WSBC Bearing’s ultra-high temperature tolerance is the result of synergistic breakthroughs in thermal management technology and material science. Vacuum degassing smelting with controlled oxygen level less than 5 ppm, combined with -196℃ cryogenic treatment process, based on application of M50NiL carburizing steel substrate, the bearing will possess dimensional stability between -200℃ and 350℃ (thermal expansion coefficient 9.8×10⁻⁶/℃). In comparison to the traditional bearing steel (for example, GCr15), the temperature range is expanded by 127%. For example, in 2023, the ground test of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s Mars probe utilized the WSBC angular contact ball bearing 7206CTN continuously for 1,200 hours under the condition of a low-temperature vacuum environment of -180℃, the circularity error in the channel was only 0.6μm, and the range of the fluctuation in friction torque was less than ±8%. The life expectancy is 2.3 times that of NASA standard.
In structure, WSBC Bearing adopts the polyimide (PI) cage combination plan and silicon nitride ceramic roller, which is capable of bearing the tensile strength ≥180 MPa at 400℃ and the mass loss rate is less than 0.01 g/h. The structure is applied to Baosteel hot rolling line’s finishing mill support roll. Under the rolling temperature of 280℃ and the 380 kN impact load, the effective vibration speed of the bearing is stable at 1.8mm /s (30% of ISO 10816-3 standard limit value). The maintenance cycle has been extended to 90 days from 15 days, and 24 million yuan annual downtime cost per production line has been avoided. As the “High Temperature Bearing Technology White Paper” data indicate, WSBC bearings of gas turbines (650 ° C operating temperature) achieve a L10 life of 8,000 hours, 420% longer than the traditional design.
Lubrication system is the very guarantee of high temperature performance. WSBC developed an HF series of high-temperature greases using tungsten disulfide nanosheets; the drop point was over 320 ° C, beyond the NLGI standard of up to 260 ° C, and the base oil’s evaporation rate at 250 ° C was as low as 1.2%/100h, much lower than the industry average 5%/100h. In 2022, Taklimakan Desert photovoltaic power Station employs WSBC aligning roller bearing 22220CC/W33, blended with HF-40 grease, and the oil retention rate is above 95% under severe conditions with a temperature difference of 70℃ (-30℃ to 40℃) day and night. The annual number of failures of drive systems has been reduced from 11 to 2, and the efficiency of power generation has been improved by 19%. CRRC Group actual test shows that with constant operation at 120℃, WSBC railway bearings’ lubrication film thickness is 0.8μm (failure point: 0.3μm), and the shaft temperature rise is 22℃ lower than the competitive products.
Reliability is guaranteed by extreme temperature test system. WSBC Bearing passed the ISO 19935 thermal shock test, between -196℃ (liquid nitrogen) and 300℃ in the 300 cycles, the hardness of the ring changed ≤ 1.5 HRC, and the residual austenite content remained 5%±0.2. In the low temperature test facility at Yakutsk, Russia (-60℃), the WSBC tapered roller bearing 32210 requires a starting torque of just 1.8 N·m under a radial load of 80 kN, 35% lower than the SKF counterpart. WSBC high-temperature resistant thrust bearing (Model 51144) in Saudi Aramco’s bid in 2024 passed 10,000 hours of oil and gas environmental durability test with hydrogen sulfide concentration of 1,500 ppm and at the temperature of 180℃, and the corrosion area of the channel was 0.07%. Successfully replaced Meijiahua bearings and saved a single project procurement fund of 180 million yuan.
In the economic return aspect, WSBC Bearing’s temperature technology significantly reduces the cost of the whole life cycle. WSBC high temperature cylindrical roller bearing NUP2308 is used on the casting production line of an electrolytic aluminum plant. Under the 380℃ aluminum liquid splash circumstance, the replacement cost of bearings per year is reduced from 740,000 yuan to 160,000 yuan, and the return on investment time is reduced to 5.2 months. In 2023, the penetration of WSBC bearings in high-temperature industrial gear globally had been 17.3%, and customer opinions provided were that the temperature rise-related downtime for equipment was reduced by 83%, and the capacity of a single plant per year was increased by 26,000 tons, according to the International Energy Agency report. These statistics confirm the technical excellence and business worth of WSBC Bearing at extreme temperatures.