain rotation effortlessly. • Applications: Scientific Instrumentation, Paper Mill and Piezoelectric Motor. Corrosion Resistance • When paired with stainless steel or a Unasis XtraChrome coated races, hybrid bearings can provide vastly superior corrosion resistance. Hybrid bearings using Cronidur® 30 races exhibit extreme corrosion resistance without compromising on hardness unlike 316 Stainless Steel. • Applications: Offshore, Ultra High Vacuum, Cryogenic and Food Processing.

Sensitive to Quality • Ceramics, as a material, are brittle and therefore sensitive to cracks, flaws and contamination from manufacturing. Manufacturing ceramic balls requires technical expertise and rigorous quality control. It is important to know that your hybrid bearings come from a reputable source to prevent premature failure. • Cater Manufacturing Limited is the European master distributor for Napoleon Engineering Services, the premium manufacturer of custom hybrid bearings from the USA which run small volumes with full aerospace certification AS9100 for flight critical bearings.

Electrical Insulation • Ceramic materials impede the electrical current through the bearing which makes hybrid bearings ideal for applications requiring electrical insulation. • Applications: Electric Motors and Scientific Instrumentation.

Disadvantages

Figure 3: Examples of hybrid and ceramic bearings

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ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

• Increased Speed Capabilities • Increased Lifetime • Run Lubrication Free • Extreme Temperature Capabilities • Minimized Start-up/Running Torque • Corrosion Resistant • Electrical Insulation

• Reduced Static Load Capacity • Limited Availability • Sensitive to Quality • Increased Cost

Figure 4: A table of the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid bearings

Increased Cost • Hybrid bearings are more expensive than their standard steel bearing equivalents. However, in general, they are much cheaper than ceramic bearings. Carter is a highly competitive supplier that doesn’t compromise on availability, quality or technical expertise.

Dry Film Lubrications Hybrid bearings are capable of running lube-dry but that doesn’t mean they don’t benefit from specialist dry film lubrications such as: Unasis XtrMD Coating, XtraTD Coating and XtraChrome Coating. XtrMD Coating Unasis XtrMD coating is a Molybdenum Disulphide based coating that can be applied to a variety of components. Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) is a naturally mined inorganic material that has become extremely popular as a dry film lubricant due to its availability, price and advantages over comparable dry film lubricants. Unais XtrMD coating acts as a sacrificial lubricant which increases the bearing life by reducing the coefficient of friction and increasing the speed capability. XtraTD Coating Heavier and more stable than Molybdenum Disulphide, Tungsten Disulphide has been extensively used throughout a number of NASA, military and aerospace applications. With an even lower friction coefficient than Molybdenum Disulphide and the ability to slow corrosion in some materials, Tungsten Disulphide is a preferred coating in extreme environments. It can be used as a solution to problems such as excessive wear, seizing, galling and fretting. The coating itself is only 0.5 microns thick and will not bond to itself, negating build up. XtraChrome Coating XtrChrome is a nodular thin dense chrome coating applied to the bearing components in a process that ensures precise coating deposition. The process offers many

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advantages including superior corrosion resistance, increased surface hardness (78 HRC), increased bearing life, cost reduction, reduced production lead time and energy saving properties due to reduced surface friction compared to conventional bearing stainless steel.

Applications Ultra High Vacuum Ultra high vacuum applications require components with minimal outgassing properties in order to efficiently draw and sustain a vacuum. The hybrid configuration is ideal as they can run lubrication free with vacuum compatible dry film lubrications. The most popular vacuum compatible configuration is 440C stainless steel races, silicon nitride balls and a stainless steel or PEEK cage. PEEK, polyether ether ketone, is an organic thermoplastic polymer made popular by its stiffness and temperature stability in extreme environments. This configuration is utilized in many deposition stages, mass spectrometers and multistage goniometers among many others. Cryogenic At extreme temperatures, cryogenic applications demand the most of their bearings. Silicon nitride has a significantly lower thermal expansion coefficient than steel which allows the balls to retain their shape and rolling dynamics while running lubrication free. Fits and tolerances are of critical importance when dealing with thermal expansion and contraction. Most cryogenic applications utilize stainless steel for their bearing housing material which matches with hybrid bearings in terms of thermal expansion. Carter’s expertise will provide confidence and security for applications like cryogenic pumps, rotatory joint for a liquid nitrogen couplings and cryogenically cooled tool spindles. Electric Motors Hybrid bearings have proved to be exceedingly popular in electric motor applications. In particular the growing wind energy market has seen major benefit in the use of hybrid bearings. Issues arise in electric motor bearings when an

Bearing News • Issue 6

electrical current is passed through the bearing causing electrical pitting. The current will cause arcing to occur between the race and ball leading to dramatically increased wear, noise and lubricant degradation. Once this has occurred the bearing has to be replaced. Due to the insulating properties of ceramic materials, hybrid bearings do not allow the current to be passed between the races, thus overcoming all the electrical pitting issues found with conventional steel bearings. This coupled with the additional benefits such as longer life and higher speed capacity of hybrid bearings, means that electrical motors have been revolutionized.

Conclusion Hybrid bearings have proven to have substantial benefits for many industries. Their increased speed capabilities, increased lifetime, ability to run lubrication free, minimized start-up and running torque, corrosion resistance and electrical insulation provide solutions to many extreme environment applications. Although there is a reduction in static load capacity, limitation of availability, sensitively to quality and increased cost, the advantages dwarf the disadvantages. In many applications when combined with dry film lubrications like Unasis XtrMD, Unasis XtraTD and Unasis XtraChrome coatings, hybrid bearings can drastically improve speed ratings, lifetime, hardness and corrosion resistance. These combinations have been tested and evaluated in many industries including ultra high vacuum, cryogenic and electric motors among many others. If you find yourself in a situation where your bearings are not performing to the standard you desire, hybrid bearings could be the solution. Please contact Carter Manufacturing Limited with details of your application and our experts will advise the best bearing solution for you or visit www.carterbearings. co.uk.

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Plain Bearings

“Plain by Name But Not by Nature” Many specifiers fall into the trap of treating plain bearings as a commodity design element, opting for the same product time and time again, with no real regard to the application. Here Paul Mitchell, managing director for Bowman International, explores the importance of correct specification when it comes to optimising performance and reducing both planned and emergency maintenance. With many more material and design options to choose from that one might expect, it could be said that plain bearings are plain by name but not by nature. For design engineers who work in a closed field specifying component parts for a specific environment, specifying plain bearings can become a tick-box exercise. However the same can’t be said for aggressive or unusual applications, where it is far more important to select your bearings on a project-by-project basis. The problem often starts when a designer relies on the same bearing even though the application has evolved – the loads get bigger, the speeds get faster or another variable is introduced such as a change in chemical or the withdrawal of adequate lubrication or maintenance access. A bearing is a small part with a big responsibility and like all components, it has a limit; so the key is to

respecify, rather than push the boundaries of the bearing you are used to using.

Specifying the right plain bearing The guiding principal for an engineer is that the bearing is the wear element and therefore the shaft must be made of a harder material than the bearing. Knowing the shaft material and its performance properties before commencing bearing selection is crucial and combined with that all important consideration of cost, your manufacturer or distributor of choice will be able to assist you in making the right choice for each project. There are a huge number of variables at play when selecting the right bearing and if you are using a shaft which has not been rated by your bearing supplier, then many of the commonly used ‘lifetime calculations’ will still leave margin for error when it comes to marrying the right shaft with the right bearing. One of the main parameters used in correct bearing specification is the Pressure Velocity ratio (PV), the relationship between load and speed, which can give an important indication to the suitability of a bearing. Like all lifetime calculations though, it doesn’t offer a complete picture, so further investigation into the nature of the load and speed is essential. The type of load, whether intermittent or continuous, and whether there is a shock load to consider are all important factors, as well as the coefficient of friction and the lubrication within the system. 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.

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Bearing News • Issue 6

Two market leading solutions For many harsh or demanding applications, choosing either a self-lubricating bearing or one which has been created from a state-of-the-art load-resistance alloy could provide optimised performance where many bearings would simply fail. Let us look at these two potential solutions in more detail: Self-lubricating bearings Self-lubricating bearings, like Bowman’s Oilless® range, are also referred to as plug bearings, because they are lubricated for life with solid graphite or PTFE plugs. With lubricating graphite or PTFE mechanically forced into holes throughout the entire bearing, a film of lubrication is transferred onto the shaft when operation begins, offering continuous lubrication over long periods without maintenance. With the capability to withstand high temperatures up to 425°C (800°F) and cryogenic temperatures down to -200°C (-400°F), they are ideally suited for applications where no external lubrication can be provided, for high temperature applications where oil or grease would carbonise, and for bearings which will be immersed in water. This includes high temperature applications such as ovens, kilns, dryers and injection moulding machines. Wet application would include submersed pumps, textile finishing, chemical processing, water turbines and lock gates – all of which are hostile environments and difficult to access for servicing, which clearly makes a maintenance-free solution hugely appealing.

Higher load capacity bearings Manufacturers worldwide are investing in the creation of higher load capacity bearings. When it comes to product development of this nature the BowMet® range from Bowman has been hailed as the biggest advancement in plain bearings in 70 years, offering a higher load capacity and longer life than comparable bearings, together with outstanding heat, speed and corrosion capabilities. Its static load of 820 N/mm2 is incomparable for plain rolled bearings. All of this means with BowMet®, for the first time, rolled bearings can deliver the load capacity required for the heaviest of applications and harshest of conditions, from agricultural machinery, construction plant and large marine vessels, to motorsport vehicles, cranes and many more. Manufactured from the ToughMet® alloy, developed by Materion in the USA, it can deliver increased reliability, reduced downtime, fewer warranty claims and lower maintenance costs for a host of applications across many sectors. All with the increased flexibility, reduced wastage and no minimum order quantities that come with standard rolled bearings. For more information on Bowman International’s allencompassing portfolio of plain bearings visit www. bowman.co.uk or for advice with specifying the right bearing for your project call 01235 462 500. Page: 103

INDUSTRIAL MARKETING

STRATEGY

DURING THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Industrial Marketing Strategy The classical approach and marketing fundamentals are changing at a fast pace in todays dynamic economical and industrial environment. Many industrial companies with the perfect solution, good price/quality ratio and high added-value products and services can experience problems and get lost in the internet driven, globalizing industrial environment, where the transformation of knowledge into the company processes are more complex than it has ever been. Companies with a bad product in a good packaging can reaching out to the potential OEM and MRO audience by adapting to the current changes, implementing knowledge and using the right channels. There are some important aspects that every industrial company needs to take into consideration while workingout there marketing strategy. Some of these fundamental points to adapt and spread-out your message into the target market are explained below.

How to work-out the right Industrial Marketing Strategy? 1. Understand Maintenance It is very important to optimize the maintenance practices of your customers and understanding the complexity of managing maintenance. Front line operators are empowered to own their machinery. They identify, describe and assess causes and communicate machine information to plant wide team to keep machinery running. Listen to your customer’s employers at the maintenance level to get a better understanding of their needs. Match your product and services with the maintenance, stock and distribution strategy of your customer and gain maximum efficiency by maintaining driven engineering and maintaining operator driven proactive reliability. 2. Offer Customized Solutions and Engineering The ability to adapt your product and services through the changing customer needs is essential to keep successful. According to some experts an ever-increasing shift from industrial components to entire systems is currently taking place. Another evolution within the industry is to offer engineering and design optimization in order to reduce the number of system components. Finally, there is also the simplification of systems Page: 106

maintenance; thanks to intelligent solutions or intelligent products. Think about how you can customize your solutions and engineering products; and work out an internal mechanism to create technical arguments for telling your story to the target audience. 3. Separate your strategy for OEM and MRO Build your strategy on a wide variety of solution products, capacity designing like reduced size, increased carrying capacity etc., For Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers. Help them with design and engineering support and a flexible cost management policy. You can facilitate the similar strategy for Maintenance Repair and Operation (MRO) customers like the OEM customers; however, give them extra criteria and technical arguments of product maintenance ability so they can choose according to their desire and budget. Flexible customer service such as less lead time, stock and distribution optimization will be essential to grow in the MRO market segment in the future. 4. Create effective Lead Generation campaigns In marketing, lead generation is the initiation of consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business. Leads can be created for purposes such as list building, e-newsletter list acquisition, or sales leads. Long term leads require long term attention in the form of regular and relevant contact with your company. However, its’ likely that all your leads are created equal. As a part of your campaign, plan an entire series of touch points: emails, phone calls, letters, each of which contain a call to action, such as downloading a white paper, watching a video, signing up for a newsletter, pre-registering for a webinar. Establish firm response rules for your campaign which every attendee is bound to follow. Lead nurturing campaigns are spread out over time; you will need to develop a schedule for when and how often you reach out to prospects. Define the entire campaign beforehand and synchronize it with important industry segment events and exhibitions. 5. Connect and learn from industry experts if people in your immediate network are unable to help you, the next best thing you can do is seek experts’ help. Bearing News • Issue 6

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Simply search on Linkedin or Google about the industry experts and you will be amazed to see a very long list. Read about them and their work and you will know which exactly can help you. Success in any field involves constant learning, changing and evolving. You must have up-to-date knowledge about the industry and market that you’re working on. The next step is to publicize your learning, compile the wisdom you gleaned from the industry experts and adapt it into your marketing strategy 6. Create synergy between platforms Synergy is basically the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. Getting into different aspects of your industry will help you understand your customer needs. Equipment synergies, rotating machinery developments, logistic synergies, stocking, sourcing, manufacturing synergies, new designs, installation guidelines, monitoring basics, alignment, operator issues, maintenance, reparations, reliability topics and product redesign are some of these aspects which will help you. Gather the knowledge from different perspectives of your industry in order to see the whole picture and revise your marketing strategy accordingly.

SERVICES MAINTENANCE

LUBRICATION SOLUTION

BEARINGS CONDITION MONITORING

SEALS

industrial platforms of the world wide web. • The best way to start with digital marketing is to build a good company website. This includes contemporary ways of making it, and the numerous facilities you can offer your audience. Make sure that your website is device friendly, meaning it can be opened via a number of devices and that the layouts vary accordingly. Such adaptable websites have more users and reflects trust and professionality than normal websites. • Publish press releases. These short, news-oriented documents offer you an easy and effective way to announce new products, publish the results of research, promote important company events or changes and gain attention for other important news. The more your press release reads like a story written by a reporter, the easier it is for editors to pick up a story and run with it. • Maintain beneficial connection with the industrial media; you can strengthen your relationship with industrial media by personally following up on any press releases you send out, or even customizing the press release for a particular media outlet. Built a media network for reaching out to your target industry and audience. You can personally contact editors for your news because they always have space that they need to fill up so take this advantage and come up with attractive novel like ways of using your products for these editors to look by. • Use the right social media channels: Some big scale companies use every social media channel to market their product because they can afford to budget in such a way. Another great tip is to focus on the digital channels where your audience s mostly active. Opt for the channel that is mostly viewed by your users to enhance sales and build-up customer base relations. Usage of Social Media in the Industrial sector

POWER TRANSMISSION

7. Implement and use digital marketing Show what you have to offer. The world wide web will reach 4 billion users in 2020. This is a great opportunity for you to explain potential customers that what you are offering is unique. The internet is a major source for people to gather information about companies, around 80% of engineers, technicians, and decision makers in the industry are using the internet for their researches. Reach the right audience with your online communication on the

According to a research report on the digital media use in the industrial sector, the top three workrelated digital resources for technical professionals of any age have stayed the same in recent years: general search engines (used by 89 percent), supplier websites (75 percent) and online catalogs (74 percent). Online communities have seen a significant growth among younger engineers, with 39 percent now using them.

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Over the years, through advancements in both ultrasound instrumentation and software, more maintenance and reliability personnel have begun to use ultrasound technology for more than just compressed air leak detection. Two applications in particular have seen a large increase in usage: condition monitoring of bearings and rotating equipment and condition based lubrication using ultrasound.

BEARINGS REMOTE MONITORING WITH ULTRASOUND Page: 110

Bearing News â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 6

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. • Ultrasonic technology has proven itself to be extremely reliable in predictive maintenance, saving thousands upon thousands of dollars and hours of lost productivity. • There are remote monitoring options for both mechanical and electrical applications

Why remote monitoring bearings with ultrasound? Remote monitoring with vibration analysis and temperature has been available for many years. For ultrasound, it’s a fairly new addition to the technology’s repertoire of capabilities.

in friction. The higher friction also increases how much ultrasonic noise the bearing produces, indicated by a rise in the decibel (dB) level. While greasing a bearing that is need of lubrication, one should see a gradual decrease in the dB level. Once the dB level has fallen back to a normal or baseline level, greasing can be ceased. If the bearing already has a sufficient amount of grease when greasing, then the dB level will slowly begin to rise as more grease is applied. That’s because over-lubrication also increases friction in the bearing housing, thus producing a higher dB level. The inspector would notice the rise in dBs as grease is applied and would stop greasing. In the P-F interval once a failure has begun, ultrasound is excellent at finding it. These are bearing failures that can be detected even before changes in vibration. If you’re monitoring critical assets, ultrasound and vibration should be used together in an effort to potentially detect multiple failure modes that may be missed when only using one technology alone.

When considering adding ultrasound to your condition monitoring program, the decision ultimately depends on what assets you would like to monitor. Once you have determined the assets that you would like to monitor, you need to identify the failure modes related to those assets. Understanding how those assets will fail will help you to determine which condition monitoring tool can be applied to find those failure modes. Ultrasound is a proven technology that can detect certain mechanical faults much sooner than other technologies. By sensing subtle changes in ultrasonic amplitude, ultrasound is adept at finding early stage premature bearing faults. This is demonstrated by the I-P-F Curve:

An ultrasound instrument can be connected to a connected to an eight channel switch box for an easy and quick inspection of multiple bearings.

Remote Monitoring – Bearings Inspection Remote monitoring of bearings and other rotating equipment with ultrasound can be done one of two ways:

I-P-F Curve showing ultrasound as an early indicator of a potential problem in bearings and rotating equipment.

Ultrasound plays a critical role in helping to extend the life of bearings in the I-P interval by condition lubrication of bearings. Studies have shown that the majority of premature bearing failures can be attributed to lubrication. Whether it’s over-lubrication, under-lubrication, using the wrong grease for the wrong application, mixing incompatible greases, or lubricant contamination, all of it comes back to improper grease application. Ultrasound can prevent over-and under-lubrication, thus potentially eliminating a large number of bearing failures. When a bearing lacks lubrication, there is an increase

The first is to use wired remote access sensors (RAS) which are mounted to the assets when it is safe to do so, and the cables brought out to a safe area (outside of guarding) where they can be connected directly to a portable hand-held ultrasound instrument. The cable lengths for the ultrasound remote access sensors can be made to lengths up to 30.48 meters. The ultrasound remote access sensors can also be connected to a junction box or switch box. As many as twelve ultrasound RAS’s can be connected to one switch box. Similar to the way vibration analysis switch boxes work, the ultrasound sensors are connected to the switch box, along with the hand-held ultrasound instrument. ,During analysis, the inspector turns the dial to the next point to collect a reading. Remote monitoring with ultrasound can also be done continuously. For continuous monitoring with ultrasound, UE Systems offers a sensor called an Ultra-Trak 750.

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The Ultra-Trak 750 ultrasound remote monitoring sensor from UE Systems.

This is another studmounted sensor, but instead of connecting directly to a hand-held ultrasound instrument, this sensor has a 4-20mA output that allows for easy connection to existing plant process monitoring systems.

An audio output also allows for sound recording for further diagnostics or comparing baseline sound files to alarm level sound files. Alarm levels and dB threshold settings can be used with the Ultra-Trak sensor that allow for alarm conditions to be noted and for trending potential Problems over time. Ideal applications for this sensor could include: high pressure safety relief valves, robotic applications, early warning of failure for a mechanical asset, flow disruption, and prompting a lubrication PM. The Ultra-Trak can also be wired into wireless transmitters to transmit the ultrasound data into existing monitoring systems. The wireless option may be ideal for areas that cannot be accessed due to safety, or areas that are hard to reach such as overhead cranes, bearings in wind turbines, robots, or remote assets away from the main plant or facility.

Remote Monitoring with Ultrasound â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Conclusions Remote monitoring with ultrasound is a viable option for maintenance and reliability programs that are already monitoring assets traditionally with hand-held devices, and for programs where ultrasound is currently not a technology that is being used. Because it is very complimentary to vibration analysis for mechanical inspection, ultrasound will only enhance condition monitoring efforts already in use. Using ultrasound for mechanical inspection will deliver an increased level of monitoring for critical assets and assets that are currently not being monitored with vibration analysis or other condition monitoring technologies. Anywhere you would consider using traditional data collection techniques, remote monitoring can be a viable option as well. In areas that are inaccessible, dangerous, or remote, remote monitoring with ultrasound may be your only option. Additionally, a multi-technology approach to condition monitoring increases your chances of finding multiple failure modes and detecting them early enough to make the necessary repairs before they become catastrophic. For more information about the Ultra-Trak 750 and on how you can inspect and lubricate bearings using Ultrasound, you can surf to www. uesystems.eu Author: Adrian Messer, CMRP, UE Systems Page: 112

Bearing News â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 6

Made in Germany

A new standard for production of balls and rollers

BR Manufacturer WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH Im Rehsiepen 35 42369 Wuppertal Phone +49 (202) 46 68-0

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WAFIOS (Shanghai) Machinery Co.,Ltd 威夫斯(上海)机械有限公司 No. 99-1, Hongjian Road, Minghang District, Shanghai China, 200336 威夫斯(上海)机械有限公司上海市闵行区虹建路99号1幢1楼 200336 tony_wafios@163.com Mobile Phone: 0086 13814861671 Precision Parts Forming Machinery

Case Study

Beverage Application Solutions for

SEALMASTER® SOLUTION Sealmaster Reduced Maintenance PN Gold Bearings with stainless steel housings, bolt on end caps and back side shields were recommended to replace the current bearing design. Sealmaster reduced maintenance bearings with tapered lands for improved oil flow into the ball path have a phosphorous nickel coated raceway to help prevent corrosion and a high performance triplelip seal to prevent water from entering the bearing. These reduced maintenance bearings do not require any Additional re-lubrication.

KEY CUSTOMER NEED(S) AND BENEFITS FROM SEALMASTER PRODUCTS The brewery needed to increase bearing life and prevent corrosion. By switching to the Sealmaster PN Gold Reduced Maintenance Bearings, bearing life was extended from six months to eighteen months without failure. The result was a $30,000 estimated annual cost savings on this particular line.

• Set Screws: 300 Stainless Steel • Grease Fitting: 303 Stainless Steel • Grease: Sealmaster GoldPlex-FGenvironments.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS • High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel Plating: Provides exceptional corrosion resistance. • High Performance Seal (HPS): Triple lip multidirectional sealing with excellent chemical resistance. • Wide Outer Race: Provides extra grease capacity. • Zone Hardened Inner Race: Provides longer life and quieter operation, improved locking reliability. • Unique Metal Land Riding Retainer: Corrosion resistant, improves lubrication circulation. • Lock Pin and Dimple System: Provides direct lubrication path and +/- 2° static misalignment and prevents outer race rotation.

PN Gold bearings feature a high phosphorus, electroless nickel coated steel insert and a patented, triple lip/multidirectional high performance seal. Specially engineered for industries with corrosive washdown environments such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and chemical processing. The PN Gold mounted ball bearings provide outstanding performance in demanding corrosive environments.

COMPONENTS MATERIAL • Housing: 316 Passivated Stainless Steel or High Strength Composite • Bearing Races: High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel Plated 52100 Steel • Balls: 440C Stainless Steel • Retainer: Unique Metal Land Riding Retainer • Seal: High Performance Seal (HPS)

Use Sealmaster PN Gold to avoid these kind of situations More information about SealMaster solutions for the beverage applications can be found on www.RegalPTS. com or contact Sealmaster.PTSolutions@regalbeloit.com Page: 115

Producing quality, a precept for JESA Image 2: Super finishing centreless machine

Enjoying international success while respecting typical Swiss values, JESA, a specialist in personalised solutions for precision ball bearings and products containing engineering polymers, has for more than 45 years made quality, innovation and precision its guiding principles. JESA continues to invest in production equipment, combining high technology with modern techniques, in order to achieve its mission of high quality and meet the special and demanding needs of its clients. Two new items of equipment recently joined its range of machinery.

Fine honing and superfinish With a focus on new and demanding markets, especially the requirement for high precision, JESA now offers accuracy classes up to ABEC 9. To achieve this, the ball bearing specialist has acquired machinery for fine honing the surfaces of bearings and the superfinish of the outside diameter. The fine-honing procedure is a method for correcting surfaces and obtaining optimal alignment of parts. Material is removed at high cutting speeds over a wide contact surface. During this process, the part undergoes reduced loads in order to obtain excellence in terms of surface quality, flatness and parallelism of the machined surfaces. Diametrical dispersion is also improved, providing a considerable increase in the stability of the reaming process and ball bearing raceways, while reducing waste. The investments JESA has made represents an efficiency benefit for the entire process because the speed of production is also increased. (image 1) JESA quality requirements also extend to increasing the accuracy of the outside diameter. The ball bearing specialist has therefore acquired a new, super finishing centreless machine which halves the radial tolerance range of the external diameter. JESA is proud to be able to achieve such quality in terms of circularity, cylindricity, shape and surface finish, as well as in the aesthetic appearance indispensable in some sectors of industry. (image 2)

Produce quality and not control it These technologies have proven their benefits in areas such as spindle bearings, vacuum pumps, precision positioning systems, robotics and electric motors. These recent investments bring numerous benefits, both technical and aesthetic. In fact, they allow JESA to attain its ambitions of very high precision. But a change of paradigm was needed. At JESA, quality is not controlled, it is produced. Image 1: Machinery for fine honing Page: 116

Bearing News â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 6

Call: +44 (0)1903 891200 Email: sales@ballbiz.co.uk Web: www.ballbiz.com

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In addition, our elite production division manufactures high precision CMM reference and tooling balls as well as modified ball products for many different specialized applications.

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Measurement of bearing surface with OmniLux 4R

CAN OPTICAL METROLOGY IMPROVE BEARING LIFE AND PREDICT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS? Production and Maintenance of Bearings In today’s highly competitive global marketplace for bearing manufacturers, the ability to produce bearings that can perform to the highest quality and reliability standards under ever tighter cost constraints remains the key challenge. Especially when exposed to hostile and challenging environments where product field failure and associated recovery costs can mean the difference between profit or loss and damage to reputation. So the key question is, can advancements in optical metrology improve bearing life and predict service requirements? RedLux, a UK based company, has been at the heart of this development. The focused team have developed a range of optical coordinate measuring machines, which have the ability to easily measure complex parts such as those exhibiting curved, cylindrical, conical and freeform surfaces with unprecedented levels of accuracy, repeatability and throughput. Manufacturers understand that unplanned maintenance and downtime result in lost productivity and profits. While it is clear that product failure can affect safety and reputation there is also the advantage of reduced operating costs to be gained through the improved understanding of detailed wear characteristics over known operating conditions. Meanwhile, “with new developments in optical sensors and advancements in analytical software, the ability to understand the effects on bearing surfaces on a range of materials is now possible,” says Christian Maul, CEO and founder of RedLux Ltd. Unlike preventative maintenance, which uses anticipated and planned downtime to resolve unplanned breakdowns, predictive bearing maintenance aims to ensure that action is taken before any problems or failures occur. Detailed analysis of the complete bearing surface can not only offer the ability to predict failure but also can provide insight into when failure will occur. This enables companies to repair or replace parts before failure and helps eliminate both planned and unplanned downtime. It also allows companies to develop products which have a greater service-life with reduced Page: 118

maintenance costs. Industries which have an interest in predicting bearing life include: Aerospace: The ability to predict mechanical failures in advance is not only critical to safety but can reduce flight delays or cancellations. Predictive servicing based on accurate measurement and analysis of bearings and critical bearing surfaces can greatly enhance service life information. Wind Turbine manufacturers: Replacing a bearing on a wind turbine at sea which is no longer generating power can run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds. Extending bearing life is one of the most important priorities facing the designers. The oil and gas industry: The use of inspection data to predict the failure of seals, valves and cutting heads can have a significant positive impact on the environment by prevention of leaks and spills. Medical implants: Complex free form bearing surfaces require precise fitment to avoid risk of discomfort for the patient or early failure of the implant. Using an optical CMM system means there is no stylus or touch probe that could wear or damage the component or be damaged itself. Furthermore, using a white light sensor technology eliminates the need for hazardous lasers and X-rays from the production environment. Bearing News • Issue 6

considerable amount of research is in progress on fault analysis, condition monitoring techniques and optimised maintenance procedures that should enable actual operation, maintenance and administrative costs of the future to be held at modest levels and thus contribute towards the cost-effectiveness of advanced bearing technology.

So what are the key benefits offered by optical CMM technology?

OmniLux 4R with White Light Interferometer head

Two non-contact sensor technologies which offer complimentary capabilities are white-light chromatic confocal sensors and white-light-interferometers. These technologies have the added advantage of being proven by widespread use over many years of industrial metrology. With this in mind RedLux have developed the OmniLux, a new range of optical CMM systems which support both chromatic confocal and white-light-interferometry sensors. Using a chromatic confocal sensor OmniLux allows the complete three-dimensional surface profile of a bearing component to be measured at unprecedented speed, allowing assessment of the form, wear and surface finish to sub-micron levels. Meanwhile, for more detailed nanometre level measurement, as is required to investigate and characterise race surface defects and functional surface structures, OmniLux allows controlled and complete coverage of the bearing surface with a white-light-interferometry microscope sensor. OmniLux is able to reveal complex machining structures on the surface that would potentially be hidden with the use of conventional machines or visual inspection. Using its automated measurement capability OmniLux is able to provide complete measurement of the bearing race surface with detailed statistical analysis of defects such as surface indents that are superior to the roughness.

• Reassurance of safe continued product operation • Improved operating efficiencies • Extension of product life • Reduced cost of maintenance • Less likelihood of secondary damage to equipment • Reduced inventory of spare parts • Improved product quality • Improved profit margins • Better competitiveness in a challenging industry

Conclusions Metrology on complex surfaces with an optical CMM has the capability to provide fast, detailed and highly accurate measurements that are rich in data. These capabilities are not only crucial for R&D applications but are also highly valuable to production applications where traceability and the support of upstream and downstream processes is critical to success. Christian Maul, Ph.D., has been working in the field of non-contact ultra-precision metrology since 1997. In 2005, he founded RedLux Ltd, a company that specialises in the development of non-contact ultra-precision coordinate measuring machines for quality control in manufacturing and R&D, initially focusing on solving difficult measurement problems in orthopaedics and aerospace.

Overview of bearing form

WLI measurement after torus race surface form is removed. 1.8 x 1.8 mm region of interest showing the presence of surface texture and indentations.

It is often important to be able to measure the complete surface of interest as this gives the possibility of accurately evaluating wear in the context of an overall form. It enables an understanding of the mechanisms of failure that a simple 2D trace with a stylus instrument or a measurement over a small section of the wear scar cannot convey. Access to data rich measurements offered by optical CMMs means that R&D and maintenance engineers can now have a greater understanding of design life. It means that scheduled maintenance intervals can be adjusted in order to strike an optimum balance between the cost of maintenance and the cost of unscheduled fault repairs. A

Author: Dr. Christian Maul P: +44 (0)23 8026 3095 www.redlux.net

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Demonstrates Lifting Improvements of Surface Treatments on

Bearing & Wind Turbine Gearbox Life Dr. Raja Pulikollu, Chief Material Scientist at Sentient Science Dr. Harpal Singh, Sentientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technical Expert on Bearing Coatings

Dr. Raja Pulikollu

Wind turbine drivetrain components such as bearings and gears are built to withstand and operate under harsh environments. They endure a wide range of challenging operating conditions with respect to temperature, wind speeds, load, and lubrication. These conditions individually or in-combination with material quality leads to premature failures of the rolling element bearings and ultimately results in high repair costs and revenue loss due to expensive breakdowns.

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Dr. Harpal Singh

Wind energy companies continually seek ways to reduce their turbine operating costs. Accordingly, a variety of tribological surface engineering treatments on bearing components have become a crucial part of O&M strategies to increase bearing reliability. The surface treatments can be effective in reducing or eliminating various tribological related failures. Rolling element bearings that operate under ideal conditions, have a thick lubricant film which separates

Bearing News â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 6

the contacting surfaces and the bearing is said to be operating under mixed-elastohydrodynamic regime. However, if a thin film is separating the contacting surfaces, and the asperity interactions become significant, then the bearing is operating under a boundary lubrication regime. In wind turbine bearings, situations commonly occur where contacting surfaces become starved of lubrication and can experience tribological damages such as wear, scoring, galling, fretting or false brineling. Tribological coatings offer solutions for bearings operating under a boundary lubrication regime. Coatings make excellent barriers to asperity interactions between contacting surfaces to prevent tribological damages. Coatings are also beneficial in alleviating the risk and occurrence of micropitting and smearing experienced in wind turbine drivetrain components due to rapid accelerations and decelerations. One standard coating that is being used on wind turbine bearings is diamond like carbon (DLC) due to their desirable tribological performance. Diamond like carbon coatings are designed to better withstand the harsh operating conditions. The DLC coatings are wear and corrosion resistant and have higher hardness to that of steel. DLC coatings possess lower friction which reduces frictional heating that prevents smearing and reduction in the boundary shear stresses. There are a wide variety of DLC coatings available in the market based on structural and mechanical properties. Different bearing suppliers use the same basic concept to manufacture the DLC coatings, but variations in the chemical and microstructural makeups result in different tribological performance. Diamond like carbon coatings are designed to prevent tribological damages such as micropitting and smearing. Smearing is an adhesive wear which occurs when the rotation of rolling elements changes rapidly. Whereas micropitting is the formation of small sized micropits, which as they progress alter the geometric profile which generate regions of higher stress concentrations. The increase in localized stresses lead to fatigue failure through the formation of macropits or spalls. Micropitting in the main bearing, for example, can cost between $150,000 to $300,000 to repair, which makes having the right protective coating essential to prevent unplanned maintenance. Another approach being used to prevent tribological damages in bearings is a chemical conversion of steel known as black oxide (Fe3O4). Fe3O4 is a dark black colored surface layer produced when ferrous alloy is immersed in an alkaline aqueous salt solution. The hardness of black oxide is lower than steel unlike DLC which have higher hardness. The black oxidecoated bearings are designed to improve running-in behavior, reduce asperity contact, prevent smearing and micropitting, and white etching cracks by reducing

Figure: Sentinentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DigitalClone specifically models the presence of coating at contact and its effect on RCF life

hydrogen permeation. Black oxide coating is applied on both the raceways and rolling elements whereas DLC is applied only to the rolling elements. The type of coating that would be most beneficial to an operatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wind farm location depends on the types of operating conditions at each site. Sentient uses material science-based computational testing to create a digital model of each specific asset drive system at the site and predict the life of the bearings in their current operating condition and determine how long they will last by taking into consideration the lubricant and bearing geometry, mechanical and microstructural properties. In one case study, Sentient used computational testing to evaluate the performance of a particular type of coating on 1.5 MW turbine gearbox high speed shaft bearing. At maximum power output, the coated HSS bearing contact fatigue life was improved by a factor of 4.4 compared to the uncoated bearing. Advanced prognostics provides notification that a component has early crack initiation far ahead of sensors from CBM and SCADA detection systems. This allows operators time to plan their maintenance schedules and make decisions on the type of bearing and bearing coating to use for component life extension. Sentient can then simulate the impact that each supplier offering would have on the life of the gearbox and assist the operator in choosing which bearing or coating to use.

Suppliers use Sentientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DigitalClone software to computationally test and improve their offerings to the operator community, including competitive studies, design sensitivity studies, and trade off studies. These reports provide a trusted third party perspective for the operator on the claims made by suppliers. For more information, visit sentientscience.com.

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Contribution to Continuous Education in the PT/MC Industry

Online Product Tra The EPTDA Online Product Training was created to better serve the needs of its member companies, offering now their employees who have no technical background an easy-to-work- with learning tool that would provide a basic but comprehensive knowledge on the PT/MC products the company is dealing with on a daily basis. First and foremost, the training is especially useful for the sales and marketing employees, but employees with engineering background could also use the same to refresh their knowledge on products and processes they did not regularly work with before. Finding the right sales people with the right attitude and skills, sometimes involves attracting them from other industries, meaning that they do not have any specific knowledge of the PT industry. In nowadays’ race for qualified employees, EPTDA provides solutions to its members, helping their employees grow. With the Online Product Training, EPTDA goes the extra mile, also knowing that the growth and development of the industry relies on its employees working with the right qualifications and skills set. “With the offering of the EPTDA OnlineTraining Program we create a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of our member companies. Often many employers find the development opportunities expensive and time consuming, so with this on-line based learning platform, unique in the industry, employees do not have to miss out on work while upscaling their knowledge. Generally speaking, training and development provides both the company as a whole and the individual employee with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment”, adds Hans Hanegreefs, Executive Vice President of EPTDA.

Based on the PT Handbook of PTDA, EPTDA’s sister organization in the USA, the EPTDA online training tool currently covers five PT product categories: Bearings, Chains, Belts, Couplings and Gears & Gearboxes. EPTDA has members from over 30 countries on board and it wishes to reach out to as many industry peers as possible. Therefore, EPTDA is providing its online course in five different languages: English, Spanish, German, Italian and French. At present many experienced PT/MC professionals are working feverishly in creating, updating, reviewing and translating more product chapters to become available online and hopefully also adding more languages in the near future.

CHAIN AND CHAIN DRIVES Let’s take an example out of the five chapters available now online: Chain and Chain Drive. This chapter gives the trainee a thorough basic knowledge on drive chains and conveyor chains. Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another by a chain. Chain is also used for conveying products from one place to another. In the EPTDA Online Product chapter one may learn several types of roller chains and conveyor chain, their applicability, lubrication, information needed to perform product election and much more.

aining ABOUT EPTDA

The EPTDA Online Product Training equally offers to the trainees the possibility to test their knowledge and get a certificate after completing each chapter. Certifications are important for the trainees, but also for the companies which invest in them. The EPTDA Online Product Training is a membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; only exclusive benefit, allowing companies to stay ahead of the curve in this part of their business as well and offering a competitive advantage by empowering their employees with the knowledge which allows them to serve the end user at the highest standards. EPTDA Members and non-members interested to know more about the PT/MC training or willing to offer support for this important project, please contact the EPTDA Bureau at info@eptda.org.

EPTDA is the leading association for the industrial distribution channel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, setting the highest commercial, environmental, social and ethical standards. EPTDA currently has a membership of nearly 260 leading companies across 34 countries worldwide, representing over 20 billion euros in annual sales volume and 270,000 employees. The Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to strengthen its members in the industrial distribution channel to help them be successful, profitable and competitive in serving customers according to the highest standards. EPTDA takes great pride in its values, which focus on being a premier community for qualified members through open dialogue and mutual respect; acting with integrity, honesty and fairness; and ensuring continuous growth and learning. For More Information, Visit www.eptda.org

The MESYS Shaft and Rolling Bearing Analysis Software Updade with New Features Version 08-2016 of MESYS shaft and rolling bearing analysis software is available

A new version of the MESYS shaft and rolling bearing analysis software including new functionality is available. The bearing analysis software allows the calculation of the load distribution within the bearing and bearing life according ISO/TS 16281 and it is integrated in a shaft system calculation with additional possibilities like modal analysis, strength calculation for shafts and interfaces to gear calculations. Currently the software is used by customers in 25 countries on 4 continents.

New features in the bearing calculation The main new features in the bearing calculation are: • Consideration of elastic expansion/compression for rings with clearance fit • Angular cylindrical roller bearings as additional bearing type • Track roller calculation with elastic outer ring now also supported for double row tapered roller bearings • New 2D view for the load distribution showing the pressure distribution on the raceway • Import of additional encrypted bearing databases

Elastic ring expansion If a bearing ring of an angular contact ball bearing is mounted with clearance and pretension is applied the ring can expand until it makes contact with the housing. This affects the stiffness of the bearing. This effect is now considered by a simplified approach on the basis of thick Ring theory. The elastic expansion of a ring under pressure Is considered on bearing clearance. The calculation currently uses Dpw+Dw as inner diameter for the outer ring without consideration of the shoulders and allows an additional stiffness factor as input. So without the stiffness factor the ring will be too soft in the calculation and the expansion will be a little too large.

Figure 4: 3D view with an imported housing

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Figure 1 shows a comparison for one example. The bearing calculation uses an expansion of 3.86 mm while an axisymmetric FEA would lead to a maximum value

Bearing News • Issue 6

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Figure 1: Elastic expansion of the outside edge for a bearing outer ring calculated using an axisymmetric FEA model

of 3.68 mm. So the stiffness factor could be chosen to 1.049 to correct this error. Taking into account that all parameters have tolerances an error below 1mm could be ignored in most cases.

Additional bearing databases In addition to the main database, additional encrypted databases can be considered now. This would allow a bearing manufacturer to pass bearing data to a customer without sharing the bearing inner geometry. If a bearing is selected from an additional database, the inner geometry is not shown in the report or user interface. The inner geometry will also be deleted in case an input of inner bearing geometry is selected.

New features in the shaft calculation The main new features in the shaft calculation are: • New graphic windows for bearing overviews show

the same graphic for all bearings in a system • CAD Import of shaft geometry as 2D DXF or 3D Step • CAD export of geometry as 3D Step • Import of 3D Housing as Step file which can be connected to the supports in the system • New calculation method for harmonic response • Shaft geometry shown as background image in diagrams • Optional measurement lines for forces and supports in 2D view of shaft geometry

Overview graphics for bearings Images are often helpful to understand the behavior of a shaft system. Instead of graphics for each bearing only, the shaft calculation now also offers overview graphics with information for all bearings in one view. See figure 2 for an example for a shaft with one ball and one roller bearing.

CAD Import of shaft geometry Usually the input of shaft geometry as cylinder and cone elements is quickly done, but there had been requests for import of shaft geometry from CAD files. An import from 2D DXF or 3D Step files was added for version 08-2016. Importing geometry from CAD format can lead to many small elements if, for example, many relief grooves are considered. Therefore, it might be helpful to disable some features in the CAD system before export. The shaft calculation considers only axial symmetric geometry, so only the geometry in the x/y-plane is imported from a 3D step file. Figure 3 shows an example of the import dialog.

CAD Import of housing geometry and stiffness It was already possible to define coupled stiffness matrices for a housing in the shaft calculation software. In addition, now a 3D Step model of a housing can be imported, meshed and reduced to a stiffness matrix. Surfaces can be selected for a connection to supports or to define boundary conditions. The displacements of the housing can optionally be calculated, which leads to increased calculation time.

Figure 3: CAD Import allowing selection of elements and resulting shaft geometry Figure 2: New overview graphics showing results for all bearings in a system, here for a ball and a roller bearing

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SURFACE SUPERFINISHING Microfinish attachments for turning, grinding and milling machines

Value-For-Money

Thielenhaus Microfinish’s attachments represent a cost-efficient opportunity to machine small batch sizes with finish tapes and stone tools using the base machines that you already own.

Wupptertal. In virtually all technical fields, the requirements placed on the quality of individual components are increasing. As a result of this, surfaceimproving and geometry-improving superfinishing techniques are becoming more important. Today, even smaller suppliers must be capable of working to the finest tolerances in dimensional accuracy. The German machine manu-facturer Thielenhaus Microfinish presents a range of attachments for base machines for these applications and for small batch sizes. With these solutions, the advantages of the Microfinish technique can also be enjoyed using conventional turning, grinding and milling machines, meaning that the sur-face, roughness, waviness and contact ratio of the components being worked on can be improved in a reliable manner. All of the attachments consist principally of an electric drive unit for high short-stroke movements and the oscillating tape or stone tool. The workpiec-es are held in the base machines between centres or, if no centering bore is present, tensioned from one side with a chuck or a collet. For the machining, they are set in rotation, with the oscillating stone or tape tool being pressed onto the workpiece pneumatically or using spring tension. The removal, which is performed in a sine-wave form due to the oscillation, removes the ‘soft lay-er’ generated during the hard turning or grinding process, drastically improv-ing the roughness and contact ratio. Using this process, surface roughnesses of Ra 0.01 µm with rolls and Ra 0.3 µm with bearing positions can be achieved. At the same time, the surface can be given a structure with de-fined, criss-crossing grooves to improve its tribological properties. Even though they’re small and good value for money, the devices are never-theless high-performance units geared towards three-shift operation. They are principally used Page: 128

Compact finishing device for creating spherical surfaces using a base machine

for geometrical improvements in roundness, evenness and cylindrical forms. Surfaces can also be smoothed to a mirror finish and definable levels of roughness can be produced. The residual compressive stress can also be raised in order to make the surface more wear-resistant. As well as chamfering edges and smoothing joints, the attachments can be used to achieve visual, cosmetic surface textures. Microfinish attachments are particularly suited to the small batch sizes typi-cally found in the production of hydraulics rods, components, sealing seats and shaft sleeves. However, larger individual workpieces such as calender rolls, cold rolls, Sendzimir rolls and printing rolls can be worked to a mirror fin-ish. Foil manufacturers, for example, require mirror-finish surfaces; the print-ing industry needs precisely defined printing rolls in order to guarantee precise colour distribution, and hydraulics/ pneumatics manufacturers need finely structured surfaces with a large contact ratio and twist-free sealing surfaces. Our competitively priced attachments are ideal for use wherever precisely defined and structured surfaces are required for small batch sizes. Since the attachments can be used with many different base machines and special equipment, the workpieces are not dimensionally limited. Their form can be that of a flat surface, start-up shelves, external or internal rotationally symmetrical surfaces, but it can also be that of excenters, cams or cam discs. Further uses also include those involving spherical surfaces such as radii and undercuts. These attachments represent a cost-efficient opportunity to receive an entire application from the market-leading specialists in ultraprecision machining that gets you the desired results without long trial periods. For more information: www.thielenhaus.com Bearing News • Issue 6

The Challenges Of Monitoring Mobile Mining Equipment

Vibration measurement has come of age in the last 20 years. While the practice of continuous on-line monitoring of critical machines in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries has been common place for several decades, it is only recently that companies who had been using intermittent data collection techniques are now embracing continuous monitoring. The new “horizon” is mobile equipment ... draglines, shovels, bucket- wheel excavators, stacker-r claimers, heavy haul trucks, are all equally important to production and just as “critical” as a gas compressor.

However, unlike stationary machinery, monitoring mobile equipment brings substantial challenges that must be addressed to ensure accurate, repeatable, and reliable data acquisition. Rapid speed and load variations are just one element of the application. The logistics of sensor mounting, cabling, network communications, and general serviceability, bring unique complications to the task of monitoring these machines. We will discuss these obstacles and present new solutions that have the potential to bring significant reliability improvements to large mobile equipment.

Speed & Load Variations Reliable, repeatable, vibration measurement has historically depended upon steady-state conditions, i.e., constant RPM, constant load. Repeatability, often regarded as the cornerstone of good vibration data collection, is essential for the accurate assessment of machine condition, and more so for intermittent monitoring strategies. The data must be representative of machinery health and reflect real changes due to incipient fault conditions and not changes due to variations in operating conditions. As an example, when speed varies over the duration of a typical measurement cycle, adverse effects result;

Figure 1: Mine Shovel

repeatable and do not sufferfrom the variations due to operation of the bucket, crowd, swing, OR crawl. The limitation of testing in this manner is that fault conditions may only be evident, while the equipment is under load, and so the data may be of limited use ... some would say “it’s better than nothing”! But perhaps there is a better way thru selective triggering, based on RPM.

Machine States a) Affecting the reliability of the data and more importantly b) Compromising repeatability One solution has been to perform the vibration measurement task on the machine in a “quasi” steadystate condition. Consider a typical mine shovel as illustrated here. During routine PM inspections the shovel is stationary on level ground and the 2000HP electric motors are run at constant speed under no-load. Vibration measurements at each of the motor bearings (NDE & DE) are reliable, Page: 132

Defining a repeatable “condition of operation”OR “machine state” which can be identified thru the measurement of certain parameters, such as RPM, direction of rotation and load, will help ensure that vibration data acquired during this “machine state” will be reliable and repeatable. In Figure 2 the variation with time of both the RPM and the corresponding vibration level would pose serious problems for meaningful trend data. The establishment of a “machine state” based on measured parameter(s), in this case RPM and direction of rotation, will ensure a measure of repeatability and give confidence to trended vibration levels – Figure 3. Bearing News • Issue 6

Figure :3 Upper – vibration trend WITHOUT MACHINE STATE

Figure 2: Machine States

Order Tracking & Order Analysis FFT Based and Digital Re-sampling Methods In some cases the machinery RPM varies continuously, without even a short interval when the speed is in a pseudo-constant range, making the establishment of a “machine state” difficult, Figure 4. Normal FFT analysis would result in “smeared” spectral components due to the fast changing RPM over the period of one FFT record length, Figure 5.

The “smearing” of the frequency componentsarises due to the fixed sampling rate of the FFT process, the rapid change in RPM, the fixed FFT record length, and the corresponding variation in level and frequency of the vibration. Order tracking is a process whereby a specific frequency component i.e., the 1X, is extracted from a composite of frequency spectra versus RPM. The method is particularly useful for run-up OR coastdown measurements where the speed changes occur over a short span, typically 1800RPM to 300RPM, and at a relatively moderate slew rate. The raw data when presented in an X, Y, Z, display is known as a “waterfall” plot, while the extracted components are referred to as “slices” (along the Z-axis), Figure 6.

Figure 4: Continuous RPM Variations

Figure 5: Upper - Normal FFT Spectrum • Lover - “Smearing” of the frequency spectrum due to RPM Variation.

Figure 6: Upper - Waterfall, amplitude vs frequency vs RPM Lower - Slice along the Z-axis (RPM) of an order

Page: 135

This technique of order tracking is used most often as a diagnostic tool, as opposed to a continuous on-line monitoring method, and is principally employed to identify machinery resonances within the operating speed range. The extracted slices versus RPM (Z-axis) provide the analyst with a clear picture of how the amplitude of the individual frequency components such as the 1X may be exciting certain natural frequencies in the machine structure. Again, the measurement must be carefully configured to avoid smearing, taking into account the FFT record length (T*), RPM interval, and slew rate.

method of comparing order spectra vs time to visualize trends that arise due to machine condition and not RPM Figure 9.

Hardware Installation & Logistics The selection of machines and corresponding measurement points follows criteria similar to the monitoring of stationary equipment, i.e., criticality ranking, maintenance history, accessibility, safety considerations, etc. However, there are a few points peculiar to mobile mine equipment requiring additional scrutiny: a. Sensor connectivity and accessibility b. Equipment location within the mine site c. Network communication and

Order analysis on the other hand synchronizes the FFT sample rate with the machine RPM. In the past this procedure was performed in real-time using a tracking frequency multiplier where by the sampling frequency was derived as an integer multiple (order) of the RPM.

Figure 7: Fixed FFT sample rate resulting in smearing with changing RPM

In modern digital signal analysis, the time signal and RPM signal are recorded, and the order analysis is performed as a post-processing function whereby interpolation of the RPM signal yields a “re-sampling” rate applied to the time signal and the subsequent FFT creates the order spectrum.

Figure 8: Synchronized sample rate with RPM results in discrete orders

State-of-theart on-line continuous vibration monitoring systems using order analysis provide operators with a reliable and repeatable

PC software configuration Sensors such as accelerometers are built to withstand harsh industrial conditions but where cable runs in stationary installations are in a relatively static environment, mobile equipment sensor cables require additional protection against chafing, etc. Small diameter hydraulic hose has been used successfully in these installations, Figure 10. Drilling and tapping for transducer mounting may not be permitted particularly during warranty periods since many OEM’s are unfamiliar with the principal behind vibration monitoring and/or may simply object to the attachment of “non-approved” apparatus by third parties. Some major manufacturers do make provision for accelerometer mounting, but this is often an “after thought” and is usually not the ideal measurement point. Current monitoring systems employ TCP/IP network communications and can be equipped with a wireless modem for communication with the in-house Wi-Fi network. Some manufacturers of on-line vibration monitoring solutions offer hosting of the application and data via cloud servers. This option is becoming increasingly popular and offers many solutions to the questions of in-house network security, outside vendor access (for technical support, system updates, etc.) The networking element of the installation requires careful planning, disclosure, and a full understanding of ownership of the data. The IT department are the key players in the installation of the software, configuration of the network, and granting access to the vendor via the cloud, Team-Viewer™, or remote desktop applications! Lastly, mine equipment which is completely mobile such as heavy-haul trucks may be required to stop at a “data waypoint” due to Wi-Fi coverage, to upload measurements to the network. Figure 10: Mini-accelerometer, enclosure and hydraulic

Figure 9: Order Spectra vs time

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Bearing News • Issue 6

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