| |SEPTEMBER 202219inner bore of the gear", explains Richard. What is the most significant use of an integrated bearing is that it reduces the number of components used in the assembly. This is carried out by directly machining bearing races into the gearbox's surrounding components. However, this is only an option for the cylindrical as well as the tapered gearbox planet bearings."In some ways, it brings complexity into the manufacturing process because bearings are not made at gear plants nor are gears made at bearing plants," he points out. "But there are a lot of advantages to integrating the two most remarkably, integrated bearings not only display improved performance but also greater power density. "Certain failure modes simply don't exist with the integrated design", he says. And one such example is referred to as a creeping outer, which happens when a bearing race is pressed into the gear and due to this, over time and under load, the bearing can move and create debris. Needless to say, no one wants this. However, this cannot happen with a one-piece, integrated component and therefore, this is the main reason why most of the brand-new gearbox designs are employing integrated bearings. "It takes time, but with each new design we progress and gain more knowledge", says Richard. "A few companies are also starting to offer integrated retrofit rebuilds, which is a fairly new and exciting option in the wind industry".Bearing Analysis Platform - predicting the Performance, Life & Reliability Bearing designers are implementing and leveraging simulation software applications to meet the bearing designs with actual operating conditions. This type of software developed for bearing design and analysis can predict the bearing performance, life, and reliability of bearings. One of the global manufacturers of bearings and power transmission products has designed a Bearing Analysis software platform for its customers. This platform helps customers in identifying the right bearing for whatever power transmission system they plug into. And, customers have expressed their desire to acquire this platform since it would help them in designing power transmission systems efficiently. Mark Martens, who's led this Bearing Analysis software platform team since its early days, says that it is not quite that simple. "What customers perceive to be the value of the program comes down to the value of the company's application engineers who are empowered by this tool," he says. "Our research and development (R&D) folks come up with great solutions. We merge them into a common platform so that application engineers can tap into all that knowledge".With this Bearing Analysis software platform, the application engineers can collect information regarding a customer application ­ a gearbox, an axle center, a wheel end, a pump. And with all this information they can replicate the details to perform an analysis ­ the analysis of how the bearings and the rest of the system work together. And the most important reason for conducting this analysis is that the application engineers can predict the bearing life, power loss, heat generation, deflection, and internal stresses to find out/identify the most effective company's product alternatives for any given system.Demand from the Automotive Industry to Fuel Market GrowthAccording to Fortune Business Insights, the global bearings market is anticipated to reach $52.44 billion by 2026. This industry is predicted to observe significant growth due to surging demand from the automotive industry for various applications such as gearboxes, wheels, steering, electric motor, pumps, and engines. In addition to this, the surge in demand from heavy machinery is anticipated to bolster the bearing market growth. According to sources, the plant and machinery segment in the food processing sector is expected to reach $51.41 billion by 2025, and the manufacturers are mainly focused on developing bearings that are suitable for the food & beverages industry. For instance, one of the largest manufacturers of bearings globally has developed a high corrosion-resistant resin bearing, suitable for a wide range of applications in water, alkali, and strong acid environments. These are cost-effective and designed to withstand a high corrosive environment in the food & beverage industry.The Need for Customization The availability of tailored or customized bearing is fueling the customers' interest. Since the application of specific bearings is emerging as bearing market trends, the manufacturers are providing specialized bearing to meet the specific requirements in various application segments that include weaving looms, agriculture machinery, vacuum pumps, and turbochargers. For instance, one of the most prominent manufacturers of bearings and largest exporters of friction-reducing products worldwide produce fully customized bearings with four points crossed rollers for robotic transmission application and these give high accuracy with compactness and rigidity.The FutureBearing OEMs are working continuously towards the development of `Smart Bearing' ­ a technology that enables bearings to communicate their operating conditions continuously with internally powered sensors and data-acquisition electronics. Also, the Asia Pacific market holds the largest share of the bearings market and the major factors fueling the growth in this region include the surging demand for bearings from the automotive, aerospace, and industrial equipment sectors.
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