SKF Releases New Hybrid Ceramic Deep Groove Ball Bearings

SKF has released a new Hybrid Ceramic Deep Groove Ball Bearings for high-speed applications. The new bearings target applications such as traction motors, motors and drives for the railway industry. SKF has worked with three OEM customers.

The newly released lightweight cage helps to increase the limit speed by at least 60% compared to conventional hybrid ball bearing designs. In addition, the nylon cage also helps reduce friction, resulting in quieter operation and higher power density in the application.

Andreas Pichler, SKF commercial and project engineer, said: “The new cage design can effectively help our customers achieve higher power output and further reduce the size of the motor.”
By increasing the efficiency of the motor, the new hybrid deep groove ball bearing can reduce energy consumption, improve reliability and reduce total cost of operation.

The two-lobed cage is made of PEEK and PA66 and is 80% lighter than the same size brass cage. In addition to being quieter, the bearings can also operate at lower temperatures, extending grease life and extending relubrication intervals. This allows engineers more flexibility in design choices.

In addition, its limit speed is twice that of conventional nylon cages and 60% higher than brass cages.

Rigidly connected cage bars ensure the robustness of the cage, helping to extend service life in harsh conditions. The optimized cage design also eliminates radial deformation caused by centrifugal action, known as the “umbrella effect”, which typically occurs with jaw-type cages operating at high speeds.

The newly released hybrid ceramic deep groove ball bearing designs will target OEM equipment manufacturers in railway, construction vehicle, electric vehicle and industrial motor applications.