BENNING Electrical Machines Division (BeM) is now officially certified Schaeffler Partner

Successfully completed certification takes service quality for rolling bearings in engines and generators to a new level

Receiving the certificate (from left to right): Mr Kolschefsky from Schaeffler and Mr Jennessen and Mr Luhn from BENNING

Since foundation of the company over 85 years ago, the BENNING Electrical Machinery Division has grown into a leading expert team in the repair and construction of electrical machines such as motors and generators. The division has now successfully obtained an important certification from Schaeffler, a major supplier of rolling bearings. This award is reserved only for selected repair shops.

To receive this certification, the company had to undergo a demanding education and audit process and the assembly personnel were intensively trained by Schaeffler. Candidates pass their certification process after successfully completing a test and a comprehensive production audit. Schaeffler then officially welcomed the BENNING Electrical Machinery Division as a certified service partner and looks forward to a successful collaboration.

To ensure quality, this qualification must be continuously renewed in the future. This partnership now allows the Electrical Machinery Division to carry out bearing diagnostics, reconditioning, assembly or new production even faster, more predictably and efficiently and to implement modern, automated lubricant and monitoring solutions.

Certified by Schaeffler for the assembly, disassembly and inspection of rotary rolling bearings in electric motors and generators

Rolling bearings – an essential engine component

Electric motors are known for their sturdiness and durability. Premature failures may still occur, often caused by the condition of the rolling bearings, which are therefore usually a key factor for machine availability.

As part of the partnership with Schaeffler, BENNING now has fast, direct access to a selection of common rolling bearing spare parts and extended technical support. These factors are important for the rapid repair of defective engines and their new production.

Make downtime plannable

BENNING now also offers a comprehensive tool set for the condition monitoring of rolling bearings in order to minimise downtime. This applies to both on-site diagnostics and remote monitoring. By identifying potential problems early, major economic damage can often be avoided.

Bearing diagnostics cannot prevent failures, but they can make them predictable. With a qualified analysis and the corresponding recommendations for action, plant operators have a sound basis for decision-making. This provides the necessary flexibility to adapt the manufacturing processes and delivery obligations in a timely manner so that the engine can be repaired at a scheduled time.

“The certification and partnership with Schaeffler strengthens our technical expertise in bearing diagnostics, measurement, assembly and QM processes,” comments Volker Jennessen, Head of the Electrical Machines Division at BENNING, “and also ensures us high-quality technical support for rolling bearings and rolling bearing diagnostics that other companies cannot offer in this form.”

Rolling bearing diagnosis in the BENNING electrical machinery test field (BeM)

Preventive maintenance of motors or pumps plays an increasingly central role in the availability of many production plants. Monitoring and diagnosing the condition of rolling bearings is especially significant here. The BeM diagnostic team uses modern measuring technology to precisely record the condition of rolling bearings. A central method is vibration analysis using high-resolution vibration sensors. These sensors capture high sampling rate time signals directly at various points on the machine during operation.

The recorded time signals are then converted into frequency spectra using specialised software. This analysis makes it possible to identify dominant frequencies on site, e.g. those caused by imbalances. The actual evaluation of the measurement results then takes place at the BENNING facility in Bocholt, Germany. The measured frequencies are compared with specific interference frequencies that are retrieved from an extensive rolling bearing database. The results are presented in a diagram, which allows an intuitive interpretation of the data. These analyses can be used to classify damage to various components of the rolling bearing, such as the inner ring, the rolling elements or the cage. In addition, the analysis image enables experts to detect and interpret other disturbances such as misalignment, soft foot or rotor damage.

As a result of the diagnosis, the customer receives clear visual images of the measurement results from BENNING as well as a detailed interpretation and recommendation for action. This well-founded basis for decision-making enables operators to plan repair works for their systems in good time and to avoid unexpected downtimes that could affect production and delivery processes. In the future, BENNING plans to offer such diagnostics via permanently installed remote diagnostic systems and a downstream monitoring centre made up of seasoned experts. This will enable continuous monitoring and optimisation of maintenance strategies.