FAG X-life bearings enhance H1 pump efficiencies

17. Sep, 2010          Shandong Obetter Bearing Co., Ltd

Low-friction rolling element bearings from Schaeffler are said to enable significant energy savings in axial piston pumps and motors

Schaeffler (FAG, INA, Luk)  has optimised a number of bearings used in hydraulic pump and motor manufacturer Sauer-Danfoss's H1 series of axial piston pumps and motors.
As a result of the optimised X-life cylindrical and tapered rolling bearings, overall efficiencies of the H1 pumps and H1 motors have increased by around two per cent, resulting in improvements in energy efficiency levels across the H1 range

Energy saving potential for the end users of the pumps and motors is significant, according to Schaeffler.

For example, by utilising a H1 hydraulic pump and two H1 hydraulic motors, a wheel loader that has a drive power of 140kW can save around 9kW.

Projected onto 1,000 wheel loaders operating for eight hours a day, annual savings potential could reach 26,000MWh.

This results in approximately EUR5m (EUR0.21/kWh) (GBP4.1m) or around 16,000 tonnes of CO2 per year that can be saved.

Increasingly stringent emissions regulations and rising energy costs are boosting demand for more efficient machines and drive systems, including the optimisation of powertrain designs for diesel engines in order to reduce vehicle fuel consumption.

In non-automotive applications, various types of hydraulic units are replacing the role of power transmission systems.

Configurable axial piston pumps and motors, for example, are specifically designed for use with electrical machine controls.

In developing the H1 series, as well as optimising and improving the electro-hydraulic system itself, Sauer-Danfoss also focused on optimising the base components within the hydraulic pumps and motors.

The various bearing positions on the pumps and motors were scrutinised in order to identify where improvements could be made.

Low-friction, optimised rolling bearings from Schaeffler had an influence on reducing power loss, installation space and weight across the H1 range.

A new option for an H1 axial piston pump in swashplate configuration was achieved by using new swashplate cradle bearings.

Here, compact, low-friction cylindrical roller bearings were used to support the drive shaft.

Compared with the previous version, the installation space and weight were reduced and efficiency was increased by around two per cent.

Schaeffler's X-life (premium quality) cylindrical roller bearings with optimised rib contact have made an important contribution to these design improvements.

The special curvature of the roller end faces improves the contact geometry between roller end faces and the bearing ribs, minimising contact pressures.

This enables the formation of a load-carrying lubricant film, whereby roller end faces and ribs are completely separated by the lubricant.

The rollers now slide on the lubricant film under axial load.

This means that the cylindrical roller bearings can operate with a higher ratio of the axial load to the radial load.

The ratio that is achievable is 0.6, a permissible axial load that is 60 per cent of the radial load.

Conventional cylindrical roller bearings normally withstand a maximum value of only 40 per cent of the radial load.

At the same time, the frictional torque is up to 50 per cent lower, depending on the magnitude of the axial load.

The benefits are lower operating temperatures, higher efficiency and reduced energy consumption.

H1 axial piston motors in swashplate configuration utilises low friction, optimised X-life tapered roller bearings.

In addition, a newly developed steel sealing ring improves the sealing characteristics of the hydraulic piston motor.

In this way, the length and weight of the axial piston motor can be reduced.

Furthermore, the power losses have been cut by approximately two per cent compared with the previous version.

In the X-life tapered roller bearing , optimised rib contact is also critical.

Especially under axial load, the frictional torque of conventional tapered roller bearings increases markedly.

Therefore, Schaeffler redesigned the bearing geometry, surfaces and materials, as well as the dimensional and running accuracies of the X-life tapered roller bearings.

As a result, these bearings now yield up to 20 per cent higher basic dynamic load ratings resulting in an increase of around 70 per cent in basic rating life.

At the same time, higher dimensional and running accuracies, combined with improved surface topography, reduce the frictional torque by up to 75 per cent compared with conventional bearings.

The contact geometry of the inner ring rib and the roller end face were also redesigned in order to reduce friction.

This reduces the stress on the lubricant in the bearing, enabling maintenance intervals to be extended.

Furthermore, the X-life tapered roller bearing operates at a much lower noise level.


Shandong Obetter bearing Company is a leading global supplier in the areas of bearings, mechatronics, services. We (OBT Group) are high-tech enterprise and professional manufacturer specicalized in ball bearing and roller bearing. we can produce non-standard bearing and machine parts as our customers request. we always follows the principles of "Good Faith, Equality, Cooperation and Win-Win" to cooperate with our customers.
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