Gearbox for Wind Turbine

A workshop in Spain that specialises in wind gearbox units had five shafts on the specification. The bearings were loose on the shaft, which would have caused damage to the surface. NSK was asked if it could provide bearings with special undersized bore diameters. Without this solution, scrapping and producing new shafts would cost 21,500€.

How to rectify out-of-specification shafts cost-effectively?

Modification of the shafts to their initial diameter was not a viable option. The workshop was instead facing high shaft scrappage and remanufacturing costs.

NSK engineers investigated the application.

The objective was to determine whether NSK Deep Grove Ball Bearings (DGBB) could be customised to a special bore diameter and allow the retention of existing shafts.

Custom match for shaft and bearings promotes reliable turbine operations

NSK engineers investigated and developed a solution with a customised design and special bore diameter for a better fit. As a result, it was not necessary to scrap the shafts, negating the need for replacement and generating savings of 19,224€.