Germany: SKF has inaugurated its new Sven Wingquist Test Centre in Schweinfurt. The unit had an investment of Euro40m. SKF says that the centre is the first in the world that is able to test large-size bearings under actual operating conditions.
The Sven Wingquist Test Centre has two testing rigs. One rig will be used for testing bearings used in other industrial sectors, including mining, construction, steel manufacturing and marine transport. The other is designed for the testing of wind turbine main shaft arrangements. Combined with SKF’s diagnostics, condition monitoring and simulation methods, these rigs are intended to help reduce testing and product development lead-times and provide more information into bearing performance.
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.