Castrol and German bearings and drive technologies supplier Schaeffler signed a global contract to develop and manufacture new greases for wind energy turbines.
Over the last year in close technical collaboration with Schaeffler – Castrol developed, tested an approved two new grease formulations – Spheerol LC 1 for bearings in wind turbines operating in cold climates; and Spheerol LC2 NG for mining equipment and heavy construction machinery operating under heavy loads.
The companies were already engaged in a global cooperation agreement. With the new global contract, the companies said they are entering into an alliance to develop future planned products. “We were able to intensify our partnership with Castrol and set up production directly in China to cover local demand,” Simon Seifert, lubricant technology expert and supplier development quality engineer for Schaeffler, said in a press release.
Gear oil is the lubricant type most used in wind turbines, followed by hydraulic fluids and greases. Grease is used in several wind turbine locations: the main rotor shaft bearing; the yaw bearing, pitch or blade bearings; pitch drive gears; and generator bearings.
Schaeffler’s industrial segment supplies rolling and plain bearings, linear and direct drive technology and service features such as maintenance products and monitoring systems.
The company also has an automotive aftermarket division that supplies replacement parts and an automotive technologies division that designs technical solutions for cars and commercial vehicles.