Successful Premiere for Bearing World

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FVA (Forschungsvereinigung Antriebstechnik e.V.) — the German research association for drive technology — hosted Bearing World, the first international conference dedicated to bearings that took place on April 12-13 in Hanover, Germany, under the motto “Industrial Research and Science in Dialogue with Practical Application.” The expert conference was well-received by the more than 200 participants from 11 countries. With the international conference, FVA charted new territory in two ways. First, FVA expanded its conference offerings to include an additional topic: bearings. Secondly, with Bearing World, FVA has presented itself to an international stage. Thus far, FVA has been successful on a national level with conferences dedicated to gear production (Getpro), lubrication (Getlub), simulation (Simpep), and electromobility (E-Motive).

FVA’s internationalization follows the logic of the market and, consequently, the needs of researchers and developers in industry and science.

“A global market means that we should also think globally,” said Dr. Arbogast Grunau, head of corporate R&D competence and services at Schaeffler AG and chairman of the FVA management board with regard to the international rolling bearing market. “This is an invitation for international collaboration in research and development. This applies to companies as well as scientific institutions. Bearing World is our response to this requirement.”

The conference offered a comprehensive overview of the current state of technology, research, and development in the field of rolling bearings. Rolling bearings were the focus of this year’s conference, but other bearing concepts will also be included in the future. The conference featured keynotes from high-profile experts, who provided insight into future challenges for bearing manufacturers. Innovative concepts, white etching cracks (WEC), tribology and efficiency, and damage diagnosis and avoidance were the main topics of the event. Around a quarter of the 28 presentations of current research findings from scientific research institutions and company research departments were contributed by experts from abroad. All presentations and discussions were simultaneously translated into German and English.

In his keynote, Bernd Stephan, the senior vice president of group technology development for SKF Group, addressed the question of whether bearings constitute standard goods or high-technology products.

“Rolling bearings are very complex machine elements,” Stephan said. “Rolling contact as an essential function of rolling bearings has not yet been fully researched. There is also great progress to be made in the tribological system between rolling bearings and lubricants. New materials such as special steels and ceramic rolling bodies open completely new dimensions. In this context, we are certainly dealing with a high-tech product.”

Digitization also plays an important role for rolling bearings, which affects all business areas. Regarding the challenges in rolling bearing development, Rainer Eidloth, senior vice president of bearings components development at Schaeffler AG, stated: “In the digital world, for example within the context of Industry 4.0, connected information and data is a key foundation. As a core component, bearings are predestined to gather and communicate relevant drivetrain parameters. The challenge is now to connect rolling bearings and sensors in such a way that the data is useful for OEMs and customers in a standard format.”

According to Dr. Tobias Lösche-ter Horst, general manager of powertrain research at Volkswagen AG, “the drivetrains in future automotive applications will continue to make very specific demands of rolling bearings, for example, in terms of dynamics, temperature behavior, and space.”

Bernhard Hagemann, acting managing director of FVA, concluded by stating: “It is very important for the FVA research community and for users in the industry to network internationally and to receive ideas from around the world. The high number of participants at our premiere is proof of the great interest in the international format and the contents of the event. We are extremely satisfied with the start and will continue on the path of internationalization. We are looking forward to the next Bearing World, here in Germany or abroad.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: bearingworld.org