Schaeffler OPTIME™ Wins the Bearing Specialist Association's Manufacturer Excellence Award

FORT MILL, S.C., May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler was honored by the Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) with the 2021 "Bearing Manufacturer Excellence of Innovation in Product Design Award" for its breakthrough OPTIME condition monitoring device. This prestigious award recognizes BSA member companies for excellence in product design or technology, with the added objective of informing end-use customers about the innovative products, technologies and services that BSA member companies are continuously developing to support their businesses.    

A condition monitoring breakthrough – powered by Schaeffler expertise
OPTIME is an easily scalable condition monitoring system that consists of wireless, battery-powered vibration sensors, a cellular gateway and an app to visualize the resulting data. Able to be installed and deployed without any prior condition monitoring expertise, OPTIME is designed to provide advance warning of potential damage to machines such as electric motors, fans and pumps. It also offers early notification of imbalance, misalignment and loose-fitting components.

Data captured by OPTIME's sensors is analyzed using proprietary algorithms that draw on Schaeffler's technical expertise, its extensive library of physical models developed and refined over many decades, and the experience in condition monitoring that Schaeffler has built up in the course of its bearing servicing operations.

"We greatly value our longstanding membership in the Bearing Specialists Association, and we very much appreciate the BSA's recognition of our OPTIME innovation that is already transforming the wireless condition monitoring landscape," said Kevin Kozlowski, vice president – Industrial Distribution Americas. "Finally – an intuitive, easy-to-use 'Plug. Play. Predict.' sensor that meets our customers' expectations for monitoring key assets within their manufacturing facilities. OPTIME is a key product from our portfolio of Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions, whose mission – to simplify maintenance with an excellent user experience and a full suite of industrial services and solutions for the machine's complete lifetime – drives our overall value proposition to our customers and distribution partners," explained Kozlowski.

Schaeffler received the award at the BSA's 2022 Convention, which took place April 30 - May 3 in Indian Wells, Calif. OPTIME's win represents the second Manufacturer Excellence Award for Schaeffler, which was honored by the BSA for its SmartCheck™ condition monitoring device in 2016.

More information on OPTIME is available here.

About Schaeffler
Schaeffler Group – We pioneer motion
As a leading global supplier to the automotive and industrial sectors, the Schaeffler Group has been driving forward groundbreaking inventions and developments in the fields of motion and mobility for over 75 years. With innovative technologies, products and services for CO₂-efficient drives, electric mobility, Industry 4.0, digitalization and renewable energies, the company is a reliable partner for making motion and mobility more efficient, intelligent and sustainable. The technology company manufactures high-precision components and systems for powertrain and chassis applications as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications. The Schaeffler Group generated sales of approximately EUR 13.9 billion in 2021. With around 83,000 employees, Schaeffler is one of the world's largest family companies. Moreover, with over 1,800 patent applications filed in 2021, Schaeffler is Germany's third-most innovative company according to the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA).

SOURCE Schaeffler