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  5. Plastic ball bearing for planetary gearbox on wind turbine

Plastic planetary gearbox benefits from non-magnetic xiros® plastic ball bearings

Profile

What was needed? 
Non-magnetic ball bearings for a plastic planetary gearbox

Requirements:
increase planetary gearbox technical performance

Industry:
wind energy/renewable energy

Success for the customer: 
The non-magnetic igus plastic ball bearings featured better quality and large cost savings in such areas as production.
xiros® ball bearings in a plastic planetary gearbox
The xiros ball bearings are used in the wheels of a plastic planetary gearbox in a magnetic environment. The planetary wheels operate with the ball bearings installed very close to the magnets. When the wind causes the Savonius rotor to rotate, it forces the planetary wheels to rotate both around their own axis and around the central shaft. Increased revolutions are transmitted through the sun gear to the generator magnets, since the crown wheel remains fixed to the base. When the fast-rotating magnets move near the copper coils, electricity is generated.
xiros® ball bearings in the planetary wheel of a plastic planetary gearbox
xiros® ball bearings in the planetary wheel of a plastic planetary gearbox

Problem

spirowind saw the problem in the use of a planetary gear that should work smoothly in a very compact generator. To use very strong neodymium magnets that spin near rotating planetary wheels, non-magnetic ball bearings had to be used. Metal ball bearings could have blocked the gearbox due to the magnetic influences.

Solution

xiros plastic ball bearings with glass balls were the solution because the copper coils installed in the turbine to generate electricity also generated a magnetic field. Non-magnetic plastic ball bearings allow all elements – both the planetary wheels and the magnets – to rotate freely around the central shaft at various speeds, all despite very tight installation space.

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igus® GmbH points out that it does not sell any products of the companies Allen Bradley, B&R, Baumüller, Beckhoff, Lahr, Control Techniques, Danaher Motion, ELAU, FAGOR, FANUC, Festo, Heidenhain, Jetter, Lenze, LinMot, LTi DRiVES, Mitsubishi, NUM,Parker, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Siemens, Stöber and all other drive manufacturers mention on this website. The products offered by igus® are those of igus® GmbH