12/11/2011 11:00:00 AM |
Sustainable Solutions for Wind Energy |
Comments |
Rob Merrell |
Because downtime is so costly for wind turbines, manufacturers want clean steel for use in their systems, particularly gearboxes, with no detrimental inclusions. That’s where Timken can help.
What do we mean by “inclusions” and “clean steel?” All steels contain some amount of non-metallic impurities, called inclusions. These inclusions can be of various compositions, shapes and sizes. Most important, some of these inclusions can adversely affect performance. Clean steel is a steel with a low concentration of predominately small inclusions.
The use of cleaner steel – with tight chemistry control – typically results in better product performance and longer component life. The high level of cleanness continues to be a key attribute of our steel products for the wind energy industry.
To consistently manufacture clean steel, you first must be able to accurately measure the inclusion concentration. We achieve this through the use of advanced steel cleanliness measurement systems that we’ve developed at our Technology Center in North Canton, Ohio. Our high-resolution ultrasonic measurement system is an example of one of these tools.
Starting with our company’s own bearings, we have been producing clean steel for more than 100 years. We are one of the only companies in the world that benefits from this unique combination as a consumer and producer of high-quality steel.
The knowledge gained from this relationship allows us to continually engineer improvements in our processing, helping us maintain our position as a world-class producer of high performing clean steels. We manufacture bars from 1 in. to 16 in., and tube rounds from 2 in. to 13 in. We also offer efficient operations with wide custom chemistries, varied quantities and value-added supply chains.
We have built a reputation of working with customers to help meet the toughest specifications in wind-energy turbine production. Our relentless focus on increasing efficiency while improving quality can help reduce your overall cost of use.
Let us work with you to determine the appropriate application of Timken steel to meet your wind energy manufacturing needs. Learn more by visiting
Timken.com/Steel.
Do you see ways that clean steel can help improve gearbox performance and promote longer component life in your wind turbines?