SKF’s New Life Method (GBLM)

Up-to-now, none of the common bearing rating life models, neither the ISO life models nor SKF Rating Life or more advanced methods, were able to fully quantify the benefit of hybrid bearings. Hybrid bearings have rings made of bearing steel and rolling elements made of bearing grade silicon nitride, which make the bearings electrically insulating. They can extend bearing service life by offering enhanced bearing performance, even under difficult operating conditions.

Based on the substantial progress made in the surface life modelling area, SKF has successfully integrated this knowledge into a new rolling bearing rating life calculation, called the SKF Generalized Bearing Life Model (GBLM), which currently is used for hybrid bearings only. This model effectively separates surface failure modes from sub-surface failure modes and therefore can capture in a better way the performance of hybrid bearings, which usually perform better in harsh lubrication and contaminated conditions or at high speeds. However, due to their higher stiffness, hybrid bearing can concentrate higher subsurface stresses in high load conditions. GBLM is able to represent this behavior well and is also accessible through the SKF Bearing Module in KISSsoft.

The KISSsoft Release 2019 offers the possibility to calculate bearing performance by SKF through a cloud calculation service. Bearing rating life and other performance parameters are calculated based on direct access to SKF bearing geometry data and SKF formulas which have been validated by extensive testing at SKF facilities. The results are separately displayed in KISSsoft, but can quickly be compared with ISO results. With the SKF bearing module in KISSsoft, a machine designer gets right into the heart of SKF, the world leading bearing supplier. As a result, the prediction of bearing performance becomes more realistic, especially for the SKF Explorer range and hybrid bearings.