The Timken Company (USA; NYSE: TKR; 5251R9N7) has expanded its lineup of bearings and value-added products in the wind turbine and general wind energy market.

At the recent 2010 Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition, Timken put its freshened lineup in one place.

Wear Resistant Bearings - designed specifically for demanding wind energy applications -- main shafts and gearboxes -- where heavy bearing loads are also often accompanied by a wide variance in those loads. Timken developed a wear-resistant coating for these bearings. The spherical roller bearings used for turbine mainshafts are subject to micropitting, contamination and even the occasional dry running; Timken's bearings and coating have been designed to address those problems simultaneously. Rated in-service life is up to 3.5 times longer than standard bearings.

UltraWind - tapered roller bearings specifically engineered for multi-megawatt mainshaft applications. The stiffer tapered roller bearing offers higher performance and lower operating costs. It is an integrated main-shaft system solution designed to meet each customers' specific operating requirements and optimize equipment service life.

Wind Energy Lubrication System - a precision greasing system which pushes new grease in while purging old grease.

EcoTurn Labyrinth Seal - matched to Timken's low pressure lubrication system, EcoTurn is an advanced non-contact design developed with Federal-Mogul.

article: Federal-Mogul and Timken collaborate on EcoTurn bearing seal
Elastomer Wind Seal - has a low-friction flexible seal lip to allow for more bearing deflection but not wear the cone's seal lip area.

PTFE Wind Energy Seal - developed for better chemical inertness, and low friction

Middle Frequency Induction Heater - using middle frequency AC that passes through an electromagnet, the heater offers more control when heating bearings for installation and removal, making the process faster and more efficient. Also, it helps eliminate overheating as a cause of failure.

Planet Pac and Integrated Flexpin Bearings - gearbox bearing and gear arrangements that offer near zero misalignment for the gears due to carrier deflection, using an offsetting torsion arrangement in the pins and annular shafts. Instead of just four planetary gears, Timken's arrangement is eight smaller integrated flexpin bearings and gears for a more compliant system and better load sharing. This allows smaller gears to handle more torque. The flexpin arrangement is also used in for aerospace, agricultural, defense, heavy industry, and construction equipment final drives.

There is a Flexdrive animation here on YouTube:

Timken Flexdrive animation
Online Intelligence System - a value-added approach offering condition monitoring systems specifically designed for low-speed powertrains.

Syber Advanced Wind System Analysis - an engineering platform that reduces development time in optimizing main shaft and gearbox systems.

Timken said it is now working with the leading wind turbine manufacturers at every stage of development, is establishing a the industry's leading supply chain in terms of both manufacturing and service locations around the world.

Vertically integrated, Timken also produces the Clean Steel at its mills in Canton, Ohio for those wind turbine bearings and components.

Chris Coughlin, President of Timken's Process Industries, said: "From engineering investment, to our manufacturing and service capabilities in every part of the world, Timken is in the best position to deliver exceptional value and lifecycle support to customers who are developing the next generation multi-megawatt-class turbines."

Other Timken wind turbine-related videos are on the company's YouTube channel here:

Timken wind turbine videos on YouTube
In addition to adding so many products and introducing variations of existing products to the wind turbine market, Timken has also been addressing its manufacturing facilities. In the U.S., both Asheboro and Tyger River have been retooled and expanded. Wind bearing production in China is beginning, along with production in Chennai, India and Ploiesti, Romania.