AKTIEBOLAGET SKF

Design and integration of bearings within larger mechanical systems or devices, focusing on mounting structures, housing, endplay management, and overall assembly for specific applications.

Components and designs focused on preventing ingress of contaminants (e.g., dirt, water) or egress of lubricants from bearing systems, often using elastic seals, shields, or labyrinth structures.

Bearings that utilize a pressurized gas or liquid film to create a non-contact support surface, reducing friction and wear, often incorporating specific flow restriction or airfoil designs.

Development of novel materials or material compositions to enhance bearing performance, such as wear resistance, friction reduction, or load capacity, often involving composites, ceramics, or specialized coatings.

Assemblies and components designed for reliable and efficient transfer of rotational or axial forces between mechanical parts, accommodating misalignment or specific motion profiles.

Utilizing sound and vibration analysis to detect malfunctions, assess balance, or monitor the operational health of machinery and structures. This often involves sensors, signal processing, and pattern recognition.

Utilizing sensor data, historical performance, and analytical models to anticipate equipment failures, diagnose faults, and estimate remaining useful life, thereby enabling proactive maintenance and reducing downtime.

Mechanical assemblies designed to enable controlled rotational movement between components, often incorporating locking features, speed reduction, or eccentric adjustments for precise positioning.

Development of novel motor architectures beyond traditional radial flux designs, including linear, axial, or multi-armature configurations, often to optimize for specific performance characteristics like torque density or form factor.

Methods and devices for integrating temperature sensors directly into materials, structures, or challenging environments (e.g., hydrogen tanks, concrete, ocean) to measure internal or localized temperatures.

Methods and components for converting power into mechanical motion to drive pump mechanisms, encompassing electric motors, hydraulic actuators, and specialized motion converters like ball screws or solenoids.

Utilizes optical fibers, often incorporating Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG), to detect changes in strain, pressure, or temperature based on modifications to light signals (e.g., wavelength shifts, phase changes) transmitted through the fiber.

Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.

Methods and devices that determine the position, angle, or distance of an object by detecting changes in magnetic fields or inductive coupling.

Devices and methodologies for precisely measuring rotational force (torque) or linear pulling force (tension) within mechanical systems, frequently incorporating compensation for environmental variables like temperature.

Design and implementation of capacitive sensors, including methods for improving accuracy, reducing power consumption, compensating for environmental variations (like temperature), and analyzing complex displacement interactions.

Novel configurations and materials for gears and drivetrain components, including specialized profiles, self-aligning features, damping elements, and complex gear train arrangements like planetary, cycloidal, or strain wave gearing.

Systems and methods for real-time sensing, modeling, and closed-loop control of additive manufacturing parameters to ensure part quality, consistency, and process efficiency. This includes thermal management, atmospheric regulation, and precise material deposition.

Techniques and apparatus for measuring and verifying the performance, properties, and structural integrity of optical components like lenses, waveguides, and optical fibers. This includes loss, refractive index, and physical defects.

Systems and methods enabling the monitoring, configuration, and operation of industrial equipment and processes from a distance, often utilizing wireless communication protocols and networked platforms for enhanced flexibility and access.

Systems that integrate temperature sensors with wireless communication modules and network platforms (e.g., cloud) for remote data collection, analysis, and indication, often for distributed or mobile assets.

The integration of force, strain, or temperature sensors directly into large-scale structures or components (e.g., concrete, pavement, pipelines) to enable real-time health assessment, anomaly detection, and long-term performance monitoring.

Temperature sensing systems integrated into wearable devices or medical apparatus for monitoring physiological conditions, such as inflammation detection, often utilizing differential temperature measurements.

Transmissions designed to provide a continuous range of gear ratios between fixed limits, often employing ball-planetary, toroidal, or belt-pulley mechanisms, and including their control systems for stable operation in various directions.

Actuators, control, and components for converting electrical energy into braking force, often involving motors, spindles, and friction elements, particularly for vehicle applications.

Novel designs or control strategies for clutches, including one-way, centrifugal, or disconnect types, to manage torque transmission in powertrains and other mechanical systems.

Designs and components for efficiently supplying, collecting, and managing lubricants (oil, grease) within gearboxes and transmissions to reduce friction, dissipate heat, and extend component operational life.

Integration of elastomeric or other damping elements into mechanical drive components to absorb shocks, reduce noise, and mitigate vibrations during operation.

Design of contact elements and their interaction to ensure stable, low-resistance electrical connection under various mechanical and environmental conditions, including spring forces and material choices.

Sensors that quantify strain or deformation by measuring the change in electrical resistance of a material, such as a semiconductor film or conductive layers, as it undergoes mechanical stress.

Systems and methods that utilize optical fibers as sensing elements or for transmitting sensing signals, often for distributed monitoring of environmental conditions, phase changes, or integrating sensing with communication.

Methods and systems for detecting fluid or gas leaks, or assessing the quality and continuity of seals in containers, systems, or structures. This often involves pressure changes, electrical properties, or acoustic analysis.

Manufacturing processes and techniques for producing stator cores, windings, and coils, including lamination, impregnation, hairpin winding, and segment coil bending, to improve motor efficiency, power density, or reliability.

Integration of optical sensors, particularly for biometrics or other surface interactions, beneath a display or protective cover, requiring specialized optical paths, illumination, and packaging.

Techniques for measuring, monitoring, and compensating for temperature variations within semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, or photonic components to maintain performance, prevent degradation, and ensure reliability across operating conditions.

Systems and methods designed to improve the accuracy, reliability, or operational range of sensors and electronic components by measuring temperature and applying corrections or adjustments.

Integration of electric motors into larger systems (e.g., vehicles, power tools) and safety features for high-voltage components, including control interfaces, mechanical integration, and environmental protection (e.g., waterproofing).

Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.

Computational methods and design principles for generating optimized geometries, internal structures (e.g., lattices, minimal surfaces), or functional features that are specifically enabled or enhanced by the capabilities of additive manufacturing.