This article is Part III in a series of articles on speed rating of bearings. Part I appeared in the September 2022 issue ("Ball Bearing Limiting Speeds"), and Part II appeared in the October 2022 issue ("Ball Bearing Thermal Speed Rating"). Bearings with Norm examines the latest in bearing technology and design. 

Bonfiglioli has agreed to acquire Selcom Group from funds controlled by Avenue Capital Group and Europa Investimenti. Selcom Group specializes in the design, production and sale of electronic boards, electronic products, as well as software and solutions for customers in the industrial, biomedical, automotive, intra-logistics and home-appliance automation sectors. 

Heat is also generated in an e-motor, sometimes quite a bit. In demanding applications, the motor electronics cause the power to be throttled or even shut down completely. But there is another clever way to protect an electric motor from overheating without losing power: using a thermally conductive casting resin as a heat transfer medium. The principle can also be called a static solid cooling system.

ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) division has further underlined its commitment to advancing ‘Next Generation Mobility’ by investing in cutting-edge 5G digital connectivity. Equipping its commercial vehicle test track at Jeversen, Germany, with its own powerful campus network enables enhanced testing of ‘Big Data’ backed solutions which are increasingly facilitating the next levels of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Transportation as a Service (TaaS). 

The Timken Company recently announced its packaged wheel bearings are being used on Ford Motor Company's F-150 Lightning, the first mainstream electric light-duty pickup truck to hit the market. Timken bearings on the F-150 Lightning represent incremental content per vehicle, compared to its gasoline-powered counterpart.

CES, the world’s most influential tech event, is back in Las Vegas on Jan. 5-8. With more to see than ever, the show footprint will be over 70 percent larger than CES 2022. 

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has introduced Elements, a new simulation software that helps engineering teams understand the behavior of systems that are becoming increasingly complex in modern products. Using the software, teams can evaluate the performance and feasibility of new design concepts quickly to inform more efficient product development and reduce risk and cost.

Siemens Mobility is the system integrator and reliable partner for on time delivery of the city-shaping project Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport, the new metro railway line that will service between St Mary's, the new Western Sydney International Airport and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. The company has been awarded a contract to deliver 12 automated, driverless 3-car metro trains, a purpose-built depot, the digital rail infrastructure including signaling, electrification, telecoms and platform screen doors as well as system integration, testing and commissioning.

Next-generation technology—everything from the electrification of vehicles to e-motors, bearings, mechatronics, and thermal management—was discussed during the Schaeffler Symposium 2022 in Detroit. I sat down with Jitesh Modi, director of engineering, during the event to discuss the “reinvention” of bearings for EV applications.