March 2020

n TECHNOLOGY SKF HAS DEVELOPEDwhat it claims is the world’s first commercial bearing to incorporate a fibre optic sensing technology that canmeasure loads on the bearing. The bearing, designed to be used in pumps and compressors, will take the guesswork out of product development, helping to speed up the designs by giving instant access to a variety of data. For example, it will be able to compare axial and radial loads, generate strain spectra, and measure load directions, speed of rotation and temperature. The load-sensing bearings are interchangeable with conventional bearings. OEMs and end-users will be able to use them when testing and installing new equipment, and to check that loads are not being exceeded and that lubrication requirements are being met. The benefits, according to SKF, will include optimised designs, lower development costs, shorter design cycles, and the ability to digitalise the design and verification process. “Understanding bearing loads is essential in the design of rotating equipment such as pumps.” explains Lars Kahlman, senior applications expert at SKF’s Drives Competence Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. “Our load- sensing bearing gives access to data that has been very difficult to access so far because it takes accurate strain measurements directly within the bearing.” The new bearings are safe to use in hazardous environments because their signal data is transferred at high speeds via optical fibres, rather than as electrical signals. The system is also immune to electromagnetic interference. In addition, it allows robust remote monitoring where wireless technologies cannot be used because the fibres can transmit the signals over long distances. www.skf.com Bearings with built-in fibre-optic sensors will speed up product development Simple ◾ Digital configuration ◾ Consistent data quality ◾ Intelligent engineering SKF says that its load-sensing bearing will help to accelerate product designs THE GERMANwound components manufacturer REO has developed a more efficient way of winding coils that, it claims, can cut power losses by up to 25%. It results in items such as chokes and transformers that are smaller and up to 10% lighter than conventional designs . Air gaps that form in the spaces between windings of coils can occupy to 9% of the space, and these gaps are up to 24 times less electrically active than the copper. The new edge-winding technique produces coils with lower skin effect and proximity losses than traditional winding techniques. The edge-wound coils also exhibit lower parasitic capacitance, reducing unwanted high-frequency return paths, and helping to ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The single-layer structure of the edge-wound coils allows heat to be dissipatedmore efficiently, which is particularly useful in applications requiring water cooling or likely to operate under high levels of thermal andmechanical stress. The improved cooling alsomakes it feasible to use aluminium and copper conductors. REO is continuing to develop the edge-winding technology. At present, the technique is best suited to items carrying currents of 50–250A. The company is working on new combinations of windings that will allow this to be raised in future. www.reo.co.uk Novel coil-winding technique cuts losses by up to 25%