Cranfield University students first in UK to use BEARINX software
January 1st 2007

Students at Cranfield University's Defence College of Management and Technology will be amongst the first students in the UK to benefit from the Schaeffler Group's online shaft calculation software, BEARINX to assist in their design exercises and gearbox design projects.

BEARINX software enables users to make bearing calculations, including shaft deflections and stress calculations on complex bearing and gearbox arrangements. The students will start using the software in January 2007.

Dave Simner, engineering systems lecturer at Cranfield University DCMT comments: "BEARINX will allow lecturers to explain the complexities of bearing and gear arrangements more easily. It means the students can optimise their design solution by seeing the effect of any changes rapidly." "A typical project for the Masters students here might be to design a complete gearbox from scratch for, say, an aircraft, within a specified design envelope.

BEARINX allows the students to consider various bearing designs and shaft deflections, then compare these results with, for example, their finite element analysis [FEA] calculations," he concludes.

Although Cranfield University is the first UK-based university to use BEARINX, many industrial companies already use the software. The software comes in various guises and was originally developed for Schaeffler's own engineers to use, to help customers specify the correct bearings for their applications.

BEARINX performs rolling bearing calculations and enables users to analyse bearing supports in huge detail, from single bearings via complex shaft or linear guidance systems, to entire gearboxes.

The software can model complete gear systems and can simulate the different gearshift conditions of a mechanical or automatic gearbox.

Dr Steve Lacey, engineering manager at Schaeffler UK, comments: "Unlike most calculation tools currently on the market, our software takes everything into consideration, including non-linear elastic deflection behaviour of bearings; the elasticity of shafts and axles; the influence of fit, temperature and speed on bearing operating clearance, preload and contact angle. The software also takes into account load-related contact angle shifts." All calculations within BEARINX are performed in a consistent calculation model. Even for complex gears, the contact pressure on each rolling element is considered in the calculation.

Lubrication conditions, contamination and actual contact pressure on fatigue life are also taken into account.

BEARINX enables engineers and students to calculate the actual stresses while taking shaft deflection and rolling bearing deflection into account. A JAVAbased interface provides support for easy data entry and graphic representations allow users to visualise their designs and verify the data easily.

Calculations of fatigue life using BEARINX are performed according to DIN ISO 281, Supplement 4, which defines the standards for calculating fatigue life for computer-assisted calculation procedures.

The Schaeffler Group has also developed other BEARINX calculation modules including one for machine tool spindle calculations.