- Email: [email protected]
Bearing units
can be agreed. In tribology, the OECD/IRG has unique experience and could make a valuable contribution. It was agreed to produce a thesaurus based on the 650 defined specialist terms in the OECD Glossary, H MSO (1969), together with about 400 more general terms shown by the Tribes index to be necessary. For computer use, each word will be given a numerical equivalent so that search enquiries and print out can be made in any language with equal ease. Initially seven languages will be included, using definitions in in English, French, German and Italian, and it is intended that this compilation shall be complementary to the existing Bundesanstalt f/Jr Materialpr/ifung work on documentation in tribology.
building, will allow work of a very varied nature to be carried out under one roof. ESRO intends that ESTL should provide a focus for space tribology work in Europe and a service to the whole European aerospace industry, which will be invited to contract work out to the laboratory. A consultancy service will also be provided to undertake work on ESRO and national aerospace programmes, and to industry in general.
General
Bearingunits
It was agreed that there was a remarkably good spirit of co-operation in this group. The rolling-element wear study had been particularly useful and had direct industrial significance. The short papers of the lubricant failure symposium will be reported in Wear, and that work will be extended. Consideration will also be given to the importance of 'sociotropic' research, particularly in biomedical tribology. The thesaurus is intended to be published in 1974. The next meetings of the group will be held in 1973 (London) and 1974 (Berlin). New Active Members and Observers will be welcome.
EuropeanSpaceTribology Laboratory The European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) has awarded a contract through its European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands to the National Centre of Tribology to construct, equip and operate a tribology laboratory for space applications. It will be sited at Risley and be k n o w n as the European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL). The £397 000 contract follows the successful completion of a study contract for the project awarded to NCT in October 1971. It includes the financial provision for activities already planned for the first four years of the laboratory's operation. The principal initial activity of ESTL will be to test satellite mechanisms such as solar paddle drives, de-spin mechanisms and m o m e n t u m wheel bearing assemblies under conditions simulating outer space. The units will be fullscale, flight-type hardware, and most will be tested under high vacuum. These test facilities will be particularly relevant to the development of the telecommunications satellite planned by ESRO. For example, this satellite will contain a driving mechanism which rotates the solar paddies about the satellite axis once a day so that the paddle array, used to collect solar energy, is always facing the sun. Satellite stability in this case is achieved by a m o m e n t u m wheel rotating at about 3000 rev/min. An alternative form of satellite stabilization involves spinning the satellite around its axis in which case a de-spin mechanism is necessary to ensure constant orientation of the earth-pointing antennae. The laboratory will be equipped with six vacuum test chambers of 40 cm diameter which will accommodate, before the end of 1972, six slow speed solar paddle drive mechanisms for application satellites - three each of two designs. It is planned to continue these tests for seven years. Eight smaller high vacuum chambers will be installed for the support programme, which includes optimization of slip rings and the evaluation of solid and liquid lubricants for different types of space mechanism. The laboratory, which is being constructed as a clean room measuring approximately 20 m X 8 m within an existing
150
TRIBOLOGY August 1972
National Centre of Tribology, Risley, Warrington, Lancashire, England
Skefko has introduced a preferred range of unit plummer blocks, flange and take-up units under a new brand name Kinglube (Fig 3). These units incorporate deep groove ball bearings sealed at both sides and lubricated with grease. The beating outer ring has a sphered outer surface and this, fitted into the sphered housing seating, allows the unit to accomodate any initial misalignment. The bearing inner ring is extended and provided with a simple grub-screw locking device. Kinglube units are suitable for a wide variety of power transmission applications. Bearings in these units are manufactured to allow easy mounting on shafting. In certain applications commercial bright drawn shafting may be used. The housings are manufactured from cast iron or pressed steel. The cast iron housings are fitted with a grease nipple, but relubrication is only necessary if the bearings operate in humid or excessively dirty conditions or are run at high speeds for long periods. Pressed steel units cannot be relubricated. Skefko offers a preferred range of Kinglube bearing units, with bearings of up to 40 mm ( 1% in) bore, which are interchangeable with other makes. The bearings in this range are fitted with AGRI-Seals, designed and developed for arduous agricultural conditions. In the SKF laboratories AGRI-Seals have been subjected to long period running under pressure from dry broom-grass wrap at varying speeds and have been cascaded with fine sand and medium sized gravel. Skefko claim that these tests are more severe than practical requirements. Bearings other than those in the preferred range are fitted with two nitrile rubber seals which are additionally protected by steel flingers pressed onto the inner ring. -
Skefko Ball Bearing Co Ltd, Leagrave Road, Luton LU3 1JF, Bedfordshire, England
3
building, will allow work of a very varied nature to be carried out under one roof. ESRO intends that ESTL should provide a focus for space tribology work in Europe and a service to the whole European aerospace industry, which will be invited to contract work out to the laboratory. A consultancy service will also be provided to undertake work on ESRO and national aerospace programmes, and to industry in general.
General
Bearingunits
It was agreed that there was a remarkably good spirit of co-operation in this group. The rolling-element wear study had been particularly useful and had direct industrial significance. The short papers of the lubricant failure symposium will be reported in Wear, and that work will be extended. Consideration will also be given to the importance of 'sociotropic' research, particularly in biomedical tribology. The thesaurus is intended to be published in 1974. The next meetings of the group will be held in 1973 (London) and 1974 (Berlin). New Active Members and Observers will be welcome.
EuropeanSpaceTribology Laboratory The European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) has awarded a contract through its European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands to the National Centre of Tribology to construct, equip and operate a tribology laboratory for space applications. It will be sited at Risley and be k n o w n as the European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL). The £397 000 contract follows the successful completion of a study contract for the project awarded to NCT in October 1971. It includes the financial provision for activities already planned for the first four years of the laboratory's operation. The principal initial activity of ESTL will be to test satellite mechanisms such as solar paddle drives, de-spin mechanisms and m o m e n t u m wheel bearing assemblies under conditions simulating outer space. The units will be fullscale, flight-type hardware, and most will be tested under high vacuum. These test facilities will be particularly relevant to the development of the telecommunications satellite planned by ESRO. For example, this satellite will contain a driving mechanism which rotates the solar paddies about the satellite axis once a day so that the paddle array, used to collect solar energy, is always facing the sun. Satellite stability in this case is achieved by a m o m e n t u m wheel rotating at about 3000 rev/min. An alternative form of satellite stabilization involves spinning the satellite around its axis in which case a de-spin mechanism is necessary to ensure constant orientation of the earth-pointing antennae. The laboratory will be equipped with six vacuum test chambers of 40 cm diameter which will accommodate, before the end of 1972, six slow speed solar paddle drive mechanisms for application satellites - three each of two designs. It is planned to continue these tests for seven years. Eight smaller high vacuum chambers will be installed for the support programme, which includes optimization of slip rings and the evaluation of solid and liquid lubricants for different types of space mechanism. The laboratory, which is being constructed as a clean room measuring approximately 20 m X 8 m within an existing
150
TRIBOLOGY August 1972
National Centre of Tribology, Risley, Warrington, Lancashire, England
Skefko has introduced a preferred range of unit plummer blocks, flange and take-up units under a new brand name Kinglube (Fig 3). These units incorporate deep groove ball bearings sealed at both sides and lubricated with grease. The beating outer ring has a sphered outer surface and this, fitted into the sphered housing seating, allows the unit to accomodate any initial misalignment. The bearing inner ring is extended and provided with a simple grub-screw locking device. Kinglube units are suitable for a wide variety of power transmission applications. Bearings in these units are manufactured to allow easy mounting on shafting. In certain applications commercial bright drawn shafting may be used. The housings are manufactured from cast iron or pressed steel. The cast iron housings are fitted with a grease nipple, but relubrication is only necessary if the bearings operate in humid or excessively dirty conditions or are run at high speeds for long periods. Pressed steel units cannot be relubricated. Skefko offers a preferred range of Kinglube bearing units, with bearings of up to 40 mm ( 1% in) bore, which are interchangeable with other makes. The bearings in this range are fitted with AGRI-Seals, designed and developed for arduous agricultural conditions. In the SKF laboratories AGRI-Seals have been subjected to long period running under pressure from dry broom-grass wrap at varying speeds and have been cascaded with fine sand and medium sized gravel. Skefko claim that these tests are more severe than practical requirements. Bearings other than those in the preferred range are fitted with two nitrile rubber seals which are additionally protected by steel flingers pressed onto the inner ring. -
Skefko Ball Bearing Co Ltd, Leagrave Road, Luton LU3 1JF, Bedfordshire, England
3