Europe's Largest Lock Gates Open with Federal-Mogul DEVA Bearings

Bremerhaven's Kaiserschleuse lock gates use corrosion resistant sliding plates from Federal-Mogul's DEVA product line

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May 19, 2011, 12:25 ET

STADTALLENDORF, Germany, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When the Kaiserschleuse Lock in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany reopened after renovation on April 29, its giant lift-and-slide gates moved on unique sliding bearings developed by Federal-Mogul Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML). Europe's largest lock has gates measuring more than 300m (328 yards) long, 55m (60 yards) wide and 13m (14 yards) deep. Kaiserschleuse is one of the largest projects of its kind in the world, and the first application of its kind for DEVA sliding bearing plates.

Federal-Mogul's engineers provided for the project a polymer-based material that offers the required sliding characteristics with consistent coefficients of friction both under water and in the air, and a maintenance-free operating life of 25 years. "Federal-Mogul is proud that our deva.tex^® bearing technology is playing a key role in a challenging engineering project," said Gerard Chochoy, senior vice president, Powertrain Sealing and Bearings. "Federal-Mogul's extensive knowledge, experience and testing have produced bearings that can withstand the demanding working environment of this remarkable lock." To reduce the risk of corrosion, specialists from leading hydraulic engineering company IRS Rapsch & Schubert of Wurzburg decided to use granite instead of steel for the sliding plates counter material, a first for this type of application.

"Federal-Mogul's deva.tex^® material has proven ideal for this purpose," said August Stadlmayr, managing director of Federal-Mogul DEVA GmbH. "The material excels in applications characterized by long periods of heavy static and dynamic loads as well as relatively low sliding speeds. Its two layers ensure excellent tribological properties even underwater and in the event of edge loads. A base layer of glass-fiber reinforced epoxy resin guarantees high strength, while its sliding layer consists of non-abrasive fibers and solid lubricants."

Federal-Mogul engineers had to take into consideration some unique challenges presented by the Kaiserschleuse project. Transfer film generation and the varying edge loads had to be taken into account when designing the bearings. The tidal range at the lock is 3.8 meters (12.4 ft.), so the lock gates have to withstand approximately 400 tons of dynamic pressure when the tide is at its peak. This great pressure causes planned bending deformations and, as a consequence, edge loads occur on the slide rails. Transfer film generation, which is the controlled transfer of solid lubricants to the mating material, in this case mineral, follows different rules compared with the more commonly used metal materials. Engineers at Federal-Mogul simulated the operating conditions expected at the Kaiserschleuse lock gates using in-house test rigs to simulate the sliding conditions and successfully proved the combination mating surfaces of granite and deva.tex^®.

Each gate, which measures 56.7m (186 ft.) in width, 9.5m (31.2 ft.) in depth and 21.2m (69.6 ft.) in height, and weighs 2,400 tons, is supported by eight DEVA bearings, mounted in slide rails to run against the granite surface. Every ship that enters Bremerhaven's inland harbor must pass through the tidal lock. The Kaiserschleuse gates seal the lock chamber and enable the exchange of water during the locking process. Divided into two horizontal sections, hydraulic cylinders lift the upper part of the lock gate by up to 70 cm (27.6 in.), also guided by deva.tex^® sliding elements, to allow water to flow in or out of the lock via an underwater opening in a process that lasts approximately 10 minutes – considerably faster than before.

Kaiserschleuse Bremerhaven is one of the largest automobile commercial harbors in the world, with transfer of ships through its gates carrying approx. two million vehicles per year.

About Federal-Mogul

Federal-Mogul Corporation is a leading global supplier of powertrain and safety solutions to the world's foremost original equipment manufacturers of automotive, commercial, aerospace, marine, rail and off-road vehicles; industrial, agricultural and power generation equipment; as well as the worldwide aftermarket. Federal-Mogul's leading technology and innovation, lean manufacturing expertise, and global distribution network deliver world-class products, brands and services at a competitive cost. The company's sustainable global profitable growth strategy creates value for its employees, customers and shareholders. Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899. The company is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs approximately 45,000 people in 35 countries.

Federal-Mogul's aftermarket products are sold under a variety of well-known brands, including: Abex^®, AE^® ANCO^®, Beral^®, Carter^®, Champion^®, FP Diesel^®, Fel-Pro^®, Ferodo^®, Glyco^®, Goetze^®, MOOG^®, National^®, Necto^®, Nural^®, Payen^®, Precision^®, Sealed Power^®, Speed-Pro^® and Wagner^®. All trademarks are owned by Federal-Mogul Corporation, or one or more of its subsidiaries, in one or more countries. Visit the company's website at www.federalmogul.com.