SKF inaugurates large-size bearing test centre

SKF has inaugurated its newly-built Sven Wingquist Test Centre in Schweinfurt, Germany, an investment totaling EUR 40 million. The centre is the first in the world that is able to test large-size bearings under actual operating conditions. This allows for a more efficient development process for customers, as well as improved bearing performance and increased service life. The Sven Wingquist Test Centre has two testing rigs. One rig is designed for the testing of wind turbine main shaft arrangements. The second rig will be used for testing bearings used in other industrial sectors, including mining, construction, steel manufacturing and marine transport. Combined with SKF’s continued development of diagnostics, condition monitoring and simulation methods, these rigs will contribute to reduced testing and product development lead-times and provide deeper insights into bearing performance. Victoria Van Camp, CTO and President, Innovation and Business Development, says: “No other test center is capable of testing large-size bearings this accurately, under actual operating conditions, giving us and our customers a significant strategic advantage. The technologies being used here in the Sven Wingquist Test Center will help save our customers time and resources, whilst supporting their ambitions of increased reliability and service life.” The test centre has received funding from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Media, Energy and Technology and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Construction and Reactor Safety. SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2015 were SEK 75 997 million and the number of employees was 46 635. www.skf.com

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