Data that tells engineers how rolling bearings behave under high centrifugal forces is scarce. That situation will soon change, as Germany's Friedrich-Alexander University and Schaeffler Group co-developed a spin test stand and instituted research to study bearings under extreme loads. The collaboration then hopes to use the data to refine mechanical design and material choices, creating components that will lower energy consumption in machines, vehicles, and aircraft. On the test stand, bearings are exposed to 3,000x gravitational acceleration, or about 400x the load to which fighter pilots are subjected.
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Re: Putting a New Spin on Bearing Research
