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Bearing Contract Signed for Airliner
FAG Aerospace has secured long-term supply contracts worth several million euros, with Rolls Royce and General Electric, for supporting the engines that will power Boeing's new 787 airliner. rolling bearings from FAG Aerospace will play a key role in supporting the fuel efficient Rolls-Royce and General Electric engines that will power Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner long haul passenger airliners.
The first Dreamliner prototype was recently introduced to the public in Seattle, USA.Both engine types approved for the new long-haul airliner rely on FAG Aerospace's rolling bearing expertise.The entire aircraft is designed to consume as little energy as possible.
'We had to develop a completely new design for the main shaft and gearbox bearings', states Franz-Josef Ebert, Head of Sales and product development at FAG Aerospace.This is due to the bearings' high integration level.For instance, functions and adjacent components, as well as vibration damping mechanisms and housing parts were integrated.
Furthermore, the bearing systems use heat-resistant steels.The size of the bearings, as well as their complex geometry, also represented a challenge for production.
'When developing the bearing systems, our primary goal was to achieve low weight and high-performance capability, together with high reliability'.'That was a particular challenge for our engineers and for production at our two manufacturing sites in Schweinfurt and Stratford', says Ebert.
The fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner consumes 20% less fuel than comparable aircraft, due to its improved aerodynamics, better operating systems and lighter materials.The GEnx engine from General Electric and the Trent 1000 engine from Rolls-Royce also play a critical role in ensuring the aircraft is more fuel-efficient.The high-performance, weight-saving engine bearing supports also play a key role in both engines.
FAG Aerospace became involved in the development of the engine bearing concepts as early as 2005.The first prototype bearings were manufactured in 2006 and supplied to General Electric and Rolls-Royce.
Results of the first engine test runs, which took place in Autumn 2006, were extremely positive.The civil aviation authorities' approval process for both engines will be completed by the end of 2007.First test flights for the Dreamliner are scheduled to take place within the next few months.
In the summer of 2008 the first machines will be delivered to the airline companies.Series production of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine bearings will start in Schweinfurt, Germany, while the bearings for the General Electric GEnx will initially be manufactured in Stratford, Canada, and in Schweinfurt from 2009.
| Product Model | Inside Diameter | Outside Diameter | Thickness |
| RF36 bearing | 15.875 | 57.15 | 33.34 |
| RF32 bearing | 15.875 | 50.8 | 33.34 |