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Three Applications for New Way Air Bearings in the Energy Industry

The demands of the energy industry are constantly rising, and the ability to produce durable, high-resolution, and low-friction motion is vital at every level. The past decade has seen an explosion of energy diversity, providing countless new engineering challenges. From manufacturing to installation to the internal components, New Way Air Bearings® is here to meet the needs of the energy market.

Applications in Various Energy Fields

Oil and Gas

New Way products provide superior alternatives to conventional bearings. Unlike conventional ball bearings, our Radial Air Bearings hold shafts on a stiff cushion of air, allowing for higher speeds with no friction loss. Additionally, zero-contact action means that maintenance due to wear is all but eliminated. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, providing sustainable, lossless movement in any rotary configuration. This makes New Way products ideal for power transmission in gas and steam turbines.

Conventional bearings develop imperfections that worsen over time with wear, creating irregular motion and vibration in a shaft. Modern bore-centric drilling techniques in the oil and gas industry require incredibly small tolerances to work, and component failures can be catastrophic. Our products provide durable, efficient rotary motion without deviance, vibration, or wear.

Wind

The lossless, non-abrasive action of our products also makes them ideal for power transmission in harsh, difficult-to-service environments such as wind turbines. With offshore wind farms potentially becoming a major player in the energy sector, the benefits of air bearings are obvious. The five nanometers between the bearing and the shaft also negates the influence of foreign contaminants such as salt or oil, which could harm conventional components in an offshore turbine.

New Way Air Bearings are also crash-resistant, making them even better suited to difficult conditions. In the event of a catastrophic compressor failure, loss of pressure is not immediate. Instead, the Porous Media™ slowly releases air, preventing a violent collision. Whereas small failures in traditional bearings can cause thousands of dollars in damage, our products keep your vital components safe.

Solar

As the fastest growing renewable energy source, the demand for solar arrays is set to rise dramatically in the coming years. This increased production will require high-capacity manufacturing techniques that can handle the delicate process of cell assembly without compromising on speed or quality. New Way’s Linear Slides and Bonded Bearings provide a superior option for precision manufacturing applications.

As mentioned above, the stiff cushion of air offered by Porous Media Technology™ allows for smooth, vibration-free, and contactless motion. This eliminates the risk of damage to—and contamination of—the delicate layers of solar cells as they are stacked during assembly. New Way Air Bearings are also clean-room compliant, ensuring that there is no risk of contamination of components during manufacturing.A solar panel sits on a mechanical platform for automated assembly.

Benefits

  • No-contact motion
  • Precision variable air cushion
  • Nanometer resolution
  • Cleanroom compliance
  • Crash-resistant
  • Zero contamination
  • Zero vibrations
  • Zero wear

Want to learn more?

Discover how Porous Media TechnologyTM can be implemented in your energy industry project. Read our New Way Air Bearing Application and Design Guide or contact our Application Engineers any time to discuss your specific needs.


Applications
Rotary Motion
Spindle on an industrial lathe.
Rotary Motion

For constraining and supporting the outer or inner diameter of a rotating assembly.

Linear Motion Bearings
precision machine tool
Linear Motion Bearings

For unparalleled straightness of motion over metal or stone guideways.

Conveying
flat panel display
Conveying

For the non contact transportation of glass and FPD’s.


Products
Bonded Bearings
bonded bearings
Bonded Bearings

Linear Slides
linear slides
Linear Slides

Radial Air Bearings
radial bearings
Radial Air Bearings

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation