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[September 2007]
Hybrid Bearings Roll On With Help From Ceramic Elements
When seeking ways to give its products additional customer value, Ziehl-Abegg AG (Künzelsau, Germany) replaced the all-steel bearings in its 300W, 1500rpm fan motors with two SKF hybrid bearings. Hybrid bearings have rings made of steel and rolling elements made from high grade industrial ceramics specially designed and produced for bearing applications.
The motors have variable frequency drives and Ziehl-Abegg was hoping to see some measurable increase in service life. The results surprised them: service life for motors with hybrid bearings was doubled (trebled in some cases) and noise levels reduced.
Ziehl-Abegg manufactures high quality fans, motors and control systems that are used in a variety of applications such as mobile and stationary refrigeration systems, air handling and air conditioning systems. In these applications the trend is towards integrated motor drive units that offer a higher power output with reduced energy consumption. Designs can be more compact, quieter and offer more possibilities for multiple use. However, for the trend to be successful the fan and motor must have a high degree of reliability and require virtually no maintenance under a variety of operating conditions.
Another factor that Ziehl-Abegg had to consider was that they could never know the conditions where users might decide to install their fans and drive units. To ensure high reliability and decreased maintenance in all cases a decision was made to use SKF hybrid bearings 6001- 2RSLTN9/HC5C3WT. These bearings are sealed and lubricated for life with an SKF high performance grease. They are also compatible with frequency converters.
Field tests report that the SKF hybrid bearings currently in use have continued to double or in some cases treble the service life of the motor, when compared to the steel bearing solution that was previously used. With sealed SKF hybrid bearings, Ziehl-Abegg knows its customer can expect little or no maintenance of the motor throughout its life.
ENDS