Today, a test rig type EELPRA-130 has been picked up for overseas shipment. This test rig is suitable for lifetime testing of radial bearings up to 130 mm at a broad spectrum lof loads, speed and lubrication conditions. Its main purpose will be incoming inspection of especially deep groove ball bearings.

On this year’s Informationstagung of Forschungsvereinigung Antriebstechnik in Würzburg, we took the chance to present our latest bearing test rig EELPOR-250 which is suitable especially for testing of wheel hub bearings for trucks. We would like to thank all the visitors of our stand for the interesting conversation and discussions!

Our new gearbox embracement test rig EEGEP-86 started operation and is now availabe. By means of two servo motors of each 8.6 kW, this test rig is suitable for electrical embracement and thus testing of different gearboxes, e. g. for measurement of efficiency, noise, steady state temperatures etc. The motors can be positioned flexibly allowing testing of gearboxes with parallel, coaxial or perpendicular shaft arrangement.
As the first project on this device, numerous test runs on worm drives have to be carried out in context of our research project “Stahlschnecke” which is funded by DFG. The purpose is replacement of bronze by steel in order to decrease costs ans increase efficiency.

Since November 2013, Elgeti Engineering GmbH is jersey sponsor of a junior team of JFV Broichweiden 2013 e. V., a local football club in Würselen (Aachen region).
As a family-friendly family owned enterprise, it is our special concern to support children in their development for which team sports seem to be very helpful.

Steel worm wheels: worm drives without copper and tin with high efficiency and power density – technological substitution of bronze by steel

As one of 13 partners, Elgeti Engineering started work on a research project funded by DFG which aims to manufacture worm drives without bronze. Copper tin allows become less accessible and thus more expensive which is the main motivation for this project. In order to verify the suitability of different concepts and approaches, a new electrical gearbox embracement test rig shall be erected.

A new bearing test rig type EELPAX-200 has been shipped to a European customer and installed on site. This machine is equipped with two test stations which can be operated completely independently from each other. Its purpose is lifetime testing of any kind of bearings suitable for axial loads (e. g. tapered roller bearings) while the outer diameter of specimens is limited to 200 mm.

Subsequent to moving into new facilities in autumn last year, our new materials laboratory has been pepared and equipped during the last weeks in order to start operation now. For the purpose of metallography, a cutting machine with 300 mm disc diameter, a mounting press and an automic grinding and polishing machine are now available. With these devices metallographic specimens can be taken from e. g. bearings and gears.

Metallographic specimens will be investiged by optical microscopy in order determine degree of cleanliness, kind and size of inclusions and to identify material defects such as cracks, cavities etc. For investigation of microstructure, specimens have to be etched while the etching medium needs to be chosen according to material properties. For typical bearing steels, for example, nital etching (alcoholic resolution of nitric acid) is very common.
Apart from an optical microscope which allows amplification by up to 1000 times, a stereo loupe is available which is very helpful for investigation of fracture faces and worn surfaces.

The new EELPAX-200 which did now start its service is the third type of our successful EELPAX series after EELPAX-130 and EELPAX-310. This test rig is suitable for lifetime testing of bearigs up to 200 mm outer diameter and equipped with two test stations with two independent lubrication units and hydraulic circuits. By this concept, both remarkable precision and repeatibality as flexibilty of test paramters are ensured..

Congratulations to Carina Huppertz, Ismar Bolanca, Carsten Simon and Silvia Schunck (f. l. t. r.) for their successful final presentation of their project thesis! Related to their qualificaton to governmentally accredited technicians by Mies-van-der-Rohe-Schule Aachen, this project team made a concept study for a bolt test rig. This test rig allows measurement of bolt pretension due to realistic fastening conditions and thus improvement of fastening process control.

It has been a big pleasure to us, beeing allowed to support this motivated and competent project team during their work!

Our new video endoscope has been delivered and successully tested by ourselves. From now on, we are able to investigate e. g. possible damaged parts of large industrial gearboxes without neither need of disassembling nor third party support. Due to only 6 mm tube diameter and 3 m length, even hardly accessable areas such as bearings or tooth feet can be inspected.