Czech joint stock company ZKL in Brno, established in year 1999, incorporates domestic manufacturers producing rolling bearings under identical trademark. Production in each of these ZKL companies has a long tradition and continue thus in time-honored manufacture of rolling bearings in Czech Republic. Bearings manufactured here do not serve for industrial purposes only but also for railroad rolling stock and road vehicles, of course.
At the beginning let us say that the first rolling bearings In Czech Republic started to be produced in a small town Pernstejn near Klasterec nad Ohri in year 1923. History of bearings manufacture at Brno is somewhat younger. The production in this South Moravian metropolis begun in year 1947 under the license of English company Hoffman. At that time the bearings were produced in framework of the then state enterprise Zbrojovka Brno – Lisen. Incessant demand for development of new bearings prompted also the establishment of Rolling Bearings Research Institute (VUVL) at Brno. And this particular institute, along with the manufacture of rolling bearings in earlier Zbrojovka and later in Zetor Brno, became the pillars of the existing ZKL Brno a. s. company and research and development entity ZKL – Vyzkum a vyvoj, a. s.
"Our slogan is to constantly satisfy the demands of technically advanced clients. We are the traditional supplier of rolling bearings and engineering products of ZKL brand name and this fact is compelling. The company holds EN ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Certificate," says Mr. Radim Bocanek of Strategy and System Management Department of ZKL Group.
Mr. Leos Silhan, Director of ZKL Group Technical and Manufacturing Advancement said for our paper that a new trend took shape in production program of ZKL oriented to a more massive production of railway roller bearings. In last September there were finished the performance tests of PLC 410-15/16 bearings mounted in Sgnss series of freight cars operated by Czech Railways. Successful tests evaluation enabled ZKL Brno to obtain Czech Railways certificate and approval for operation of these bearings in Czech Railways network. “Simultaneously we commenced the process of releasing these new bearings also for other railway operators,” said Mr. Silhan.
"For a long time ZKL Brno had been supplying spherical roller bearings for many railway engines which in the past had been manufactured for Eastern Europe railways and particularly for the former Soviet Union. When we were looking now for a commercial article suitable for extension of our product assortment, we proceeded not only based on market research but also on ownership of Rolling Bearings Research Institute development know-how. Having evaluated all obtained information we saw the production of cylindrical axle bearings for railroad rolling stock as prospective," says Mr. Vladimir Zikmund, Director of ZKL – Vyzkum a vyvoj, a. s.
Mr. Zikmund also adds that at present time the company has developed freight cars roller bearings for speeds up to 160 km/hr. So far the bearings for higher velocities are not yet available. "As a priority now we would like to widen our manufacturing assortment by axle bearings with polyamide cage and to further proceed with innovation of our spherical roller bearings assortment. By any means we are monitoring the trends for high-speed trains and would like to produce the bearings for higher velocities in the course of time as well,” Mr. Zikmund confirms.
"At the end I want to say that spherical roller bearings made in ZKL Brno can be found in Diesel locomotives of 715 and 750 series manufactured by CKD Praha, in 182 series electric engines of Skoda Plzen or in electric suburban train units with pantograph collector series 451 and 452 built by Studenka wagon works. Within the framework of inner design innovation of our production program we are also enhancing the basic parameters of roller bearings for these elderly machines, thus prolonging their service life. For illustration it can be said that the increase of dynamic load rating of roller bearing by 25 percent prolongs its calculated life more than twice as much," adds at the conclusion the Director Zikmund.
The editor conversed on the subject of roller bearings for Czech Railways with (from the left) Radim Bocanek, Leos Silhan and Vladimir Zikmund.
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