BEARINX-MAP – Modelling of rolling bearings for MBS

Current developments in hardware and, above all, in software tools make it possible to simulate increasingly complex models with an increasing level of detailing. The design of complete systems requires a good knowledge and understanding of the individual components and their interactions.

Depending on the key perspectives involved in the simulation, it is appropriate to allow the selection and definition of the degree of detail in the complete model and the subsystems. At Schaeffler, work has been carried out for years in order to develop and apply rolling bearing models and calculation tools such as BEARINX.

A simulation and the associated model are always an abstraction of reality. The decision on a particular abstraction level and a specific modelling requires a good understanding of the actual system. A complex model does not automatically constitute a correct model and a simple model is not always an inferior one. The decisive factor here is the newly acquired knowledge relating to the actual system. There are several possibilities for modelling a bearing using multi-body simulation.

Advantages:

• suitable for simulations around the bearing operating point

Disadvantages:

• nonlinear behaviour is not modelled
• no bearing clearance
• influences of the degrees of freedom on each other are not considered

Advantages:

• nonlinear behaviour is modelled
• bearing clearance is modelled

Disadvantages:

• influences of the degrees of freedom on each other are not considered

Advantages:

• nonlinear behaviour is modelled well
• influences of the degrees of freedom on each other are considered (coupling terms are included)
• bearing clearance is modelled well
• very wide load spectrum is modelled
• maximum pressures in the bearing are included

Disadvantages:

• increased memory usage