Timken Displays Full Line of Wind Energy Aftermarket Products, Solutions

CANTON, Ohio, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts at The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) assert that for the wind-energy industry, productivity hinges on consistent, uninterrupted turbine operation that starts with material and centers on the point where the wind's energy is harnessed to create power.

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Leveraging its leading expertise in bearing and power transmission design, engineering, manufacturing and product application for the industry, Timken is turning out a complete suite of wind-energy products and solutions for the aftermarket to help operators achieve maximum uptime and return on investment for wind turbines.  

The company will showcase these and its latest innovation, the UltraWind P1 Seal, at the American Wind Energy Association WindPower trade show, May 22-25 in Anaheim, Calif.

"The reality is, many original bearings in established wind turbines are not lasting as long as their manufacturers originally projected, which leads to extremely expensive downtime that can ruin the return on investment," said Hans Landin, director of Process Industries original equipment and wind energy at Timken. "Wind farm operators are recognizing that the best way to protect their investment is to work with trusted, industry-leading suppliers like Timken, not only for new projects but also to keep their legacy turbines running efficiently with proven aftermarket capabilities that can reduce their operating and maintenance costs."

Among wind-energy innovations Timken will showcase at its booth (number 4435) during the American Wind Energy Association's Windpower 2011 Exposition:

System Maintenance, Repair and Upgrade Solutions

• New Timken UltraWind P1 Seal: This revolutionary polyurethane seal is designed to offer more abrasion resistance than conventional seals and features a flexible sealing lip designed to adapt to bearing deflections;
• Timken® Wear-Resistant Bearings (cylindrical or spherical): Bearings made with Timken's proprietary wear-resistant material technology can operate up to three times longer than standard ones, offering a performance breakthrough in gearbox or main shaft applications by helping protect against degenerative wear such as smearing, scuffing, micropitting and brinneling.
• Timken's Online Intelligence System (OIS): This advanced condition monitoring/data collection and reporting system is specifically designed for low-speed turbine applications. It analyzes vibration, shock pulses and analog or digital inputs to help identify main shaft and gearbox problems long before they become life-limiting breakdowns.

Main Shaft and Gearbox Bearing Solutions

• New Timken^® Cylindrical Roller Bearings with Snap-In Cage: A single-piece, machined-brass cage design with a snap-in feature is designed to eliminate the need for separate roller retention accessories and makes up-tower service safer and simpler;
• New Timken^® High-Capacity Cylindrical Roller Bearings: New design offers increased load-carrying capacity and longer service life for planetary gearboxes compared with conventional designs. In addition, the unique, compact cage configuration allows improved roller guidance over full-complement designs.
• The Timken^® UltraWind^™ Tapered Roller Bearing: The UltraWind tapered roller bearing utilizes the most advanced and highest Timken bearing rating as verified by Germanischer Lloyd, the world's leading auditor of wind-energy systems and components;
• Timken's Planet Pac and Integrated Flexpin Systems: These power-dense solutions help boost gearbox performance and reliability.

Timken's top wind-power experts will be available to discuss the company's wide range of original-equipment and aftermarket solutions, including predictive maintenance programs and repair services, from portable monitoring systems to field troubleshooting; as well as bearing installation training and tools; bearing/housing/main shaft inspection and analysis; bearing repair; main shaft repair and reconditioning; up-tower inspections; and more.

"We know that our customers need continuous, dependable wind turbine performance," said Brad Baldwin, general manager of Timken Process Industries' wind-energy aftermarket business. "The quality of our products – combined with our knowledge of wind turbine applications and our laser-like focus on customer service -- make Timken where the wind-energy industry turns for comprehensive, cost-effective aftermarket wind-energy solutions."

About The Timken Company

The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) keeps the world turning with innovative friction management and power transmission products and services that are critical to help hard-working machinery perform efficiently and reliably. With sales of $4.1 billion in 2010, and operations in 29 countries with approximately 20,000 people, Timken is Where You Turn® for better performance.

Contacts - Media: Lorrie Paul Crum, Ofc: 330.471.3514; Mob: 330.224.5021. [email protected]; Investors: Steve Tschiegg, Ofc: 330.471.7446. [email protected], The Timken Company.

SOURCE The Timken Company