Innovations in the machine tool industry: automation, digitalization, and sustainability

Schaeffler Expanded Portfolio for the Machine Tool

2025-08-18 Source: Press release | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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In the machine tool industry, automation, digitalization, and sustainability are among the driving forces. Schaeffler embraces these trends and develops innovative bearing and drive solutions from them.

The KLLT profile rail guides adapt well to substructures with minor shape errors, which are often found in handling axes and assembly automation.

(Image: Schaeffler)

For axes outside the machining area, as well as for workpiece and tool handling, manufacturers require particularly low-maintenance and durable round shaft bearings and linear guides. Additionally, a new optimum between functionality and cost-effectiveness must be achieved to ensure a quick return on investment for the automation solution.

Unlock new Applications

The new four-row profile rail guides of the KLLT series in X-arrangement precisely meet these requirements. They expand the portfolio of Schaeffler linear guides specifically for the demands in the periphery of production machines. The KLLT profile rail guides stand out particularly because they can better adapt to substructures with minor shape errors without generating significant internal stresses, thereby opening up new applications for Schaeffler.

Gallery

The ball screw support bearings equipped with ceramic balls (here: ZKLF) are excellent for short stroke applications.(Image: Schaeffler)

The roller screw drives of the RGT G5 series enable precise movements and positioning of very large loads, such as feed axes.(Image: Schaeffler)

With the double-acting axial roller-radial needle bearings of the YRTA series, Schaeffler offers rolling bearings specifically designed for automation solutions in the periphery of machine tools for the first time.(Image: Schaeffler)

Ingeniously simple and patented: a toothing integrated into the round shaft bearing replaces the entire spur gear of the gearbox for driving the round shaft.(Image: Schaeffler)

For rotary axes outside the machining area, Schaeffler engineers developed the new YRTA series (A = Automation) from their proven YRTC rotary axis bearing series. With modified manufacturing processes and a new needle cage, these double-acting axial roller-radial needle bearings can ideally fulfill requirements such as high tilting rigidity, long service life, and low maintenance.

For driven rotary tables, and particularly those not used for simultaneous machining, there is a trend toward geared motors. To reduce the considerable design effort of round axes with gears, as well as the installation space, complexity, and assembly time, Schaeffler developers have created an innovative solution.

Intelligent Variant Reduces Effort

The rotary axis bearings YRTC and YRTA can be ordered with a face gear on the outer diameter (YRTCG, YRTAG). The gearing replaces the customer's gearbox pinion. Depending on the required torque, the inner ring is designed in the appropriate width and with straight or helical gearing. This solution is perfectly suited for driving milling tables and swivel axes of milling bridges and heads or automation axes. The integration of the AMOSIN angle measuring system into the bearing is not affected, and the angle measuring system is still offered for these bearings.

Profil

For more than 75 years, the Schaeffler Group has been driving forward groundbreaking inventions and developments in the field of motion technology. With innovative technologies, products, and services in the areas of electromobility, CO₂-efficient drives, chassis solutions, and renewable energy, the company is a reliable partner in making movement more efficient, smarter, and sustainable – throughout the entire lifecycle. Schaeffler describes its comprehensive product and service offering through eight product families: from bearing solutions and linear guides of all kinds to repair and monitoring services. With around 120,000 employees at more than 250 locations in 55 countries, Schaeffler is one of the largest family-owned companies in the world and one of the most innovative companies in Germany. Link here

With the acquisition of Ewellix and the harmonization of the product range, additional sizes of ground roller screw drives (RGT) have been added to Schaeffler Linear Motion's portfolio. Customers can now choose from sizes ranging from 8 to 240 mm with a load capacity of up to 4,000 kN.

In the machine tool industry, these roller screw drives are used, for example, in feed axes of thread rolling machines, in drilling-milling heads, and as drives for broaching machines – in other words, wherever high forces, precise positioning, and monitoring of the force-displacement curve are required. For the significant market of feed axes, Schaeffler offers a wide range of ball screw drives (KGT) and, for specialized applications with overall pitches under 1 mm, the planetary roller screw drive (PWG).

New Roller Screw Drives

If screw drive bearings of feed spindles are continuously exposed to small swivel angles, there is a risk that the lubricant will be squeezed out of the rolling contact, causing damage to the bearing due to insufficient lubrication ("false brinelling"). For these applications, Schaeffler offers a simple, practical, and efficient solution: the double-row angular contact ball bearings of the ZKLN and ZKLF series (with flange mounting), as well as the triple-row variant DKFLA, are equipped with ceramic rolling elements. These designs provide high operational reliability during short strokes and standstill vibrations. The dynamic load capacity and the calculated service life of the bearings remain unchanged. By using ceramic rolling elements, the grease service life is even doubled. Stoppages and service interventions caused by "false brinelling" can be reliably avoided with these bearings.

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