technology
GETTING THE INSIDE VIEW OF
BEARING LOADS, THANKS
TO A LITTLE TOUCH OF MAGIC
SKF has developed techniques that The Magic Roller system and
the load measuring plate have
provide engineers with a better insight the common job of measuring
into the conditions within a bearing load. Measuring load is an
important parameter because it
when the equipment into which it is fitted provides information about
what a bearing system is
is in operation. This has resulted in two experiencing and can affect
distinct products that are proving their bearing type, size and capacity.
Bearings are fundamental
worth in a range of applications from components in machines
wind-power generation to paper making. transmitting power and forces
between its internal compo-
nents. The designer’s choice of a
By Peter Johansson, SKF Development Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
bearing and its size is often
determined by laboratory tests
or simulations, including a
number of assumptions and
safety factors. If the designer has
hard facts as input to his
Close-up of a Magic Roller in a large spherical roller bearing. The SKF load measuring plate and electronics.
#2-2005 evolution.skf.com
EN09_magic_205 25
dimension criteria, he can
refine his product and create
a more optimized product in
terms of weight, efficiency
and safety.
So, the ability to know the true
loads acting in a machine
provides opportunities not only
for improving the machine
design but also for controlling
the machine process.
Measuring the bearing forces
in a machine gives a precise
indication of how much the
machine is loaded. Take a
machine where raw material is
fed into a process involving, for
example, pressing, crushing or
rolling between two large rolls.
EVOLUTION 25
2005-05-02, 16:14:40
technology

The force exerted on the attached to an internal beam. process is handled by measur- be collected at special bearings
bearings of the rolls can be While loaded, the shear strain ing the web tension. With the to provide a unique load
measured and enables the in the beams is measured and a SKF plate and housing, the measuring system that can be
determination of the most signal proportional to the load height and weight of the used in a great variety of
effective feed rate of the raw applied to the plate is received. measuring and adaptor plates applications. One roller per
material. A further example is From this the radial load and can be considerably reduced, bearing row is equipped with a
web tension, where paper, the direction of radial load is making it a simple and sensor to measure roller load,
textile or foil is stretched and displayed on-line. Alternatively, straightforward technique. and as they orbit inside the
wound between rolls. The stress the load direction or the vertical bearing, the rollers communi-
tension of the material is crucial, and horizontal components of By contrast, the Magic Roller is cate the roller load through
and the load in the bearings the load can be given. The a complex product that opens radio signals, which are logged
supporting the rolls is directly accuracy is excellent, with an up the opportunity to measure continuously by a portable
proportional to the tension. error of less than 0.5 %. An a range of load parameters. computer.
Another use of measuring analogue or digital output Because of its sophistication The roller itself serves as an
load is the monitoring ability. signal can be chosen, which can and the fact that the roller has excellent measuring device
Continuous logging of load serve most common customer to be tailored to the specific because of its geometrical
gives the possibility of detecting control systems. The maximum application, it is a product that precision and is provided with a
overloading and time of event plate size has not yet been has to be designed within the strain gauge bridge inside a
from a predetermined limit, determined, but the complete application. This requires close hollow compartment.
long after it has taken place, assortment of SNL housings up collaboration between
similar to a “black box” in to housing size 532 will be customer and SKF engineers. A telemetry unit is mounted
aircrafts. covered, which means a plate The first Magic Roller tests onto the roller, together with a
size of up to 550 x 160 mm. were made in 1998, and a module for electric powering.
The Magic Roller and the load For many applications such number of applications have These two components
measuring plate represent as in the paper industry, for been developed incorporating constitute a transmitter of 40 mm
different approaches to load example, where material is the system. diameter and 35 mm length.
measurement. The measuring transported through rolling The SKF Magic Roller Since the small module
plate has been developed movement, the control of the enables load measurements to for power rotates and needs
mainly for on-line measuring
and quantifying radial loads. It is
a product that does not require
any redesign of the bearing that
it is measuring.
The load measuring plate,
which will be launched soon, is
a new product development for
which SKF has obtained a
patent. A unique tailored plate
with sensors is integrated with
the SKF plummer block
housing into one unit. It has
been designed to overcome
problems associated with
traditional load measuring
blocks related to size and
matching of these components
with the housings. The plate is
bolted onto the foundation and
followed by attachment of the
housing onto the plate.
At two positions, equally
positioned inside the plate, two
strain gauge bridges are A large-sized Magic Roller spherical roller bearing fitted to the discharge end of a conveyor at RWE AG in Germany.

26 EVOLUTION evolution.skf.com #2-2005

EN09_magic_205 26 2005-05-02, 16:14:44

 technology
external electric supply, this is
transferred through an air gap
using the induction principle
via a larger coil outside the
bearing ring.
The radio signal transmitted
from the bearing outside is
recognized by a receiver and
converted in to an analogue
signal and recorded on a portable
computer. Data acquisition is
performed according to custom-
er requirements and sent to SKF
in Sweden for calculation and
analysis.

Both the Magic Roller and the

measuring plate are important
tools in engineers’ armory to
discover real conditions within
bearing applications so that
better information can be
gained about the design
parameters for the bearing
systems within equipment.
This leads to improved design
and longer operation of the
equipment. ˆ

SUMMARY
The more engineers can
understand what types of
loads, stresses and strains
bearings experience
during operation in real
conditions, the better the
bearings can be designed
to perform. SKF has
developed a number of
techniques to carry out
monitoring activities
within bearing systems.
Two techniques, the
Magic Roller and measur-
ing plate, provide engi-
neers with the opportuni-
ty to measure different
types of loads under real
operating conditions.
Mounting of Magic Roller bearing at RWE AG in Germany.

#2-2005 evolution.skf.com EVOLUTION 27

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