The newly released high-performance two-disc nylon cage pushes SKF hybrid ceramic deep groove ball bearings to new limits and offers greater flexibility in design choices. By allowing higher speeds, it operates more quietly and efficiently than the bearings of ordinary cages. In addition, it can achieve higher power density, resulting in more power output in the same size motor.
SKF has unveiled a new hybrid ceramic deep groove ball bearing for high speed applications. The new bearings target applications such as traction motors, motors and actuators in the railway industry. SKF has worked with three pilot OEM customers.
The newly released lightweight cage helps increase the limit speed by at least 60% compared to the traditional design. In addition, the nylon cage also helps to reduce friction, resulting in quieter operation and higher power density in applications.
"The new cage design will help our customers achieve higher power output and further reduce the size of the power drive," said Andreas Pichler, Commercial and project engineer at SKF.
By improving the efficiency of the motor, the new bearings can reduce energy consumption, improve reliability and thus reduce the total cost of ownership.
The two-disc cage is made of PEEK and PA66 and is 80% lighter than the brass cage of the same size. In addition to quieter operation, bearings can also operate at lower temperatures to extend grease life and re-lubrication interval. This gives engineers more flexibility in their design choices.
In addition, its ultimate speed limit is twice that of the conventional nylon cage and 60% higher than that of the brass cage.
The rigidly connected cage bars ensure the robustness of the cage and help extend the service life in harsh conditions. The optimized cage design also eliminates the radial deformation caused by centrifugation, known as the "umbrella effect", which usually occurs in high-speed clip-on cages.
The newly released bearing designs will be targeted at OEM equipment manufacturers in railway, construction vehicles, electric vehicles and industrial motor applications.
