Wind Power Industry Schaeffler and LORC Open the Most Powerful Wind Turbine Bearing Test Rig

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Schaeffler, as a partner of the Lindø Offshore Renewables Center (LORC), has commissioned the world's most powerful test rig for rotor bearings in Lindø, Denmark – further positioning itself as a system partner for the wind power industry.

"From the first product sketch to production and validation in real operation: As a world market leader for wind power bearings, we play a central role with our comprehensive system understanding in ensuring that our customers' facilities generate wind energy more efficiently, reliably, and economically. This holistic approach – we call it 'Closed Loop Engineering' – sets us apart from other market participants," said Sascha Zaps, Board Member Bearings & Industrial Solutions, Schaeffler AG, at the inauguration.

The market demands safe and robust solutions. With this groundbreaking commitment in Lindø, we ensure that. Our customers benefit from a partner who combines innovation and cost efficiency with the highest level of safety.

Sascha Zaps, Vorstand Bearings & Industrial Solutions, Schaeffler AG

Uwe Wagner, Chief Research and Development Officer at Schaeffler AG, said: "Our broad range of product families and manufacturing technologies forms the foundation on which we continually impress our customers with technological innovations. We achieve this in various market sectors – from two-wheelers to automotive, railway technology, and renewable energies. The test stand in Lindø is another milestone with which Schaeffler, as a motion technology company, sets new standards and expands its leadership role in global competition."

An important component of Schaeffler's holistic Closed Loop Engineering is collaboration with partners and customers – in Lindø specifically with LORC and R&D Test Systems. LORC is an experienced test stand operator and owner of the state-of-the-art facility. The Danish company's goal is to promote innovations in renewable energies, ranging from full-scale tests on wind turbines, drivetrains, main bearings, blade bearings, components, and structures to industrial-scale battery storage systems. R&D Test Systems is a renowned developer of test stands for the wind energy industry.

Schaeffler has played a key role in defining the specifications of the world's most powerful test rig and is the first user to exclusively test rotor bearings for next-generation wind turbines here in cooperation with wind power OEMs.

The development is rapid, and we are now talking about turbines with a nominal output of 25 megawatts. Accordingly, the demands on our wind turbine bearings are also increasing.

Bernd Endres, Vice President Regional Business Unit Wind

560-Ton Test Load Unit

The centerpiece of the facility in Lindø is the 560-ton test load unit. It measures 16 meters in length, nine meters in width, and more than eight meters in height. It was specifically developed by the three project partners to simulate the extreme loads to which rotor bearings of wind turbines are exposed, both on land and especially offshore. The rotor's bearing system holds particular significance within the entire drivetrain: this is where all forces and moments from the rotor, which can reach up to 300 meters in diameter, converge.

Reliability is a crucial factor for us and our customers, especially in the offshore sector. We are leaders with our engineering tools and manufacturing technologies. This new test rig, which we can use thanks to the excellent and trustful collaboration with LORC, perfectly complements our infrastructure for testing and validation. Here, we bring innovations to market maturity.

Bernd Endres, Vice President Regional Business Unit Wind

"There are scenarios that you cannot simulate on a computer. With our closed-loop engineering approach, we ensure that every model and every calculation is validated through real tests. This provides our customers with a level of reliability that is unique in the market and forms the basis for safe, long-lasting wind turbines," concludes Endres.