The Timken Company recently received a significant order for its new integrated flexpin bearing from gear manufacturer MAAG Gear AG. The advanced bearing will be for one of the Swiss firm's giant wind turbine transmissions used in a new Nordex turbine design. Production of MAAG's transmissions is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2004.
The Timken(R) integrated flexpin bearing was developed to improve bearing and gear performance in MAAG's planetary gear systems. The tapered roller bearing design, featuring engineered rolling surfaces, allows for a more even distribution of torque to multiple planetary gears. Consequently, both gear and bearing life are increased.
"Our contract with Nordex is a major step forward for MAAG and Timken into a new and fast growing business where growth rates are expected to be around 20 percent per year," says Max Bodmer of MAAG Gear's Wind Turbine Gear Unit. "The Timken integrated flexpin bearing solution helped to set us apart from the competition."
"We are pleased to be working with MAAG on improving the performance of their wind turbine transmission equipment," says Gerald P. Fox, chief engineer - Timken advanced application development. "Because shaft, bearings and gears are completely integrated, there are significant opportunities for making the application smaller, lighter and at a reduced cost with our integrated flexpin bearing. The fully assembled construction also allows for the insertion of more rollers, consequently increasing bearing capacity and durability."
The integrated flexpin bearing has only five components compared with conventional planetary bearing assemblies that typically have as many as ten. This ready-to-mount solution features a pre-set bearing clearance allowing gearbox manufacturers to improve performance and shorten the assembly time. The new design also offers wind energy engineers the possibility to upgrade existing wind turbines with more power-dense transmissions or improve performance and reliability for future projects.
MAAG Gear AG, a member of the F.L. Smidth-Fuller Engineering Group, is a global manufacturer of gear units for a wide variety of heavy industrial applications, including cement, pumps and compressors, power generation and marine industries.
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