Innovative solutions meet the demands for increased machine efficiencies in the construction market

A strong global expert engineering team and knowledge of construction machine markets is coupled with key products that can deliver specialised solutions for the industry.  Complete wheel end units for driven wheels, patented sealing products and novel lubrication solutions for hydraulic hammers are just three examples of the extensive range of products and solutions that are offered by SKF. 

 

“We have identified SKF products and services that will make a difference in performance and add value for OEMs and their customers. For the OEM, SKF knowledge and engineering tools can help machine manufacturers to seamless and fast design. New solutions can help reduce assembly times and improve machine operations.  These innovative solutions increase productivity and provide other benefits including lower total cost of operation achieved by  increased reliability, reduced environmental impact and increased operator safety,” explains Mikael Rydström, Director of Business Development, SKF Off-highway and Railway Business Unit.

 

Wheel-end solutions

For driven wheels, SKF has a range of standard and customized hub solutions that are pre-set in the factory and incorporate bearings and heavy-duty seals for harsh environments. “In fact, SKF has pioneered every major advance in wheel-end technology since the invention of the automobile and this has been also used in the construction sector. With expertise in not only bearings but seals, lubrication, and electronics integrated into mechanical parts to control machine agility, SKF is able to look at wheel-end technology from a systems viewpoint. The result is improved functionality, reliability, efficiency, and safety. Plus, our virtual testing capability shortens the time to market,” notes Rydström.  

 

Sealing solutions

Sealing solutions are one of SKF’s main platforms, incorporating a wide range of sealing offerings. SKF Mudblock and SKF Trackstar are just two of the seal types within SKF’s extensive range of sealing products.  SKF Mudblock seals are widely used in wheel-end applications in the front and rear axles where the requirements are to provide increased life under harsh conditions and to ensure the exclusion of external contamination. SKF Mudblock seals integrate both seals and wear sleeves. This feature reduces the need for costly shaft machining. These seals incorporate a multi-lip sealing design to keep out contaminants.  SKF has developed a nitrile compound used in the SKF Mudblock seals that differentiates them in the market as they are compatible with most transmission oils and greases and also enables low friction with the same sealing performance. This is combined with good wear and ageing resistance. 

 SKF Trackstar seals are a patented design for track pins in undercarriage applications in tracked typed tractors and have the function of retaining oil internally in the track pin and helping avoid the entrance of external contaminants. These seals build on SKF’s long experience of designing with the key sealing materials such as polyurethane and rubber molded into metallic reinforcement.  Polyurethane, used in this seal, reduces the wear and increases service life. SKF has many patented designs and has successfully solved sealing problems associated with track pins for several global OEM producers. As well as offering protection against external contamination, SKF Trackstar seals improve track operations and reduce maintenance costs.

 

Novel lubrication solutions

The SKF Hydraulic Driven Lubricator offers end-users time and cost savings by cutting re-lubrication intervals and extending the lifetime of the chisel and bushings. For the OEMs, the SKF Hydraulic Driven Lubricator delivers the benefits of automated lubrication to end users in a cost-effective way that is simple to integrate into new and current machine designs.  The lubricator is mounted directly onto the tool and connected to the machine’s existing hydraulic system. It is equipped with a standard-thread cartridge that is very easy and convenient for operators to replace.  It avoids the complexity associated with centralised lubrication systems while delivering time and cost savings by eliminating the frequent stops required for manual lubrication; it supports the extension of maintenance intervals, and contributes to a safer operating environment by reducing operator interventions on the machine. 

 

The lubricator’s technical highlight is its patented, sophisticated drive system. Mounting on a hydraulic hammer places very high demands on the lubrication unit. Aside from dirt and dust encountered during operation, the unit must also withstand hard jolts and vibrations. When designing the HS04, a purely hydraulic solution whose reliability has been proven in numerous field tests was selected instead of a mechanical power transmission. 

 

The lubricator can be used for more than just hydraulic hammers. Many attachments and additional tools for construction machinery, such as demolition grapples and screening buckets do not have their own power supply, are hydraulically driven, and have points that require lubrication. 

Dietmar Seidel, Manager Trade Press
phone: +49 9721 56-22843, e-mail: dietmar.seidel@skf.com

Götz Mehr, Manager Marketing Services Lubrication Business Unit
phone: +49 30 72002-109, e-mail: goetz.mehr@skf.com