SKF this week announced the opening of a new lab dedicated to ceramic and hybrid technologies at its research and development campus in the Netherlands.
The Swedish bearings giant said that the Ceramic Process Laboratory, or C-Pro Lab, would strengthen the company’s capabilities across “the complete ceramic manufacturing value chain,” as well as help increase the adoption of advanced hybrid bearing technology worldwide.
Hybrid bearings, officials said, combine high-grade steel rings with silicon nitride rolling elements. They provide better electrical insulation, lower weight and reduced friction compared to traditional, all-steel alternatives, and are critical to electrification and energy efficiency efforts, as well as to addressing challenges in industrial automation, high-speed machinery, aerospace and other advanced sectors.
SKF leaders said that the ceramics lab would bring powder formulation, compaction, sintering and surface finishing together in a single hub, allowing company researchers to prototype new material compositions, optimize microstructures and enhance process efficiency.
“Ceramic and hybrid bearing technologies are essential enablers for clean and reliable rotation in next-generation industrial electrical applications,” SKF Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Technology Development Annika Ölme said in a statement. “The C-Pro Lab enables full mastery over the end-to-end ceramic process.”
