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Airbus turbopropengine ‘flies’through test run

IN THIS ISSUE...

ISSUE 6 - Dec 2006

Single bearingsolution for wind turbine

Radical, new ‘ball roller’ bearing concept

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Bearing ‘kits’ for rail locos

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However, in the face of increasingcompetition and customer demands foreven greater quality, the Group haslaunched an expanded quality initiative –Fit for Quality - which goes far beyondprevious methods.

"Our quality objective of ‘zero defects’ is not somesort of utopia, but a key element in ensuringcustomer satisfaction," explained Dr JuergenGeissinger, Group CEO. "In order that we can workmore quickly but without defects we haveintroduced the programme ‘Fit for Quality’. The aim is to achieve further significantimprovements in the quality of our products, ourtechnologies and our working methods and wecall on every individual to assist us in this aim."

All employees across every area of operation – sales, engineering, manufacturing, purchasing etc– will be directly involved in the Fit for Qualityinitiative. There are eight core measures that formpart of this initiative to help achieve the ZeroDefects target:

1. Quality is Everyone’s Responsibility.Every employee is required to do everythingpossible to prevent errors before they occur.

2. SWOT (Strengths & Weaknesses v. Opportunities & Threats) Analysis for every function.

This is a method for identifying strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and threats in everyarea of the working environment.

This exercise heightens awareness, strengthenspositive aspects and helps identify measuresneeded to optimise quality – and achieve thetarget of Zero Defects.

The SWOT analysis, based on a carefully structuredsurvey form, will be organised by managers but willinvolve every member of each team.Organisational processes, clarity of workinginstructions, individual delivery quality,opportunities for improving information and workflow will be examined in each department/productline/workstation as will relationships between bothinternal and external suppliers and customers.

3. "Near Miss" AnalysisA technique designed to uncover defects andweaknesses before they happen and to enable usto act quickly to eliminate problems.

4. Layered AuditsDesigned to root out potential errors quickly andthoroughly. These will involve managers at all levelsin regular discussions with their teams regardingtheir individual contributions to quality issues.

5. Continuous Education – Qualified Team

Continuous education/training of employees is a prerequisite of quality excellence.

6. Greater Use of Existing Quality Tools

These sophisticated tools include PEP (Product Development Process), RLA (Risk Level Assessment) and FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis).

At Nissan Europe’s ‘Annual SupplierQuality Conference’ held at theNewcastle Civic Centre last month, theSchaeffler Group was awarded aRegional Quality Award for its excellentquality performance from April 2005to March 2006.

The Nissan Regional Quality Awards aregiven to a small number of supplierseach year who demonstrate excellencein quality performance during a 12-month period. Suppliers are measuredaccording to Nissan’s own ‘SupplierScorecard’ (SSC) system, a common,global system with indices that Nissanuses to rate its suppliers.

The Schaeffler Group is one of threeout of a total of 489 suppliers inNissan’s European region, to win aRegional Quality Award, with two otherEuropean suppliers receiving a MostImproved Award.

Suppliers are measured against fivemain criteria, with each supplieraccruing points for each category.‘PPM’ or ‘parts per million’ defect rates;warranty claims ratio against a supplier;a supplier’s timeliness of response;how fast the supplier responds to anescalated problem, known ascorrective action request (CAR); andwhether the supplier’s parts have causedany recalls, either on a vehicle alreadyin the market or at a dealership.

Receiving the award at the NewcastleCivic Centre on behalf of theSchaeffler Group was Dorian Quirk, UKQuality Manager at Schaeffler UK’sLlanelli plant who accepted the awardon behalf of Schaeffler from ColinDodge, Senior Vice President ofManufacturing at Nissan Europe.

Deborah Quinn of Nissan Europe,commented: "We award points on amonthly basis to eachsupplier, based on fivekey measures.

To win our RegionalQuality Award meansthat the SchaefflerGroup had to performextremely well duringthat period."

John Taylor, Director & GeneralManager of the Automotive Division atSchaeffler UK, said:

"The Award was in recognition of ourcompany’s excellent performance as asupplier of tappets to the NissanSunderland plant. Our defect rate forsupply of tappets was absolutely zeroover the 12-month period."

Over the last two years, the SchaefflerGroup has supplied Nissan with aroundnine million tappets in total, at adefect rate of zero parts per million.

All will be utilised to a greater extent infuture to prevent problems fromoccurring.

7. 100% Process Effectiveness / 100% Process Capability

The aim is to address problems beforegoing into mass production by providingadequate time to successfully proveproduct and processes.

8. Share and Act on Lessons LearnedThis involves every employee of theGroup and is based in the principle thatadmitting mistakes is not a weakness,whereas doing nothing to eliminate themis. Fit for Quality will also utilise a rangeof new and recently introduced tools andsystems to help achieve "Zero Defects".These include:

Quality for You (Q-4-U)KaizenPlusProject ManagementContinuous Improvement Activities

The Fit for Quality initiative has now beenlaunched by the Group on a global basisand every employee at every locationacross all five continents is now fullyinvolved in the process. In the UK "Fit forQuality" was introduced with a series ofconferences involving managers and staffat every level in the organisation.

In Motion will keep readersupdated on the progress of theinitiative.

COVER STORYSCHAEFFLER SPONSORS THE MASTERS SEE PAGE 6

IN MOTION | 2 IN MOTION | 3

THE SCHAEFFLER GROUP HAS ALWAYS HAD THE QUALITY TARGET OF "ZERODEFECTS" AND HAS ENJOYED REMARKABLE SUCCESSES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

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FIT FOR QUALITY NEW GLOBAL INITIATIVE TARGETS ZERO DEFECTS

IN RECOGNITION OF THE COMPANY’S EXCELLENTQUALITY PERFORMANCE LAST YEAR, THE SCHAEFFLERGROUP HAS BEEN AWARDED A NISSAN EUROPEREGIONAL QUALITY AWARD FOR THE SUPPLY OFTAPPETS TO NISSAN EUROPE. ONLY THREE SUPPLIERSOUT OF ALMOST 500 RECEIVED SUCH AN ACCOLADE.

REGIONAL QUALITYAWARD FROMNISSAN EUROPE

Fit for Quality

(Above) Kate Hartigan, Managing Director, launches the UK Fit for Quality initiative in Sutton Coldfield.

Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:52 pm Page 4

SCHAEFFLER UK WINS TOP AWARD FOR PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

he company received theaward at a ceremony atLondon’s Hilton Park Lane,which was followed by a

gala dinner and keynote speech by theSecretary of State for Work andPensions, the Rt Hon John Hutton MP.

The Education, Skills and LeadershipAward recognises education, leadershipdevelopment and skills-based initiativesthat lead directly to business success.This includes HR programmes andinitiatives launched as a result ofbusiness challenges.

Back in 2003, faced with the potentialmigration of jobs to Eastern Europe,Schaeffler UK’s manufacturing plant inLlanelli, South Wales, embarked on aculture change programme with thevision of becoming a Schaeffler Groupproduction location of choice.

In 2004, the planned transfer of someproduction lines from Llanelli waspostponed indefinitely and, more recently,production has been transferred to theSouth Wales site from a sister plant inGermany. The culture changeprogramme, led by Plant Director Roger

Evans, involved senior managementpersonally interviewing each employeeat the plant. This, coupled with otherchange management initiatives, resultedin significant productivity improvements,followed by a huge appetite for learningfrom the workforce.

Commenting on Schaeffler UK’sachievements, the panel of judgescommented that "It was really inspiringto hear about a manufacturing businessthat had faith in its people… and thelesson to be taken from Schaeffler is toinvest in your people in difficult times."Kate Hartigan, Managing Director atSchaeffler UK commented: "At Llanelli,we manufacture INA precisioncomponents, predominantly for majorautomotive OEMs. The global nature ofour marketplace, our customers and ourcompetitors creates new challenges, towhich we must respond rapidly andeffectively if we are to survive. This isrecognised by our workforce, who haveembraced the challenge to learn newskills and become more flexible inmeeting the world class performancelevels demanded by us.

"Our reward is to see this resulting innew production investment for the plantbeing committed by the Group for thefirst time in several years."

The new Human Capital Awardsprogramme is the first to recognise the

direct effect that excellence in peoplemanagement can have on a company’sbottom line results. The awards weretherefore developed to recognise Britishcompanies and their outstandingperformance in this discipline.

Between five and six companies wereshortlisted in each of the eightcategories. Judging was by a panel ofexperts, which included Ms SusanAnderson, Director of the CBI; AlbertEllis, CEO of Harvey Nash; Keith Bradford,Senior VP HR Global OperationsGlaxoSmithKline plc; Lord Leitch ofOakley, Chairman Leitch Review on Skills;Professor David Metcalf, Commissioner,Low Pay Commission; and Angie Risley,Group Human Resources Director at theWhitbread Group plc.

Susan Anderson, CBI Director of HumanResources Policy commented: "Manycongratulations to the winners. Each onehas demonstrated that excellent peoplemanagement really delivers betterbottom line performance. We cannotmatch the low labour costs of our Indianand Chinese competitors and as we seekto develop ever more innovativeproducts and services, the value of askilled and motivated workforce is moreimportant than ever. Our shortlistedcompanies know that their people, andthe skills they possess, are key to raisingcompany performance andcompetitiveness."

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THE COVETED ‘EDUCATION, SKILLS AND LEADERSHIP’ AWARD, ONE OF THE HUMANCAPITAL AWARDS FROM THE CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY (CBI) HAS BEENWON BY SCHAEFFLER UK. IN WINNING THE AWARD FOR ITS OUTSTANDINGACHIEVEMENTS IN PEOPLE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE. SCHAEFFLER UK BEAT THE LIKESOF MCDONALDS, ARM, BAXI HEATING UK AND THE SERCO GROUP.N

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(Above) Roger Evans (left front), and Kate Hartigan (second right front) with all the other award winners.

(Above) Roger Evans (left)receives the award at theceremony.

BEARINGS FOR NEW AIRBUS TURBOPROP PASS WITH FLYING COLOURS

he test was carried outcomplete with gearbox andpropeller, and was watchedby representatives from all

participating nations, the Europeanarmaments cooperation (OCCAR), theEuropean Aviation Safety Agency(EASA), as well as Airbus Military andEuroprop International stakeholders.

The new Airbus A400M military carrieraircraft is driven by one of the mostpowerful turboprop engines in the world,the TP400, which has a maximum shaftoutput of 11,000hp. The aircraft can flynon-stop for up to 7,250 kilometres,carrying up to 20 tonnes of cargo. Itsmaximum payload is 32 tonnes andmaximum speed is 700kph.

The aircraft’s three-shaft configurationengine is the most advanced in its classand was developed by four leadingEuropean engine manufacturers –Industria de Turbo Propulsores (Spain),MTU Aero Engines (Germany), RollsRoyce (UK) and Snecma (France), jointlyknown as the ‘Europrop EngineConsortium’. The challenge for thesecompanies was to meet the extremelyhigh output requirements with a highlycompact, lightweight propeller enginedesign.

By using special materials and fullyintegrated designs, engineers at FAGAerospace played a key role in thedevelopment programme, solving thehigh temperature and speed problemsfor the main shaft bearings. Theirexperience gained during thedevelopment of the Trent 900 enginesfor the new Airbus A380 ‘super jumbo’,proved helpful because the turbinedriving the 5.3 metre-diameter propellerwas designed to civil standards in termsof life, reliability and availability in amilitary environment.

Earlier this year, the turboprop enginesuccessfully passed its first test runwithout a propeller at MTU Maintenance

in Germany. "Naturally, we are proud thatthe new turboprop engine with our bearings has come through its baptism of fire," commented Franz-Josef Ebert,Product Development and SalesManager at the FAG Aerospace Division.From 2009, the A400M will replace thecurrent transport aircraft ‘C130 Hercules’and ‘C160 Transall’.

More than 180 aircraft have alreadybeen ordered by seven Europeancountries and an order for a further eighthas also been received from South Africa.

Engine certification is expected inOctober 2007 and the A400M, powered by four turboprop engines, will take off

for its maiden flight shortly afterwards.The first machines are scheduled fordelivery in 2009.

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THE MAIDEN TEST RUN OF AIRBUS’ TURBOPROP ENGINE FOR THE NEW A400M MILITARYTRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, WAS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY AT A TEST FACILITY IN FRANCERECENTLY. THE CRITICAL MAIN SHAFT BEARINGS AND GEARBOX BEARINGS ON THEENGINE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND SUPPLIED BY FAG AEROSPACE, PART OF THESCHAEFFLER GROUP.

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IN MOTION | 6

The cars have beendesigned and builtby DeltaMotorsport inNorthampton tomeet specific GPMcriteria including apowerful engine,high levels ofmechanical grip (to ensure maximumovertaking potential and drivercompetition), maximum sidepodprotection, minimum driver aids, and alow downforce aerodynamic package.

For the technically minded, Deltadelivered a car with an 80-degree 3.5litre V8 Nicholson McLaren Cosworthengine, offering more than 600bhp andcapable of speeds of around 200mph.

THE CARSTHE GREAT THING – AND ONE OF

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES – OF

GP MASTERS IS THAT IT IS AN

EVENT THAT TESTS THE DRIVERS

– ALL OF WHOM MUST HAVE

RACED IN F1 AND MUST BE OVER

45 YEARS OF AGE.

THE CARS ARE ALL IDENTICAL;

THERE IS NO TEAM-LED

TECHNICAL TRICKERY, NO DRIVER

ASSISTANCE FROM THE PITS AND

THERE IS NO TRACTION

CONTROL.

IN MOTION | 7

nd to make matters evenmore interesting, some ofhis old adversaries includingAlain Prost, Emerson

Fittipaldi, Riccardo Patrese, Andrea deCesaris and Derek Warwick were goingto be there to try to stop him.

The event was the first British Race inthe new GP Masters Series, and the factthat it was taking place was due, in part,to support from the Schaeffler Groupunder the INA and LuK banners.

The GP Masters Series – motor racing’sequivalent of golf’s senior tour – gotunder way at the Kyalami circuit inSouth Africa at the end of 2005, andrace cars carrying the colours of INAand LuK were on the starting grid.

The inaugural race launched the seriesin spectacular style, with two of thegreatest names in the history of thesport – Nigel Mansell and EmersonFittipaldi – battling it out from thegreen light to the chequered flag at theend of the 30 laps in baking heat.

Nigel Mansell, starting from pole, heldon to the end, finishing just a secondahead of Fittipaldi.

Following the fantastic start, the GPMcircuit got under way properly this yearwith the first race at the LosailInternational Raceway in Qatar in April,followed by Monza in Italy and then, on Sunday, August 13th, the oneeverybody in the UK had been waitingfor – Silverstone. And, wouldn’t youknow it, Silverstone offered up typicallyBritish Summer weather – torrential rain. The wet Tarmac, 650 horsepower andno traction control on the cars madefor fantastic racing. The lead changedseven times during the 26 lap race –and at the end the USA’s "Steady Eddie"Cheever took the flag after a titanic

battle with Belgium’s Eric Van de Poule.The home crowd was, of course, lookingfor another Nigel Mansell victory, butunfortunately a broken differential putpaid to any chance he had. Mansell did,however, still manage to put on quite a show.

He spun three times on the way to thegrid and then, in the middle of the racewent out for an extra lap and spunthree times again.

"But I did make it back to the pits and I think that was worth a round ofapplause," he said.

Schaeffler Group sponsorship of the GP Masters meant that two INA carsand one LuK car took part in the race.

Christian Danner driving the Team LuKcar grabbed pole position, while theINA cars, driven by Ricardo Patrese andAndrea DeCesaris were placed fourthand seventh on the grid.

Danner ended up in fourth place, Patresecame in sixth and De Cesaris tenth.

The racing was fair, fast and utterlyfantastic, but it wasn’t all there was tothe day. When the cars were all back inthe garages, the delightful Katie Meluatook to the stage for a concert whichbrought the whole amazing event to agreat conclusion.

SCHAEFFLERSPONSORS THE MASTERS

B R I N G I N G S O M E O F T H E G R E AT E S T N A M E S I N M O T O R S P O R T B A C K T O T H E T R A C K

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(Above) Nigel Mansell takes a closer lookat the INA car before the race.

(Above) Christian Danner driver of the LuK caris visited by LuK and INA guests prior tomaking his way to pole position on the grid.

BRITISH MOTOR RACING FANS TURNED OUT IN THE THOUSANDS AT SILVERSTONE IN EARLY AUGUST.NIGEL MANSELL, ONE OF THEIR ALL TIME HEROES, WAS RETURNING TO THE TRACK IN A SINGLESEATER RACING CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1992 – THE YEAR IN WHICH HE "DESTROYED" ALL THE COMPETITION, WINNING THE F1 GRAND PRIX BY NEARLY A MINUTE IN HIS WILLIAMS CAR.

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Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:52 pm Page 8

IN MOTION | 8 IN

THE ‘BALL ROLLER’– A UNIQUE DEVELOPMENT IN BEARING TECHNOLOGY

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he Group, which markets itsproducts under the INA andFAG brands, has unveiledthe Ball Roller – a unique

concept that saves valuable design space,reduces friction and decreases bearingwidth and mass by about 20 per cent.

The prototype ‘ball roller’ bearing incorporatesbearing elements that are spherical, butwhich have their sides cut off. While thedevelopment may sound simple, theresearch and development behind thisradical breakthrough has been significant.The result is a range of ball rollerelements that offer all the axial loadhandling capabilities of fully sphericalballs, but more importantly, allow overallbearing width and mass to be decreasedby around 20% and friction to be reduced.

The breakthrough also means that, in thesame design space, it is possible to carrygreater loads, provide a larger greasereservoir or devote additional space toimproved sealing.

The ‘ball roller’ was demonstratedrecently to more than 100 engineeringdesign and development managers who,if they wish, can now begin their owntests with product samples.The ‘ballroller’, which was developed over aperiod of almost two years, represents agenuine breakthrough in bearingtechnology and is expected to generatehuge interest from the automotiveindustry and other industrial sectors,

particularly where compactness ofbearings is a key design consideration.Manufacturers of wheel bearings andautomotive transmission systems arepotential major beneficiaries of the newtechnology.

According to Heinrich Hofmann,development engineer, special projects atSchaeffler Group: "The idea for the ballroller came from our developmentengineers. While testing ball bearingsthey discovered that the spherical ballstended to roll about a single axis andmade no use of the areas adjacent tothis axis." Further research confirmedthat, in a typical ball bearing, only 70 percent of the ball width is utilised, meaningthat the outer 15 per cent to the left andright of the ball diameter can beconsidered redundant.

This discovery led the company to theidea of removing this ‘redundant’material from the sides of the balls andafter six months of advanced 3Dmodelling, finite element analysis (FEA)simulation, and dynamic modelling, the first prototypes were developed.

Initially, these were based on single rowbearings, but double row roller bearingsand then four-row bearings, which areused as vehicle wheel bearings, followed.

The development team realised that cagedesign would be critical to the newconcept. Heinrich Hofmann explains:

"Because the balls cannot be allowed togreatly change their rotation axes, cagedesign was crucial particularly duringinitial rotation. "Once the bearings aremoving under conditions of speed andload, they become self-centring, like abicycle wheel."

The company’s ‘KXR’ range of bearingswas tested using the new concept and anovel cage design. The pocket bases ofthe cage were designed so that the ballroller, under load, aligned itself freely as afunction of the contact angle.

In addition to the obvious benefits frombeing able to manufacture thinner bearings- or with the same thickness but able tocarry higher loads - it is possible to getmore rolling elements into the same sizeof bearing. The balls are loaded bypositioning the inner race eccentricallywith respect to the outer race. Becausethe ball rollers have their sides cut off, itis possible, for example, to get 11 ball rollerelements into the company’s ‘6207’ basicbearing rather than nine fully round balls.

It is also possible to give the roller alogarithmic profile, since the rotationalaxis is always perpendicular to thevariable contact angle. The oscillationconditions – the ‘kiss’ between the rollerand the bearing groove – therefore donot change. If the load ratio changesfrom axial to radial and the contact anglechanges as a result, the oscillation‘creeps’ in an optimum manner with thechange in load.

All computer-based simulations andrunning tests at Schaeffler havedemonstrated that the new bearingsrotate about their intended rotationalaxes. Due to their moments of inertia,the ball rollers are more quickly stabilisedthan fully spherical balls by ‘gyroscopiceffects’ similar to those that make abicycle more stable at higher speeds.The new bearings already exist in avariety of designs depending on theirintended application.

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE INVENTION OF THE BALL GRINDING MILLAND 50 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST NEEDLE ROLLER BEARING WAS PRODUCED, THE SCHAEFFLER GROUP HAS DEVELOPED A TOTALLY NEW, RADICAL BEARING CONCEPTTHAT COMBINES THE BEST OF BOTH BALL AND ROLLER BEARING TECHNOLOGIES.

omputer Tomography (CT)scanners have been used inmedicine since the 1970sto scan part or all of a

patient’s body for diagnostic purposes.For the latest models, CT scannermanufacturers are demanding machinesand components that are more compact,enable faster examination times and arequieter in operation.

The Schaeffler Group has met thischallenge by developing an innovativedirect drive system for CT scanners.Called the ‘SIMTUS’ system, itincorporates a novel, integratedmechatronic turning unit, which not onlyhelps to cut noise levels significantly(from 12dbA to 6dbA), but also enablesimages to be generated and recorded50% faster than previous machines.

SIMTUS utilises a special, low noise CTscanner bearing based on a designoriginally developed for helicopters; anovel, direct drive ring motor/segmentmotor; a position measuring module; and a range of high precisioncomponents and bearing rings – allsupplied by the Schaeffler Group.

The design, manufacture and supply ofthe complete SIMTUS system was carriedout by the Schaeffler Group over thecourse of 12 months, using bearings fromits INA and FAG ranges, ‘IDAM’ drives, and bearings from the Barden super-precision range. In total, the CT scannermachine and patient table utilise eightlinear guidance systems, one CT mainbearing, two slewing rings and one X-raytube bearing unit.

SIMTUS incorporates a custom-designed,thin section bearing, which uses ceramicrolling elements for current insulation. The bearing provides the high accuracyrequired by the application together withlow noise levels and a longer operatinglife.

The IDAM ‘HSRV’ direct drive ring motoralso offers a number of technicaladvantages for the customer.

It is designed to operate at lowtemperatures, with high speed capability,high efficiency, low vibration levels andlow noise. The segment motor wasdesigned as a modular unit with a variablenumber of segments, allowing morespace for other scanner components.

The rotor (rotating part) is fitted withpermanent magnets. The stator (housingcomponent) is equipped with coils thatare subjected to current. This creates amagnetic field, which is followed by thepermanent magnets in the rotor, inducingrotation. This principle is known as ‘direct drive’.

Barden super precision X-ray bearingswere used to support the spinning X-rayanode, which rotates at speeds in excessof 10,000 rpm under extreme conditions.The operating environment is highvoltage, high temperature (400°C to500°C) in a vacuum down to 10-8 torr.The key benefit here is this systemenables the X-ray scanner to generateand record high resolution images up to50% faster than conventional machines.

The two, four-point contact slewing ringswere customised from Schaeffler’sstandard bearing range, enabling thegantry to slowly swivel by up to ±30°. The four point contact ball bearings aresupplied ready to install, greased for lifeand provide smooth running (swivelling),high accuracy and high stiffness. The key benefit of the gantry bearings is that they are maintenance-free andhave a small width.

The patient table of the scanner also uses bearings from the Schaeffler Group.Low noise was again important for thisapplication.

Six ‘KUVE’ linear guides are used atvarious points on the table, offering highload carrying capacity, low noise,functional reliability and high rigidity. The four-row linear ball bearing andguideway assembly incorporates quadspacers between the balls, whichsignificantly reduce the running noise.The low displacement resistance enablesthe table to be adjusted with highpositioning accuracy. The guidancesystem operates virtually maintenance-free for its entire life, due to an integratedlubricant reservoir located adjacent to theloaded raceways.

As well as CT scanners, the SchaefflerGroup is active in many other areas of themedical and healthcare industry, withapplications for bearings and linear guidesin dental drills, dentist’s chairs, guidancesystems for precision grinding of opticallenses, ophthalmology, ceiling mounts inoperating theatres, and for automatedlaboratory analysis equipment.

For more information or a free‘Bearing Solutions for MedicalTechnology’ catalogue, pleasevisit www.schaeffler.co.uk

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PRECISION BEARINGS AND AN INNOVATIVE DIRECT DRIVE SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY THESCHAEFFLER GROUP ARE HELPING TO INCREASE THE SPEED OF CT EXAMINATIONSWHILST REDUCING THE NOISE LEVELS OF THE MACHINES BY HALF.

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Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:52 pm Page 10

IN MOTION | 10

NEW HYDROSTATIC LINEAR GUIDES FIT SAMEDESIGN SPACE AS PROFILED RAIL GUIDES

UNIAIR FULLY VARIABLE VALVE TRAIN REDUCES FUELCONSUMPTION BY 10%

hen selecting bearingsupports for linear motionapplications, most machinebuilders tend to opt for

profiled rail linear guides, which provideoptimum performance (rigidity, loadcapacity and dynamics) and mounting.

Hydrostatic linear guides are the costeffective option, as they offer both highprecision and better damping characteristicsfor high dynamic rigidity. However, to date,most hydrostatic guides have been relativelyexpensive, time-consuming to mount andrequire a larger design envelope comparedto profiled rail guides. Engineers from theSchaeffler Group’s Linear Division, workingclosely with the Machine Tool Laboratory atthe University of Aachen in Germany, havenow developed a range of hydrostatic linearprototype guides that are ideal for highprecision machining and machine toolapplications and offer design engineers andmachine builders much greater designfreedom.

Standard Design SpaceThe hydrostatic guides are manufactured tofit within the standard design space (DIN645) of a profiled rail linear guide and theload carrying capacity has been found to be

equal to the operating load of a profiled raillinear guide of similar size. Compressiverigidity is also comparable to a rollermonorail system.

For machine builders and end users, theease of mounting means design andassembly costs are reduced. And, becausethe guides comply with DIN designenvelopes and DIN mounting dimensionsfor monorail guidance systems, a designengineer could use both a roller guidancesystem and a hydrostatic guiding element inthe same machine design.

Longer Life,Fewer BreakdownsUnlike conventional ball linear guides orroller linear guides, the hydrostatic guidesfeature no metal-to-metal contact. The guide carriages move on a thin cushionof high pressure fluid which means zero wearof the guideways. An integral hydrauliccontroller means the hydrostatic guides areready-to-fit and the mounting dimensionsare interchangeable with monorail guidance systems.

Vibrations. induced as a result of bladecontact shocks, tool wear, regenerativeeffects and other disruptive forces from

outside influences, can be a problem inmachine tools. Due to the large number of‘springs’ and ‘masses’, numerous resonantfrequencies occur with, in some cases,strong effects on the accuracy and surfacequality of the workpieces.

The lubricant film separating the componentsin hydrodynamic and hydrostatic guidancesystems provides vibration damping bymeans of the so-called ‘squeeze film’ effect.

Bearing life of hydrostatic guides can beconsidered infinite, as there is no bearingwear, resulting in longer machine life andextended rigidity and precision. Crashprotection also improves, because the oilpressure in the pocket increases as thecutting load is applied, creating a restoringforce that prevents the fluid gap fromclosing under very high impact load.

For the hydrostatic linear guide prototypes,pocket pressure is 100 bar, load carryingcapacity is up to 18kN and through flowrate is less than 3 litres/min. Gap height is0.015mm.

Schaeffler is currently working with itscustomers to develop designs for volumeproduction.

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AN INNOVATIVE RANGE OF HIGH PRECISION, HYDROSTATIC LINEAR GUIDES, THAT ARECOST EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO MOUNT AND ALSO FIT THE SAME DESIGN SPACE AS AROLLING ELEMENT GUIDANCE SYSTEM HAS BEEN INTRODUCED BY SCHAEFFLER.

n tests the new valvecontrol system has reducedfuel consumption by 10%compared to conventional

valve train systems. A significantreduction in diesel engine NOxemissions is also achieved, as well asimproved engine response and torque.

The INA ‘UniAir’ (Universal Air) system isa cam-actuated, electro-hydraulic valvetrain system, which is supplied by thevehicle’s existing engine oil circuit. Thesystem can be used in both petrol anddiesel engines. UniAir is currently beingtested on a prototype passenger car -based on an Opel Vectra with a two-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine(218Nm at 4,000rpm) - which hasalready successfully covered more than

20,000km. The test vehicle has so farachieved a 10% reduction in fuelconsumption compared with a carequipped with a standard valve train.The car also meets Euro 4 exhaust gasregulations standards. On internalcombustion engines, UniAir can beinstalled with throttle-free, continuoussoftware-based load control across theentire engine mapping range.

Using UniAir in diesel engines, thecombustion chamber temperature canbe accurately controlled by regulatingexhaust gas recirculation. At the sametime, the effective compression ratiowithin the cylinder varies, ensuringhomogenous combustion of the fuel.Optimising the combustion temperatureand the compression ratio in the cylindersignificantly reduces the production ofNOx emissions. In addition, costlyexhaust treatment is eliminated.

Optimising charge cycles in valveswitching systems has already beenachieved with partially variable valvetrains, for example by using two-stageswitching systems with switchabletappets. The first generation of partiallyvariable valve train systems wasfollowed by the first fully variableproduction valve train in 1999, using

BMW’s ‘Valvetronic’ system. Duringpart-load operation, such as idling, thecylinder charging was controlled usingthe valve lift of the inlet valves and theopening period. The phasing of the inletand outlet camshafts was driven by avariable camshaft timing system.

But the INA UniAir system represents astep-change in variable valve trainsystems. The system can provide fullcoverage of every conceivable airflowpossibility, from zero valve lift tomaximum lift, dictated by the camshaftlobe for each individual cylinder orvalve. With the de-throttling of theengine, UniAir can provide early intake-valve closing or late intake-valveopening, to maximise engine breathingrelative to certain engine speed andload conditions.

UniAir can offer unique valve lift eventsfor every valve – individually and cycle-to-cycle. In contrast, anelectromechanically actuated, fully variablevalve train requires several cam eventsto achieve the same lift differential.

In addition to the 10% reduction in fuelconsumption, a further 1 to 2% can beachieved by increasing the compressionratio, as ‘knock’ limits can be optimised.

MODULAR ‘KITS’ FOR LINEAR GUIDES A range of modular accessories that enable linearguides to be modified to suit the individualnature of the operating environment has beenlaunched by Schaeffler (UK).

When it comes to specifying high performancelinear guidance systems for productionmachinery designers often need to match thedesign of the guides to the environment they willbe operating in. Effective sealing and targetedlubrication of the guides are therefore key designconsiderations, since these affect the operatinglife, maintenance intervals and overall machineavailability. Designers can now simplify theprocess by specifying the new range of modularaccessories or ‘kits’ with a particular linear guide.

The higher the design requirements, the more ‘kit’components or sub-assemblies can be added on.The designer can combine different accessorieswith a particular linear guide to meet the operatingrequirements, ambient conditions and contaminationlevels of the application - from minorcontamination levels such as large particulates orswarf, to severe contamination such as exposureto aggressive dust or cooling lubricant.

The kits themselves include: long term lubricationunits; sheet steel wipers; single and double lipend wipers; sealing strips; and seals made fromdifferent materials, for example, to withstandaggressive coolants used on machine tools.Maintenance-free linear guidance systems can

also be specified. Schaeffler’s KUVE ball monorailguidance system, for example, can be modifiedwith a long term lubrication unit (LZV), which, incombination with the KUVE’s integral lubricantreservoir, results in a maintenance-free linearguide solution for most applications.

Long term tests and practical trials have shownthat by upgrading linear guides using modular kitsthe operating life can be improved significantly,compared to guides that useconventional wipers andleave lubricationissues to the end user.

As as result of its acquisition of Renold AutomotiveSystems from Renold plc the Schaeffler Group’sAutomotive Division can now offer customerscomplete camshaft drive and timing solutions,including chain systems, belt systems and variablecamshaft timing systems.The aim of theacquisition is to further strengthen the SchaefflerGroup’s engine front end drive competence andmaximise its complete system knowledge.

With the acquisition of RAS, Schaeffler’sAutomotive Division will now be able to offercustomers a complete chain drive system solution,including chain, tensioner and guides – from onesource. RAS is a leading innovator in its sector,developing, manufacturing and distributing a largerange of chains and chain tensioners for major

automotive manufacturers and to the automotiveaftermarket. The Schaeffler Group itself has alsobeen at the forefront of chain development andmanufacture for some time. The company hasalready developed an innovative, tooth type chainsystem that offers longer life and significantlyreduces noise emissions and takes up considerablyless design space.

John Taylor, Director & General Manager,Schaeffler (UK) Automotive commented: "Any system that connects the camshaft to thecrankshaft is a critical assembly on an engine and itis already an area, together with valve trainactivation, where INA is a leading developmentpartner and supplier. "The acquisition of RenoldAutomotive Systems is important because it

means the Schaeffler Group now becomes a Tier One supplier of complete chain systems toautomotive manufacturers. Our customers want to purchase completechain systems fromone supplier, includingchains, chaintensioners and guides.We can now fulfil this.The acquisition alsomeans we can fast-track chaindevelopment. Renold’smanufacturingfacilities, coupled withour own deep drawn cup press technology, givesus first-class production facilities."

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ENGINEERS AT THESCHAEFFLER GROUP’SENGINE SYSTEMS DIVISIONHAVE DEVELOPED A FULLYVARIABLE, CAM-ACTUATED,ELECTRO-HYDRAULICVALVE TRAIN, WHICHCOULD BE READY FORFULL SERIES PRODUCTIONAS EARLY AS SPRING 2009

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SCHAEFFLER GROUP ACQUIRES AUTOMOTIVE CHAIN MAKER TO OFFER COMPLETE CHAIN DRIVE SYSTEMS

IN MOTION | 11

Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:52 pm Page 12

IN MOTION | 12 IN MOTION | 13

SINGLE BEARING SOLUTION FOR WORLD’S LIGHTEST 5MW WIND TURBINE

The Schaeffler Group has developed an innovative,single bearing solution for the rotor head onMultibrid’s ‘M5000’ 5MW offshore wind turbine.

The rolling bearing weighs around 7,200kg and hasan outside diameter of 3,200mm, a bore diameterof 2,620mm and a width of 485mm.

Designed in accordance with German wind turbinedeveloper Multibrid’s novel drive train concept, theturbine solution features a rotor hub that isdirectly supported by Schaeffler’s large rollingbearing in the machine housing.

In order to minimise any detrimental effects of therotor loads on the gearbox and generator,Schaeffler’s customised double-row tapered rollerbearing transfers these loads to the adjacentstructure, bypassing’ the gearbox-generator unit.

Thanks to the absence of a high speed gear stage,the tower head has a relatively low weight ofaround 300 tonnes, which enables the turbine tobe pre-assembled on land so that the nacelle canbe hoisted to the tower at sea with only one lift.

The total weight of the tower head –including the rotor blades, which areattached to the hub at a height of 102mand measure 56.5m in length – is 310tonnes, making it the lightest 5MW windturbine in the world.

At the recent WindEnergy trade exhibition inHamburg, Germany, Schaeffler Group

showcased a variety of innovativebearings for wind turbines. GunnarSimm, head of Application Engineeringand Product Design at Schaeffler GroupIndustrial’s Power Transmission and

Railway Division comments: "In bearingdevelopment for wind turbines,

it is very important to take into account the entirewind turbine system with all its various interactingdrive train components. This makes it possible tosignificantly increase the reliability and economicefficiency of wind turbines.

"The bearings used for wind turbines are becominglarger and larger, which is why we start by closelystudying the operating conditions, for examplethrough measurement campaigns. Together withthe customer, we work out failure mode andeffects analyses [FMEA] in order to minimisepotential risks".

he new bearings replacestwo crossed roller bearingsand three geared rings,resulting in a more

compact, lightweight system that ismaintenance-free and easier to mount.

The new, three-axis robot hand systemhas been developed for an automotivepaint atomiser system. The new unit notonly saves space but also weighs less, ismaintenance-free and is easier to mount.

All 15 bearings for the hand axis systemwere supplied by the Schaeffler Groupto Atlanta, the system developerworking was under contract toautomotive paint company Dürr-AG(Painting Systems).

The hand axis system, which is locatedat the end of the robot arm, guides thepaint atomiser system. Paint robotsystems now have to be able to copewith increasingly complex geometriesand surfaces that are often difficult toaccess, so Dürr-AG required a morecompact, lighter hand axis system thatwould also be maintenance-free andeasy to mount.

Schaeffler Group engineers workedclosely with Atlanta to develop abespoke bearing solution. The resultingthree-ring bearing comprises two, four-point contact bearing raceway systemswith surface-hardened raceways,externally geared bearing rings and anintermediate ring. The rolling elementsare guided in cage segments.

The new three-ring bearing replacedtwo crossed roller bearings and threegeared rings that had to be screwedtogether. Rather than having to mountfive separate components, there is nowonly one. Not only does this result inincreased rigidity of the system, it alsosignificantly reduces the design

envelope. In addition to the two, three-ring bearings, each axis incorporatesdeep groove ball bearings, four pointcontact bearings, axial angled needleroller bearings and axial needle rollerand cage assemblies.

Rainer Gebauer, Application EngineeringSpecialist for Transmissions at theSchaeffler Group commented: "It tookjust 11 months from initial enquiry toreadiness for volume production. Inorder to find an optimum solution forboth sides, the customer was of courseinvolved in development from the verybeginning."

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SCHAEFFLER (UK) HASDEVELOPED A BESPOKE,THREE-RING BEARINGFOR A PAINT ROBOT HANDAXIS SYSTEM.

A HAND WITH THE PAINTING...NEW BEARING SOLUTION FOR ROBOTIC HAND

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ith wind turbines, maintenanceinvolves a huge amount of costlylogistical effort, for example,making sure that heavy dutycranes are available. This is

particularly important in an offshoreenvironment, where the costs can increase evenfurther due to higher turbine outputs, thereforeand higher potential downtime losses, and higherweights of parts that need replacing.

In May this year, Schaeffler Group’s conditionmonitoring and maintenance managementservices division, FAG Industrial Services (FIS),was awarded a contract for the online conditionmonitoring of Multibrid’s first M5000 offshorewind turbine prototype in Bremerhaven,Germany.

With the help of numeroussensors, FIS will use its ‘FAG WiPro’system to continuously monitor thebearing supports, in terms of vibration,temperature and movement. Any datathat deviates from set parameters willbe evaluated by specialist staff and

appropriate steps taken, helping toavoid unplanned downtime and makingit easier to plan ahead for maintenanceoperations. The ‘FAG WiPro’ system isalso suitable for monitoring wind farmswith a large number of wind turbines.

At the WindEnergy show, SchaefflerGroup also showcased its plummerblock housing for the main rotorsupport on 1.5MW turbines.

This unit consists of a spherical rollerbearing with shaft nut as well asadditional parts and has been adaptedfor use in wind turbines.

The bearing accommodates loads in all directions, compensates for minorshaft misalignment and deflection, and enables easy relubrication andinstallation, ensuring high reliability and long life.

WIPRO CONDITION MONITORING

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FAG Industrial Services

IND TURBINEMANUFACTURERMULTIBRID’S NEW‘M5000’ OFFSHORE

WIND TURBINE IS THE WORLD’SMOST COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT5MW CATEGORY SYSTEM. KEYTO THIS IS A LARGE, SINGLEROLLING BEARING THATDIRECTLY SUPPORTS THEROTOR HUB.

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Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:53 pm Page 14

IN MOTION | 14 IN MOTION | 15

PRAXIS PARTNERSHIP SOLVES THE “HOT SAW” PROBLEM

he close proximity of largemoving beams and rotatingsaw blades meant thatpatrol type monitoring of

critical machinery at a steel beam mill at Lackenby on Teesside had been amajor problem.

But then the mill called in PRAXIS, theunique condition monitoring servicepartnership (between Schaeffler UK andCorus Northern Engineering Services) tofind a solution.

By working closely together, SchaefflerUK and CNES engineers were able todevelop a hard-wired monitoring systemusing an FAG DTECT X1 monitoringdevice linked to eight sensors on eachsaw to enable the remote detection ofblade instability, imbalance or bearingdefects.

The new system quickly demonstratedthat one of the critical issues was thebalance of the saw blades. Out ofbalance blades create vibrations which, ifleft unchecked, greatly reduce the life ofboth motor and gearbox.

The new DTECT X1 condition monitoringsystem means that the balance of theblades can be checked and corrected atany point in their life cycle.

The system also detects blades that havebeen badly chipped. If this occurs, asignal is emitted by the DTECT X1system, alerting the operators to the fact that a blade change is required. A out-of-balance alarm whichautomatically shuts down the saws whenthe pre-set maximum level is exceeded isalso incorporated in the system. The newsystem also highlighted other problemswhich may otherwise have goneunnoticed including a cage fault on abearing and a lubrication problem.

The Teesside Beam Mill, part of the CorusConstruction and Industrial arm, is one ofthe most efficient structural sectionrolling mills anywhere in the world, withan output of 750,000 tonnes per annumcovering a vast range of products for theworldwide construction industry. ThePRAXIS-developed condition monitoringsystem is helping to increase itsefficiency still further.

FLOORING MANUFACTURER REDUCES MAINTENANCETIME BY NEARLY 90%… THANKS TO THE FAG DETECTOR III

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The FAG Detector III, the all-in-one,handheld vibration monitoring andoperational balancing device, has helpedThe Armstrong DLW Group, one ofGermany’s largest manufacturers of floorcoverings, to reduce routinemaintenance time by almost 90%.

At the Group’s Delmenhorst factory inGermany, 500 staff produce linoleumfrom natural materials. In the past,maintenance technicians conductedvibration measurements usingmeasuring pins, which was timeconsuming and meant that data couldnot be stored and saved for future in-depth analyses. Balancing tasks were manual and time consuming and

relied almost entirely on the practical experience of the

maintenance staff.

Now the plant’s technicians monitorvibration and perform operationalbalancing checks on a variety ofmachines, including ventilators and mills,using the FAG Detector III – a vibrationmeasuring device, data collectionterminal and operational balancing system– all built into a single, handheld unit.

Payback for the linoleum manufacturerhas been fast. Before purchasing theDetector III, the company carried outbalancing checks manually which, onaverage, took around 4.5 hours to complete.With the Detector III, this time has beenreduced by 88% to just 30 minutes.

The Detector III is the latest addition toSchaeffler (UK)’s ‘Detector’ series ofdamage diagnosis systems. The device isavailable with an optional, extended

operational balancing function which canbe activated at a later stage afterpurchasing the basic unit. The device canbe used to balance rotors and shafts inboth static and dynamic balancingapplications.

The Detector III includes the full range ofaccessories required to carry out abalancing process, including sensors,trigger, magnetic holder and reflectionmarks. There’s also an integrated, step-by-step user dialogue, which allowsinexperienced operators to record andanalyse reliable, accurate balancing data.The device can be operated with onehand using 21 keys and the keyboarditself is resistant to dust and spray water.There’s also a headset jack so that userscan assess acoustic emissions from plantand machinery.

his annual event providesan ideal forum for FIS toinform their partnercompanies of the latest

product and service developments inmaintenance and condition monitoringequipment. UK partners taking part inthe event were RCM Marine and CNESvia the PRAXIS partnership withSchaeffler UK.

Corus was selected as this year’s globalvenue following the recent success ofthe PRAXIS partnership at the Beam Mill.CNES has been able to use FIS DTECTX1 monitoring equipment on the hotsaws to improve efficiency and predictany problems in the application beforethey happen. At the meeting, CNESengineers were able to update their FIScolleagues with the latest findings fromthe equipment which monitors the hotsaws around the clock. A tour of theBeam Mill took place in the afternoon sothat all delegates could see the hot sawsin operation. "I am extremely pleased that CNES is

able to obtain valuable and useful datawith our monitoring equipment,"commented Dr Bernd Geropp, ManagingDirector of FIS who attended themeeting. He continued, "It is good forus to know how our equipment is working in what are extremely harsh

operating conditions, andI am confident that ourcontinued investmentsin R&D will provide CNESwith even greateropportunities in the futurefor saving both cost andunplanned downtime."

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THE 2006 FAG INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (FIS) PARTNER MEETING WAS HOSTED BY CORUSNORTHERN ENGINEERING SERVICES AT STEEL HOUSE IN REDCAR, TEESSIDE IN SEPTEMBER.

PERFECT PARTNERSUK FIS CONFERENCE

Pictured from left to right: Ian Pledger, Bob McClenahan, RCM, Detlef Massorz, FIS, Des Pattinson, BerndGeropp, FIS, Karen Preston, Diethelm Schueler, FIS, Ian Taylor, CNES, Steve Lacey, Bill Gardiner, CNES,Wolfgang Schroeder, Andrew Marshall, Bernd Giebels, FIS

FAG Industrial Services

chaeffler UK waspleased to beinvolved in theevent by taking

an exhibition stand to supportthe Excellence in Maintenance2006 conference. Visitors tothe Schaeffler UK stand wereable to talk to our condition

monitoring experts about allaspects of preventativemaintenance and take awaywith them a goodunderstanding of the CMpackages available for theirparticular plant andmaintenance needs. Alsoexhibiting at the show were

CNES, and many visitors toboth stands were able to takeadvantage of the successfulPRAXIS partnership betweenthe two companies.

Some exciting leads arecurrently being followed upfrom the show.

GOOD SHOW!

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THE WORLD FAMOUS MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL STADIUM ATOLD TRAFFORD WAS THE VENUE FOR THE FIRST MAINTENANCENORTH WEST CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION IN OCTOBER....

Ian Pledger, F’IS Field ServiceEngineer, advises a visitor tothe Schaeffler UK stand.

Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:53 pm Page 16

IN MOTION | 16 IN MOTION | 17

MEDIAS® BEARINGSELECTION SOFTWARENOW OFFERS EVEN MORE

hen selecting, sourcingand evaluating differentbearing or linear guidedesigns, engineers need to

have the correct product data at theirfingertips, so that they can rapidlydesign the optimum solution for theircustomer.

To locate the right data or to calculate abearing’s service life, many engineersrely on their own experience. Theyspend time wading through pages oftechnical catalogues to find the rightinformation or the right formula tocalculate a safety factor or maximumload rating. But this wastes valuablevaluable time – a commodity that mostdesign engineers simply cannot spare.

Even if a design engineer is alreadyconfident about the type of bearing orlinear guide required for a particularapplication, accessing the appropriate2D or 3D model - in the right CADformat - isn’t easy.

Schaeffler, however, provides engineerswith a complete solution, easy solutionto the problem in the form of itsbearing selection, calculation

and technical support software,medias®. The software, which is freelyavailable either as an online tool or onCD-ROM, is a comprehensive guide toall Schaeffler products, including rollingbearings, plain bearings and linearguidance system. It also provides a"bearing housing assistant" andinformation on the company’s complete‘X-life’ range.

The software caters for all engineers,regardless of their skills or experience ofbearings and linear guidance systems.

Whether the user requires a simple, 2Ddimensional drawing; a list of suitablelubricants for a particular bearingarrangement; a downloadable 3Dmodel; or a detailed design calculationof a bearing’s service life - medias®

has it all.

The statistics speak for themselves:2,500 people use medias®

on-line every day,

performing more than 8,000 service lifecalculations and downloading morethan 2,500 CAD models per month.

The latest version of the software,medias® version 4.2, allows users tosave their calculation data.

The software remembers thecalculations, so that engineers canoptimise a particular bearingarrangement. It also means they canselect the most suitable bearing for theapplication, which precisely achieves the desired service life.

Once a bearing has been selected andthe required calculations performed,users can also take advantage of thesoftware’s comprehensive ‘CADDownload’ section.

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THE LATEST VERSION OF SCHAEFFLER’S BEARING SELECTION AND CALCULATIONSOFTWARE OFFERS ENGINEERS EVEN MORE INFORMATION, AS WELL AS A WIDERRANGE OF SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ENABLE USERS TO GET TO THE RIGHTINFORMATION FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE.

Wheelset bearings are atypical example. Ratherthan buying individualbearings and housings

from different suppliers, wheelset bearingelements for an entire bogie can besourced as a complete solution from onesupplier. Not only does this result inimproved logistics and handling, but alsocuts costs for the customer. Only oneordering code is required and thecustomer receives the assembly, includingthe eight individual components neededfor a complete bogie.

Locomotive manufacturer Bombardier,for example, now partners with SchaefflerKG on its Class 185 dual frequencylocomotive which has a very successfultrack record with Germany’s railwayoperator, Deutsche Bahn AG. TheSchaeffler Group’s Railway Division, withits INA and FAG brands, has beeninvolved from the development stage asan engineering partner – initially as asupplier of transmission bearings and lateralso as a supplier of traction motor bearings.

And, since 2004, Bombardier has alsopurchased FAG wheelset bearings –housings including cylindrical rollerbearing units – for the BR 185.2. In doingthis, Bombardier’s processes areoptimised because the wheelset bearingelements for an entire bogie are suppliedas a complete kit in a wire crate. Class185 locomotives were designed asmodular multi-system units incorporatingthree-phase asynchronous propulsiontechnology. They are used in fast cross-border freight services. The locomotivesrun on two-axle‘Flexifloat’bogies

and deliver a maximum power output of5,600 kW. They have a starting tractioneffort of 300kN and reach a top speed of140km/h.

Driverless trains

Germany’s most advanced subwaysystem was brought into service inNuremberg earlier this year. The ‘DT3’two-car unit (manufactured by SiemensTransportation Systems and operated byVAG Verkehrs-AktiengesellschaftNürnberg) is a new, fully automated,driverless vehicle. FAG wheelset bearings(rolling bearings and housings) for theDT3 bogie frame were supplied by theSchaeffler Group. According to recentstudies by the rail industry, introducingdriverless, automated operation willincrease safety and reliability, offer lowerenergy consumption, more flexibility andhigher economic efficiency.

The higher initial investment costs forautomated operation are counter-balanced by lower energy consumptionand higher safety thanks to variousmeasures, including the continuousexchange of data between track andvehicle, and more flexible and demand-oriented deployment options of therolling stock. Passenger benefits comemainly in the form of significantlyreduced cycle times. While conventionalvehicles achieve a maximum of 200-second cycle times, automated operationwould enable 100-second cycles.

The wheelset bearings on the DT3 are‘FAG 808246’ double-row cylindricalroller bearings with 120mm borediameter, 200mm outside diameter and a width of 130mm. The bearings are pre-lubricated for one service intervaland require no maintenance for six yearsor 1.2 million kilometres..

Specialists at Schaeffler’s Railway Bearingsdivision pulled out all the stops when itcame to the development, design andchoice of materials for the wheelsetbearing housing. For maintenancepurposes, a split housing was required.This offered the advantage that only thebottom part had to be dismounted duringmaintenance, while the top of the housingstayed on the bogie. This meant the axlecould easily be taken out of the bogie.

But the housing also had to resist theextreme loads that occur as a result ofthe design of the primary suspension, asteel suspension with a rubber guidingelement. Additional demands for weightreduction and high security standardsalso had to be met. The optimumsolution that met all these requirementswas achieved only by using acombination of FEM calculations and 3Dmodelling. The FEM calculation resultswere verified during test rig trials.

FAG design engineers decided to useheat-treated, hardened spheroidalgraphite cast iron, which offered theadvantage of high strength combinedwith good ductility. It is the only materialthat met the compact, lightweight designrequirements for the housing.

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ILIN A SIMILAR WAY TO AUTOMOTIVE OEMS, TRAIN AND LOCOMOTIVEMANUFACTURERS ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE VALUE OF SOURCINGCOMPLETE SUB-ASSEMBLIES FROM A SINGLE SUPPLIER, RATHER THANPURCHASING MULTIPLE, INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS FROM DIFFERENTSUPPLIERS AND THEN DOING THE ASSEMBLY WORK THEMSELVES.

WHEELSET ‘BEARING KITS’ FORBOMBARDIER LOCOMOTIVE

See us at Railtex 2007 Excel, London 20-22 Feb 07 Stand P40

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Innovative wheelset bearings for underground trains feature reduced life cycle costs.

Bombardier Class 185 Locomotive

The wheelsetbearing elementsneeded for oneentire bogie forthe BR 185.2 aresupplied as acomplete kit in a wire crate.

Wheelset bearing withintegral generator systemfor supplying safety,telematics and regulatingequipment. The units canbe adapted to outputrequirements and can beretrofitted without theneed for additionalassembly components.

Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:53 pm Page 18

GREAT NEWS FOR LLANELLI

LONG SERVICE AWARDS

IN MOTION | 19

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(AND BOTH HIS CARS CARRY COMPONENTSFROM THE SCHAEFFLER GROUP)

Martin Ryancongratulates Carole Forshawon 30 years’ service in the Commercialdepartment

During a recent visit to the Llanelli plant Dr Pleus, President of the SchaefflerGroup’s Worldwide Engine Systems Division, confirmed that the Llanelli location hasbeen selected to be the Group’s lead plant for the production of mechanical tappets.

A number of Llanelli staff received long services awards recently including:

Terry Bradley (centre), 20 years’ service at Llanelli. He is pictured receivinghis award from Jeff Guest (left) and Stewart Richards.

Anthony Weston (second left), 20 years’ service at Llanelli. Pictured with Jeff Guest (left), Roger Evans (second right) and Adrian Roberts (right)

Huw Collins (left) 20 years atLlanelli. Pictured with Roger Evans.

Eldmer Richards (left) 20 years atLlanelli. Pictured with Roger Evans.

Aaron Howells – born onMothering Sunday to TracyJames (Assembly) andStuart Howells (Toolroom)he weighed 7lb 3oz.

Martin Phillips receives his award for 20 years’ service from StewartRichards (left) and Adrian Roberts (right).

Jackie Jennings, who works in the Credit Control departmentat Sutton Coldfield married Dean Seaborne at St Paul’sChurch, Dosthill, Tamworth on Saturday, 14th October. The wedding was followed by a reception at New Hall Hoteland Mr and Mrs Seaborne then left for a honeymoon cruisefollowing the "ancient trail" around the Mediterranean.

Richard Hall thanks Ivan Carless on behalf of the Companyfor all his hard work over the last 23 years in Sutton Coldfield.

Betsan Haf daughter ofMari Morgan (QualityControl) born in July sheweighed an impressive 9lb 2oz.

During his visit Dr Pleus also took the opportunity to recognise the achievementsof many employees and he is pictured (centre) with Schaeffler UK ManagingDirector Kate Hartigan (centre right) and staff who had gained qualificationsranging from NVQ Level II Manufacturing Operations through NVQ Level IIIBusiness Improvement Techniques to a BSc in Computer Aided Engineering.

Dr Pleus also presented longservice awards to MarianThomas for 20 years

…and to Marian’s son Mark whohas also completed 20 years’ service.Mark was also congratulated ongaining his BSc in Computer AidedEngineering.

The long-awaited CASINO ROYALE,latest in the world’s longestrunning cinematic series, took to the screens in the UK in mid-November.

While the new Bond, played by DanielCraig, is completely different fromprevious incarnations (with no MissMoneypenny or Q and an absence ofmost of the gadgets) his love affair withmotor cars continues and the news isthat both cars featured in the new movie– an Aston Martin DBS and the new FordMondeo (the model to be launched in2007) carry components manufacturedby the Schaeffler Group.

The film, 21st in the series, is rated bycritics as the best Bond film since “Live and Let Die” and Daniel Craig as“the natural successor to Edinburgh’smost famous milkman.”

This Bond is more like the originalcharacter of the Ian Fleming books – a patriotic, cold-hearted killingmachine with a taste for luxury.

The film is a sort of prequel, taking theviewer back to the beginning of Bond’scareer and showing how he qualified forhis “00” badge.

And throughout the film, Bond takes aterrible pounding – amongst otherthings, he’s tortured, knocked senselessand thrown off ledges.

While some very nasty, close quartershand-to-hand, fighting is a feature ofthe film, there is no shortage of Bond-style action sequences with one fantasticchase through a building site taking thehonours.

Of course, Bond wouldn’t be Bondwithout the girls – and there are plentyof them, most notably in form ofTreasury agent

Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green andreckoned by the critics to be the bestBond girl since Diana Rigg.

Dame Judy Dench is back as “M”, keepinga watchful eye on the “new” 007. The villains are back, too, although thistime they are slightly more believablethan some of the previous inhabitants ofexploding islands etc.

Chief amongst them is Le Chiffre (played by Mads Mikkelson) a backer ofterrorist organisations, who, in momentsof stress, weeps tears of blood.

Many fans were concerned when DanielCraig was picked for the role. But thefact is that the “Blond” makes anexcellent Bond and may well turn out tobe the best of all.

All the reviewers think so, as does thewriter – who queued with a host of

other Bond aficionados for the localopening night. Not one left the cinemadisappointed.

BOND IS BACK …AND HE’S BETTER THAN EVER

BABIES

1. Who were the original producers of the Bond films?

2. Shirley Bassey sang the theme songs for which two Bond movies?

3. Indian tennis star Vijay Amritraj met an untimely end in which Bond movie?

4. Who played Solitaire in Live and Let Die, Roger Moore’s first Bond movie?

5. What was the title of the only Bond film to feature George Lazenby?

6. Who played Goldfinger in the movie of the same name?

7. Who performed the theme song for GoldenEye?

8. What was the name of the character played by Ursula Andress in Dr No?

9. In which film did Bond use an armed autogyro called "Little Nellie"?

10. Who played Contessa Teresa di Vincenzo in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service?

11. What type of car was equipped with titanium armour and rockets in The World is Not Enough?

12. Which Bond film’s theme song was composed by Paul and Linda McCartney?

Bond’s car of choice in CasinoRoyale is the Aston Martin DBS– and this die-cast scale modelof the car in a flawless metallicgrey finish is the prize in ourcompetition in this issue.

All you have to do is provide thecorrect answers to the series ofBond questions and fax youranswers, together with your detailsand a contact telephone number to:

0121 313 0080

YOUR CHANCE TO WINAN ASTON MARTIN DBS(1:18 SCALE MODEL)

COMPETITION

FILM REVIEWLLANELLI

LONG SERVICE AWARD

RETIREMENT

SUTTON COLDFIELD

Name Job title

Company Tel

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:53 pm Page 20

5

Airbus turbopropengine ‘flies’through test run

IN THIS ISSUE...

ISSUE 6 - Dec 2006

Single bearingsolution for wind turbine

Radical, new ‘ball roller’ bearing concept

1217

Bearing ‘kits’ for rail locos

8

Maintenance is one of the biggest costs faced by trainoperators, which is why FAG wheelset bearings fromSchaeffler UK are designed to need maintenance onlyonce every 750,000 miles (equivalent to 30 journeysright round the world).

As a world leader in bearing technology, the SchaefflerGroup has developed a range of products specificallyfor the rail industry. In addition to wheelset bearings,we provide drive and pivot bearings and havedeveloped yoke type track roller units for the mainbolsters of bogies with active tilt technology.

Given the severe nature of the rail environment, we use Corrotect® coatings and special seals to ensure that our bearings can withstand high levelsof contamination in order to provide extra longoperating life – and reduced maintenance downtime.

If you’d like more information about any of our existingproducts or if you are interested in working with us on thedevelopment of products to meet specific rail industryrequirements, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Schaeffler (UK) LtdTel: 0121 351 3833 Fax: 0121 351 7686

E-mail: info.uk@schaeffler.com Web: www.schaeffler.co.uk

World Leaders in Rolling Bearings, Plain Bearings, Linear Systems and Engine Components

...and then it’s time for some simple maintenance

or 750,000 miles30 times round the world

See us at Railtex 07ExCel, London 20 - 22 February, 07. Stand P40

Inmotion Newsletter 6(Final) 23/1/07 8:51 pm Page 2