The Timken Company has introduced a comprehensive offering of online engineering tools – available at engineering.timken.com – for use by design engineers and others who specify bearings for new or existing applications.
Whether in traction motors for rail transport, wind energy systems, or drive technology, the use of electric motors or generators with frequency converters is increasingly becoming the norm. However, this trend also introduces the risk of electrical voltage developing between the inner and outer rings of rolling bearings.
SKF has unveiled a new series of bearings designed for circular use enabled by new advanced Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology. The innovative SKF Infinium bearings mean that, for the first time, bearings can be reclad and reused repeatedly, marking a significant advancement in circularity and additive manufacturing. Using LMD technology, SKF has created bearings that offer better performance and durability compared to standard bearings, customized for targeted applications.
The Elgeti online spring engineering seminars begin soon. Additionally, Elgeti offers customized and private sessions if needed. Here's a quick look at the schedule:
The Bearing Show North America 2025, colocated with Lubricant Expo North America 2025 takes place March 18–20 at Huntington Place in Detroit. The Bearing Show connects the evolving needs of bearings end-users with the latest technologies serving OEM development, maintenance professionals and R&D engineers.
Since taking over as CEO of Solve Industrial Motion Group in June 2024, Ernie Lauber has focused on continuous improvement, predictive maintenance and growing the legacy brands within Solve.
Combining brands such as IPTCI, MasterDrive, PTI and TRITAN together with the LMS, SST, SPB-USA and USA Roller product lines, Solve Industrial Motion Group is a provider of high-quality metric and American Standard power transmission components and industrial-grade bearings.
SKF has secured EUR 430 million financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) with a tenor of up to ten years. The financing will support SKF’s research and development (R&D) to increase the focus on high-growth segments and accelerate the design and development of enabling technologies particularly for the green transition and sustainability.
Antonio Martin Hernandez, Marco Partidas, Dayan Leng Armenteros, and Laura Vazquez diligently working on various components that require special attention. They are focused on inner rings (IRs) for cylindrical roller bearings, which play a crucial role in reducing friction and supporting radial loads. Additionally, they handle bevel gears, essential components in gearboxes that change the direction of torque transmission across various industrial applications.
Thordon Bearings has unveiled a new wireless propeller shaft bearing wear measurement system, marking a significant advancement in hull and propeller shaft condition monitoring.
NSK Ltd. has been collaborating with Chitose Group, a group of leading biotechnology companies in the global bioeconomy to undertake business creation activities focused on biomass recycling. This spring, the two companies have achieved a certain level of success, including the sale of a compost production plant developed by both companies, and having paved the way for commercialization, they have decided to strengthen their cooperation for future expansion of this business and co-creation of new businesses.
NTN Corporation is pleased to announce the expansion of our “Low Friction Hub Bearing” Series, with the development of two new products with low friction characteristics, “Low Friction Hub Bearing IV” and “Low Friction Hub Bearing V”. These hub bearings were developed to meet the needs of our global automotive OE customer-base, as they strive to make their mobility products more efficient.
I would like to briefly discuss some thoughts on ball bearing efficiency specifically in terms of applied load and resulting stress. I don’t want to trivialize this subject; there are textbooks written on the subjects of electrohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), octahedral subsurface shear stress and friction losses due to elastic hysteresis. This is a just a high-level discussion on the importance of individual bearing stress on efficiency.
At InnoTrans, SKF showcased tapered roller bearings for enhanced reliability of gearbox applications and cylindrical roller bearing units for increased longevity of freight train wheelsets.
AD is proud to announce that Mark Balcom, president and owner of Pooley Inc., has been elected to its Bearings & Power Transmission Divisional Board, effective August 2024.
CCTY (Lake Zurich, IL) is a manufacturer of high-performance motion control and assemblies including spherical plain bearings, rod ends, mast guide bearings, self-lubricating bearings, tie rods, ball joints and more. CCTY is a full-service global engineering and consulting partner that helps customers quickly turn new product ideas into reality. PTE recently discussed the company’s evolution with Yaman Obaid, a mechanical engineer specializing in robotics for CCTY.
The Timken Company has issued its corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, providing an update on the company's actions to improve the lives of individuals and communities, benefit the planet and strengthen its business.
As the world celebrates the Olympic Games this month, Vesconite Bearings is reminded of a remarkable achievement in its history—the production of the largest bearing it has ever created.
Wind turbines have a decisive role to play in the expansion of renewable energy. Schaeffler is a market leader and strategic development partner in the wind technology industry, leveraging closed loop engineering to play a key role that goes far beyond the provision of bearing solutions for on- and offshore wind. Working in close partnership with turbine and gearbox manufacturers, the company supports wind turbine development through state-of-the art system simulation, realistic test-bench testing, and field measurement campaigns.
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 to 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 32 countries on 4 continents.
WD Bearing Group recently launched a new joint venture specializing in the R&D and production of precision angular contact ball bearings with a precision level above P4. These high-precision bearings are designed for use in machine tool spindles, industrial robot reducers, construction machinery travel reducers, and compressors.
NSK Ltd. has revised its basic dynamic load ratings, a parameter used to calculate the estimated life of rolling bearings. This revision, which extends the basic rating life (estimated life) of the main types of NSK rolling bearings, applies the “Highly Accurate Bearing Life Prediction Method Applying Ultrasonic Testing (World's First)” announced in March 2023.
Vesconite Bearings recently received an order for 60 spherical Vesconite Hilube liners. This order came after less than one year of initial testing.
A Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube wheel and bushing combination has been deployed at a prominent hydroelectric company in New Zealand, expanding a growing set of hydroelectric reference cases for these bearing materials.
NTN, the parent company of BCA Bearings, is pleased to announce the receipt of a 2024 Content Excellence Award from the Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN). BCA Bearings received the Gold Award for ACES and PIES Data in the Large Category (250,000+ applications) at the 2024 Auto Care Connect/ACPN Annual Conference, held recently in Chicago, Illinois.
The PRT-02-30-WPC slewing ring bearing is another step forward by Igus toward integrating renewable raw materials into industrial production. Made of 50 percent wood and 50 percent high-performance plastics, the cost effective and lubrication-free slewing ring bearing balances strength and durability with a proven low CO2 footprint of just 0.0577 kilograms. By comparison, the PRT-02-30-ECO — already made from 97 percent regranulate — has a CO2 equivalent of 0.819868 kg.
At a Gulf Coast seawater cooling pump station, the resilience of Vesconite Hilube bearings in hypochlorite came to the forefront, showcasing their superiority in challenging environments.
Caterpillar Inc. announces the awarding of Supplier Excellence Recognition Process (SER) Certification to the NTN Hamilton plant. This prestigious acknowledgment underscores NTN's consistent demonstration of excellence in product quality, service delivery, and overall performance in its partnership with Caterpillar.
Back in 1913, in Ann Arbor, MI., Leander J. Hoover founded the Hoover Steel Ball Company. In 1990, Tsubaki Nakashima company of Japan acquired the US ball manufacturing company and is currently the biggest manufacturer and supplier of precision balls in the world. Its first markets were the growing automotive and precision bearing industries. More than a century later, the electric vehicles (EV) market is becoming more and more relevant, though the combustible auto industry continues to grow. Its market for high-quality precision products has extended to medical, aerospace, military defense, and critical applications. After the great age of steel, a new era opened wide spaces for more extreme materials which paved the way for ceramics.
NSK Ltd. has released a new gas turbine generator bearing for eVTOLs including large drones, which is expected to extend drone flight range. The new product was used for the gas turbine generator of a large drone (high payload emergency supply delivery drone equipped with a gas turbine generator) equipped with an 80-kw hybrid drive system for a regional reconstruction and practical development promotion project in fiscal 2023 and delivered to Fukushima Prefecture on February 21, 2024.
Elgeti online engineering seminars start next week. Registration is available for "Bearing Supplier Development" and "Failure Analysis." Additionally, Elgeti offers customized and private sessions if needed.
The Timken Company board of directors has reached an agreement with Tarak Mehta to become Timken's next president and chief executive officer Sept. 5, 2024. Mehta is currently president of the Motion business and member of the Group Executive Committee at ABB Ltd., a $32 billion leader in electrification and automation. Mehta will be appointed Timken president and CEO after he completes a transition period with ABB.
The inaugural North American version of the Lubricant Expo and The Bearing Show took place last week at Huntington Place in Detroit. A vibrant conference/education schedule balanced an informative group of exhibitors discussing component challenges, system upgrades and future trends. Innovation in the automotive, transportation and energy industries is keeping R&D departments busier than ever. Here’s why:
The Bearing Show is North Americas newest exhibition and conference, connecting the evolving needs of bearings end-users with the latest technologies serving, OEM development, maintenance professionals and R&D engineers. Meet visitors from OEM’s, machine manufacturers, industrial plants, global distributors, and more. Matching the needs of end-users with the innovation and opportunities occurring throughout the supply-chain is essential. PTE recently interviewed Thomas Harris, event director, Lubricant Expo and The Bearing Show North Americas, to discuss the evolution of the event and what to expect from the show in late March.
Mark your calendars for March 19–21, 2024, as the Bearing Show—colocated with Lubricant Expo—descends upon Huntington Place in Detroit. As North America’s premier exhibition and conference dedicated to bearings, this free-to-attend event promises to be a groundbreaking convergence of industry leaders, technological advancements, and invaluable networking.
Modern spindle applications of rolling bearings require very high speeds and very high loads, often combined with poor lubrication conditions and/or high solid contamination. Examples of these applications are high-speed and high-cutting rate machine tools, where rolling bearings need to survive very though conditions. Rolling bearings in high speed and high load conditions might suffer from poor lubrication and potentially surface distress and adhesive wear.
NTN Bearing Corporation, the parent company of BCA Bearings and Bower Bearings, is pleased to announce the addition of Kevin Huckins to the automotive aftermarket sales team. Huckins is joining NTN’s automotive aftermarket business unit as regional sales manager, western region.
The Xtreme 6000 ZrO2 Series of Full Ceramic Radial Bearings from CeramicSpeed are designed to provide levels of performance in extreme environments beyond the capabilities of steel and even hybrid bearings. The complementing components of these bearings were carefully selected to provide the highest levels of performance in high temperatures, and adverse environments such as: Submerged in water, high pressure steam, chemicals, and caustic fluids.
With an “all-hands on deck” approach to maintenance today, engineers require the latest tools and technologies in the form of new software/apps to make MRO tasks easier. Turns out, technology is allowing your smartphones, tablets and computers to track bearing reliability and performance with an emphasis on sustainability, longevity and analysis.
SKF has been awarded a Platinum Medal by EcoVadis, one of the most trusted providers of sustainability ratings for use in supply chains. This prestigious recognition places SKF in the top one percent among the more than 100,000 companies assessed worldwide for its commitment to sustainable business practices.
Elgeti Engineering once again is offering its online bearing seminars for Spring 2024. Special packages are available for online 90-minute sessions.
Manufacturing, chemical processing, food and beverage, construction, mining, oil and gas, agriculture, and power generation industries all employ the use of turbomachinery. Reliability and minimizing downtime are critical in these applications. Rolling bearings are integral to the operation of pumps and compressors and must be able to withstand moderate to heavy loading and harsh operating environments. A wide variety of ball, roller, and needle bearings can be found in these machines; however, this article will focus on the most common type of bearing used, the deep groove ball bearing.
Randy Stott, publisher of Power Transmission Engineering and Gear Technology magazines, recently sat down with Norm Parker, technical fellow and technical manager for Torque Transfer Systems at Stellantis, to discuss bearing technology during the Motion + Power Technology Expo in Detroit.
NTN Bearing Corporation of America is proud to share its story of support for a local animal rescue. On Thursday, November 16th, NTN donated a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van with its cargo hold full of supplies to Wright-Way Rescue, but it didn’t happen without a bit of good fortune.
NTN, the parent company of BCA Bearings and Bower Bearings, is proud to announce the receipt of a 2023 Automotive Communications Award from Women in Auto Care. NTN received the award in the “Business-to-Business – Promotional Goods, Gear, Marketing Collateral” category for its BCA and Bower “Summer Cruisin” Promotions.
The Timken Company has reached an agreement to acquire Engineered Solutions Group (a.k.a. Innovative Mechanical Solutions or iMECH), based in Houston, Texas. iMECH manufactures thrust bearings, radial bearings, specialty coatings and other components primarily used in the energy industry. The business employs approximately 70 people and projects revenue of approximately $30 million for calendar year 2023.
NKE Austria GmbH presents its bearings for railway applications. The bearings are used in traction motors and locomotive gearboxes as well as in railcars, trams and underground trains.
SKF has played its part in securing a new world record: the furthest distance travelled by a prototype motorcycle on a single tank of fuel. The prototype bike clocked up 4,183.8 km on its journey from Albino in northern Italy to North Cape in Norway – without needing to refuel. SKF helped motorcycle components supplier Acerbis in its AC50 project to design the two-wheeler.
VesArg, the Argentinian distributor of Vesconite, Vesconite Hilube and Vesconite Superlube low-friction bearing materials, is proud to announce the acceptance of the Vesconite Hilube needle-bearing kit for the Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo, with VesArg having sold 500 kits for these vehicles in the last two years. This innovative solution addresses the recurring problem of suspension arm issues in these popular utility vehicles, which often require replacement needle-roller bearings.
More energy efficiency, higher performance and better controllability are the main reasons why more electric drive systems are being operated with frequency converters. However, these devices can cause high-frequency, asymmetrical interference currents, which, as a current passage through the output and fan-side bearings, can cause damage and premature failure.
Current-compensated CoolBlue toroidal cores made of Magnetec’s nanocrystalline material Nanoperm have proven to be effective protection against such conducted interference and its consequences. In addition, the Nanoperm Line Absorbers NaLA can also be used to significantly suppress symmetrical interference currents.
Rolling bearing calculations are usually based on the assumption of ideal nominal geometries. However, actual components and assemblies are always subject to statically distributed geometric deviations resulting from the manufacturing and assembly processes. This leads to changes in the internal geometric conditions which have an effect on bearing characteristics such as the service life. The FVA-Workbench makes it possible for users to consider these geometric deviations in bearing calculations for more reliable results.
By definition, a spherical roller bearing (SRB) is a rolling element bearing that permits rotation with low friction and permits angular misalignment. SRBs consist of spherical rolling elements, an outer ring, a cage as well as an inner ring with two raceways inclined at an angle to the bearing axis. SRB technology has landed the component in unique applications including high pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs), pipelaying ships, Ferris wheels and even a Cold War–era marine espionage mission.
NTN is pleased to announce that two of its North American manufacturing facilities have been recognized for supplier quality excellence by Toyota Motor North America (Toyota). Toyota has awarded NTN Driveshaft, Inc., and American NTN Bearing Manufacturing Corporation each with a Certificate of Achievement for receiving an “A” grade for supplier quality in 2022.
With an innovative technology package from SKF, Ningbo Rail Transit has extended the service life of critical refurbished bearings on eight trainset vehicles from 800,000 to 1 million km. The project is the first commercial application of SKF’s Insight Metro wireless condition monitoring system, which has been developed in China specifically for the needs of the domestic rail sector.
NKE Austria GmbH (Booth #3C16) will exhibit at this year's Husum Wind trade show taking place September 12-15 in Husum, Germany. The Austrian bearing manufacturer participates for the first time at the fair for renewable energies in Northern Germany.
Wood and plastic? Is that a good combination? The motion plastics specialist igus has researched the idea in a recent design study and tested the friction and wear behavior of its plastic linear bearings on a wide variety of wood, and the result is impressive. The igus econ J4 plain bearing has demonstrated its exceptional compatibility with various kinds of wood, opening new possibilities for furniture makers and design engineers when choosing materials.
Elgeti Engineering once again is offering its online bearing seminars for Fall 2023. Special packages are available for online 90-minute sessions.
Emerson Bearing, a Boston, MA-based bearing company catering to niche markets nationwide and the sister company of Action Bearing which serves the New England market, announces the availability of a complimentary E-Book and other online resources for Type E Mounted Bearings.
KISSsoft has announced that NSK has provided their extensive bearing data “catalogue data” for inclusion in KISSsoft software with release 2023. With this, the engineer can execute static rating, basic and modified life rating based on load capacity numbers in line with ISO 281 and ISO 76 along with thermal rating. The bearing database in KISSsoft gives access to up-to-date NSK bearing data in an easy to use yet detailed manner using the shaft-bearing system modeler.
A hydro turbine company based in Portland, Maine, has chosen Vesconite Bearings’ lowest-friction material for the thrust bearings on its free-stream turbines.
FDA/USDA certified, two, three and four post, stand-off bearing flange blocks are setting a new standard for performance and hygienics. These new stand-off bearing flange blocks now available from LM76 reduce the surface area where mold and bacteria can thrive, even from the most through sanitizing operations. Long life hybrid stainless steel Si3N4 Silicon Nitride ceramic ball bearings in stainless steel bearing blocks are coated with a smooth non-water absorbing polyamide coating certified by EHEDG, USDA, and 3-A. These FDA/washdown flange bearings employ hybrid stainless steel/ceramic ball bearings that are sealed from contaminates and bacteria via a patented shaft seal system. The seals resist water, cleaning solutions - keeping lubrication from being corrupted and evacuated.
Bearing manufacturer NKE Austria GmbH is entering into a strategic partnership with Kugler Bimetal SA, a Swiss producer of bimetallic components and tribological surface finishes. The cooperation was announced at the Hannover Messe in April 2023.
Welcome back to Part 2 of our inner ring and creep discussion. We left off with our creep calculation resulting in a 10.5 µm minimum inner ring fit to avoid creep. For the sake of making clean dimensions, let’s call it 10 µm on the lower end and the upper end is simply whatever your manufacturer can hold.
PTE will feature a variety of new component technologies online for bearings, motors, couplings, brakes, gear drives, and motion control systems leading up to Hannover Messe 2023 in Germany. Here is a preview of some bearings suppliers to check out if you're planning on attending the event online or in-person in April.
Simplicity linear plain bearings exhibit real benefits, when compared to other styles of linear bearings; such as the self-lubricating quality of the bearing’s Frelon liner, as well as the wiping action on the shaft which enables smooth linear motion.
I think I spend more time talking about ball bearings today than at any other time in my career. Ball bearings have always had a large place in automotive, but not typically in high demand positions—other than a few niche areas. High demand positions, such as axles and planetaries, were typically reserved for tapers, needles and cylindricals. The landscape is changing quickly.
At this year’s Hannover Messe, NKE Austria GmbH will present bearings for wind turbine gearboxes and generators. The Austrian bearing manufacturer has more than 20 years of experience in the wind energy sector. NKE bearings have been installed in more than 4,000 wind turbines across Europe, the USA and China, equivalent to more than 10,000 MW of installed power.
Responding to the agriculture industry’s growing need to increase farm productivity and harvest yields, global industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler is launching its all-new Field Pro tillage hub in North America. Precision-engineered for maximum output and reliability, Schaeffler Field Pro is the direct-fit, easy-to-install solution that farmers need to help ensure a successful harvest.
Solve Industrial Motion Group (Solve), a manufacturer and seller of bearings and power-transmission component parts, announced the acquisition of SPB-USA, LLC., a factory-direct sales and marketing company of Sapporo Precision, Inc., the manufacturer of EZO Precision Ball Bearings.
Elgeti Engineering once again is offering its online bearing seminars for Spring 2023. Special packages are available for online 90-minute sessions.
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.
Vesconite Bearings, through its supply of marine rudder bearings to the MN Colibri charter vessel in June, is proud to be associated with an exciting communication satellite launch that took place in September 2022. The MN Colibri has historically transported launcher components, including communications satellites, for various heavy-lift space launch vehicles, and outfitted with the Vesconite rudder bearings allowed it to transport the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS satellite, which is regarded as an important addition to global telecommunications infrastructure.
The Timken Company has acquired the assets of American Roller Bearing Company (ARB), a North Carolina-based manufacturer of industrial bearings. ARB's offerings join Timken's industry-leading portfolio of engineered bearing solutions. ARB, which boasts a large U.S. installed base and strong aftermarket business, generated sales of more than $30 million in 2022.
With the new SKF Bearing App for the popular Ansys Mechanical Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, engineers no longer need to rely on approximations or complex, unreliable models in their simulations.
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.
The Timken Company has completed its previously announced acquisition of GGB Bearings.
On September 19th, Todd Hamlin, BSA president, and senior vice president of DXP Enterprises, announced the Annual BSA Excellence Awards for outstanding service by bearing distributors and bearing manufacturers to end-users.
The Timken Company has reached an agreement to acquire GGB Bearing Technology (GGB), a division of Enpro, Industries (including exclusive negotiations with respect to the French operations of GGB). Founded in 1899, GGB serves a variety of diverse customers, markets, geographies and applications with a product portfolio that complements existing Timken industry-leading engineered bearing solutions. GGB revenue is expected to be around $200 million in fiscal year 2022.
SKF announces the appointment of Annika Ölme as CTO and senior vice president, technology development.
Elgeti Engineering once again is offering its online bearing seminars for Fall 2022. Special packages are available for online 90-minute sessions.
Recently, the Swedish rolling bearing manufacturer SKF and the Swiss gearbox design software developer KISSsoft have incorporated SKF’s bearing calculation service within KISSsoft's software. With the so-called SKF Bearing Module in KISSsoft, engineers will have direct access to SKF’s bearing technology and bearing performance data.
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 to 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 30 countries on four continents.
ONYX Insight examines how digital tools can provide wind energy solutions, from day-to-day problem solving to future-proofing operations and maintenance (O&M) strategies through condition monitoring technologies.
Seco/Warwick delivered a roller-type unit (furnace) intended for spheroidizing rings for the bearing industry. The solution will be operated in the Kielce plant of the global bearing manufacturer – NSK.
For the fourth consecutive year, AD has been recognized as a Top Workplace in the Delaware Valley. The anonymous employee engagement survey, administered by technology partner Energage, LLC, measures 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of an organization, including alignment, execution and connection. The awards program, in partnership with The Philadelphia Inquirer, recognizes organizations that outperform in a crowded market, lead a people-first culture, and excel at attracting top-tier job seekers and new business.
Power Transmission Engineering has your in-depth knowledge and expertise covered in terms of bearings, motors, drives, gears and motion control technologies. Here are some of the latest articles on bearing innovations:
Contact | Privacy Policy
©2025 Power Transmission Engineering
