Schaeffler, one of the leading global suppliers to the automotive and industrial sectors, develops bearings for e-mobility to strengthen the bearing field. Schaeffler's innovative bearing technologies are essential for efficient and sustainable mobility. The company's new innovative products, the TriFinity triple-row bearing and high-efficiency ball bearing with centrifugal disc, offer superior efficiency and service life for all types of powertrains. These new and special bearing solutions designed by Schaeffler for electric vehicles underline the successful transformation of the company.
Innovative bearing solutions play a key role in sustainable mobility by making powertrains and chassis systems more efficient. Thus, the energy saved in electric vehicles provides a longer range. That's why vehicle developers are closely examining the bearing field to optimize friction performance and increase service life for customers. Aware of the potential impact of innovative bearings, global automotive and industry supplier Schaeffler has also launched two new innovative products specifically designed for electric vehicles, the TriFinity three-row wheel bearing and centrifugal disc high-efficiency ball bearing. Stating that innovative bearing technologies form a core part of their product DNA and are the basis of the success of Automotive Technologies units, Schaeffler AG Automotive Technologies CEO Matthias Zink said, “Schaeffler has further developed both traditional powertrain systems and electric powertrains and chassis systems. It seeks to integrate efficient and high-precision bearing solutions into these systems to make them sustainable.” said.
Working with its customers, it aims to take bearings to a new level
Schaeffler established a new Bearings business unit within its Automotive Technologies division earlier this year to increase synergies and shorten development times for its special solutions. Schaeffler Automotive Technologies Division Bearing Business Unit Head Dr. Dieter Eireiner said: “E-mobility is a huge opportunity in the bearing field. As a company, we expect strong growth over the next few years, with significant sales potential especially in ball, cylindrical roller and tapered roller bearings. We are already involved in many promising development projects involving well-known vehicle manufacturers. Innovative bearing technologies are also very important for light commercial and heavy vehicle vehicles. Because it significantly increases the range of vehicles. Working with our customers, we aim to take bearings to a new level.” he said.
TriFinity: Three-row bearing for maximum modularity
Schaeffler's TriFinity product stands out as a three-row wheel bearing designed for use in electric powertrains. TriFinity is the size of standard two-row ball bearings and can transfer larger axle loads. It also offers longer service life and better stability compared to other bearings. This innovative ball bearing design offers an alternative to preloaded tapered roller bearing units. Switching from tapered rollers to balls provides significant improvements in friction torque and stability, resulting in a 75 percent reduction in electricity consumption per vehicle in FTP0,7 test cycles. The combination of TriFinity with Schaeffler's face mill technology allows for reduction solutions in the form of smaller diameter wheel bearing units, resulting in reduced bearing and seal friction, optimized bearing weight and a reduced carbon footprint. The gapless face milling technology applied in the same dimensions reduces the weight of the bearing and enables the component to transmit up to 50 percent more drive torque. It also simplifies the assembly of the bearing and reduces the noise emission in electric vehicles.
High performance ball bearing for high efficiency and maximum service life
Schaeffler's new high-efficiency ball bearing with centrifugal disc stands out as a high-performance, friction-optimized, sustainable product for electromobility applications. This product combines the advantages of both open bearing and sealed bearing designs. High efficiency ball bearing with centrifugal disc, which provides 0,3 Nm less friction and approximately 0,1/km of CO2 emission reduction for each bearing, stands out as a smart and very simple solution that has a big impact on the overall performance. With ten times the service life of an open bearing, these bearings also reduce costs considerably. The ball bearing, which won the Magna Supplier Award with all these features and innovative structure, was also nominated for the 2022 Germany Innovation Award.
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