Eco-friendliness is a modern way to describe any equipment that makes the attempt to leave the environment untouched or unharmed. In regard to commercial vehicles, it can be an innovative mechanical feature that is trying to cut fuel consumption, decrease carbon dioxide emission and significantly improve overall engine performance. Carbon dioxide emissions have drastically increased due to human activity. In response to this environmental problem, the automotive industry and some engineering companies have designed and introduced eco-friendly utility equipment such as hybrid vehicles. These innovative vehicles can lead the way in terms of cost-effectiveness with the contribution to the cause of lower oil consumption and longer vehicle mileage.

Along with this timely innovation is the development of new types of products that could market hybrid trucks in the global arena. Along these lines, low friction wheel bearings were brought into existence by a Swedish company known as SKF (AB SKF), that patented a multi-row self-aligning radial ball rolling-element in 1907 and went on to found Volvo AB in 1926.

Low friction wheel bearings were created to withstand high loads, help to save fuel, offer optimum shock resistance and smooth operation, be stable and be easy to maintain. SKF is the largest manufacturer of these rolling-element devices in the world and continuously produces efficient designs with superior quality products that will not compromise environmental sustainability.

Revolutionary technological advancements in this field have included the creation of various low-friction wheel bearings, consisting of X-tracker hub units, turbocharger units, rotor positioning units and sensor units used for electric motors.

Different Types of Units

• Low-Friction X-tracker - This is an asymmetrical hub bearing unit that was made for high-speed cars or for rough road conditions type of driving. The impact of this piece of equipment is the reduction a large percentage of carbon dioxide emission as well as contributing to total vehicle power-loss reduction. The X-tracker hub unit has a parallel bearing arrangement which increases its load-carrying capacity and service life while increasing its durability. This type of low-friction wheel bearing contributes greatly to road performance and stability on all type of vehicles including luxury cars.

• Turbocharger - This is another innovative development utilizing ceramic rolling balls. It is not difficult to assemble and has a parallel ball bearing arrangement to minimize frictional loss. This fact reduces fuel consumption and decreases carbon dioxide emissions in comparison to the usual such components. An additional feature includes the integration of wear-resistant ceramic rolling elements that can endure extreme temperatures, minimize noise and have high loading capacity when running at high speeds. The unit is made of aerospace-quality steel, reinforced steel and sports a polymer cage design. This modern ball bearing unit is thought to improve overall engine performance, improve running accuracy and improve fuel efficiency.

• Rotor Positioning - This bearing is used for electric power-steering systems. The rotor positioning unit is exclusively designed to produce high mechanical performance, decrease fuel consumption and reduce air pollution emissions. This advanced technology is made up of powerful alternators and control systems to stop and reboot the engine in a smooth manner. It is made of durable magnetic bearings that can resist extra pressure and mechanical vibrations. This unit is not only compatible for electrical systems of many modern vehicles but also for hybrid electric motors.

• Sensor - The sensor bearing unit is a multidisciplinary-engineering-designed machine that utilizes mechanical, electronic, computer, control and systems design engineering to come up with useful products. This is a combination of sensor-body and impulse-ring-bearing that is connected with each other and is thought to be essential in achieving higher quality signal generation and transmission.

For hybrid vehicles, the low-friction version of bearings will significantly improve machine performance, help improve fuel efficiency, protect the environment and provide potential savings to the consumer. The strong effect of these automotive industry designs is directed to a ‘greener’ vehicle that will not generate a negative effect to people’s health and the environment as a whole.