The accuracy required in the grinding process of the bearing raceway is a crucial parameter, which aims to obtain a longer part life and reduce energy consumption with minimal friction. Optical and magnetic encoders are configured on the vertical turning-grinding compound machine tool to help the high-precision production of wind turbine bearings.

The wheels of automobiles and trains, turbines of power stations, and compressors of refrigerators, etc., the parts contained in these equipment need to be rotated with minimal friction, and they are often carried out under severe external loads. Obviously, the smaller the friction, the more energy is saved. The bearing plays a considerable role in each rotation to reduce friction and ensure stable rotation. The requirements of each process in the production process are very high, especially the final shape grinding and super-finishing surface quality of the bearing.

Adapt to customers

At present, the wind power industry has become a key focus area of u200bu200bKMT. 'We follow the development of our customers in new markets,' said KMT CEO Thomas Carlson. 'When our customers expand in the field of wind power plants, new types of bearings are necessary. So we must develop New machine tools will be developed to meet their needs.'

In a wind power station turbine, the bearings are located at different locations, and the rotating blades are connected to the turbine shaft through a bearing with a diameter of about 4m. Bearing rings of this size are ground by Lidköping's VTG4000 vertical grinder, so that the material can be processed with a selectable combination of grinding and turning to obtain the correct contour. Carlson emphasized how critical this process is: 'The grinding process determines how accurate the raceway can be. This accuracy determines the accuracy of friction and power generation. The high-precision output brought by high-quality ground bearings not only reduces energy It is possible to reduce energy consumption and improve their reliability.'

Under strong wind load stress, if the rotating blade is placed on the wrong shaft, it will cause serious consequences. The huge force can make the blade Loose, and even the power station collapses.

'Adjusting the blade pitch is one of the most critical functions for wind turbine operation. Through the giant bearing in the VTG4000 adjustment mechanism, high-precision manufacturing can be carried out with a precision level that usually only small parts can achieve (Figure 1).' said Eive Johansson, chief designer of KMT Lidköping, 'The machine tool combines an advanced motion system with optical and magnetic linear and angle encoders on key axes to ensure that the shape deviation of the part is less than 1μm.' Contour deviation refers to The required contour changes. In the bearing machining business, Lidköping's advantage lies in high speed and high metal removal rate, these advantages promote the improvement of overall productivity.