Load Sensing Bearings

SKF released the first commercial load sensing bearing based on its proprietary fibre optic sensing technology. Designed for pump and compressor applications, the line provides access to a variety of bearing data, including axial vs. radial loads, polar lots of the bearing´s internal strain field, strain spectra, load directions, speed of rotations and temperature. Interchangeable with conventional bearings, SKF’s sensing bearings are safe to use in hazardous environments as signal data is transferred via optical fibres rather than as electrical signals, making the system also immune to electromagnetic fields. It also enables robust remote monitoring where wireless technology cannot be used as the optical fibres can transmit signals over very long distances.
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