“Virtually since the invention of the automobile, SKF have been providing innovative bearing and sealing solutions for engines, transmissions, steering and wheel end systems,” says SKF South Africa’s, Marchant Taylor. “SKF has also led the way in the development of sensor bearings and communication from hub units to vehicle CPUs.”
Sensor integration in hub bearing units is one of the older examples of mechatronics in vehicles; as a key element in vehicle dynamics, the hub bearing is an ideal assembly to capture data for processing by vehicle performance and condition monitoring systems.
“However,” continues Taylor, “there are even more innovative and exciting developments around the corner. Intelligent bearings (iHBUs) that will monitor wheel-end temperature, measure vehicle loads, evaluate noise and vibration levels, and then convert this data to intelligent signals via embedded software to improve safety and performance.”
The signal is transmitted to an electronic processing unit for evaluation and integration with the application
Sensor bearing technology
A magnetic impulse ring divided into a sequence of north and south poles is attached to the inner ring of the bearing. The outer ring carries a sensor body with embedded Hall cells. When the inner ring rotates, the impulse ring moves past the stationary sensor ring, generating a magnetic field of changing polarity. The sensor outputs a pulse frequency proportional to the number of polarity changes per second.
For reasons of both weight reduction and safety an increasing number of vehicles are being equipped with speed sensing devices. The optimum wheel speed sensor is however unique to the demands of individual applications. Depending on requirements the sensor can be either non-integrated or integrated to improve reliability, save weight and ease assembly. The sensor may also be either:
* Passive – for ABS applications.
* Active – for traction control purposes.
SKF says it remains committed to the continued development of the technology in an effort to assist customers to find optimal solutions for both passenger and heavy vehicle hub unit applications.
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