March 6, 2008
Development of “Energy Saving Light Weight Hub Bearing”
Achieving Weight Reduction and Material Savings Through Processing
In response to global environmental concerns and soaring resource costs, NTN Corporation (Hereafter NTN) has developed an “Energy Saving Light Weight Hub Bearing”, that is light weight and uses 20% less material to make than conventional Hubs. This is achieved by improving the material yield ratio during the manufacturing process.
In recent years, environmental concerns, such as global warming, have become a serious issue, and weight reductions for better fuel economy are necessary. Cost savings achieved through reductions in material usage during the manufacturing process are required for automotive applications as well. The weight reduction of the hub is achieved by minimizing burs and chips generated in manufacturing processes.
From a design aspect for this new hub, the weight reduction was achieved by cutting out portions of the wheel pilot utilizing FEA analysis. From the manufacturing aspect, the material yield ratio was improved by reducing the number of machining positions made possible through advanced forging technology. Through this, weight and material usage reductions of hub bearings were made possible while still maintaining conventional function and strength of the hub.
NTN will globally market this “Energy Saving Light Weight Hub Bearing”, as a company promoting reduction of environmental impacts and creation of a recycling society, aimed at coexistence with the global environment as a most important corporate policy.
[ Features ]
| (Comparison with conventional product) | ||||
| a. | Weigh: Approx. 10% less (Hub bearing in total) | |||
| b. | Material Usage: Approx. 20% less (Hub ring + outer ring) | |||
[ Applications ]
Automotive hub bearings
[ Product Photo ]
Appearance photos of “Energy Saving Light Weight Hub Bearing”