To support the shield tunneling industry, Timken renews its efforts
With the vigorous development of infrastructure construction in transportation, energy, and water transfer in China, my country has become the largest country in constructing tunnels. However, tunnel boring construction projects are largely constrained by complex geological conditions, so the technological advancement of boring equipment has become the key to improving construction efficiency and safety. Timken has served the shield excavation industry for more than 100 years and cooperates with equipment manufacturers worldwide. The world’s first modern tunnel boring machine is equipped with Timken bearings.
In recent years, with excellent design and high-performance products, Timken has maintained close contact with the domestic shield tunneling industry, and has been widely favored by customers in the OE and terminal markets, and has continuously improved the efficiency and cost issues faced by the industry. Solution.
On June 10th, Timken hosted a shield industry technology seminar in Chengdu with a wealth of shield tunneling equipment bearings and power transmission solutions, aiming to build a platform for industry exchanges and promote industry technology development. The conference gathered nearly 60 professional and technical personnel from domestic shield tunneling industry experts, leading equipment manufacturing companies, and construction units to discuss topics such as the development trend of the tunneling industry and the application of tool bearings.
This conference is honored to invite Professor Chen Kui, a senior technical expert from the State Key Laboratory of Shield and Tunneling Technology, to share academically on the trend of the shield industry, tool requirements, bearing use, and requirements. Wang Guoyi, a deputy chief engineer from CLP Jiancheng Construction Investment Co., Ltd., also shared the application of hobs and bearings under Chengdu geological conditions, innovation, and tunneling control of earth pressure balance shields. Based on a wealth of professional knowledge and industry experience, both experts gave a great affirmation to Timken shield tool bearings.
The three representatives from the tool manufacturing companies also shared their experience and knowledge with the guests and aroused heated technical discussions. The guests at the conference conducted in-depth exchanges on the service life and lubrication methods of hob bearings generally concerned by tool customers. The guests expressed that it is necessary to strengthen communication further, work together for the development of the industry, and at the same time take more measures to combat the phenomenon of manufacturing and selling counterfeit products to ensure the healthy development of the market.
During the construction of the tunnel, the hard rock will wear the cutter head of the shield machine body and seriously reduce the working efficiency of the shield machine. If key components such as bearings are frequently replaced, it will cause delays, high costs, and low efficiency. To meet the challenges of various external factors and ensure the most effective operation, the shield machine must use extremely reliable bearings. Timken® tapered roller bearings for shield tunneling machines are made of high-quality pure steel and advanced heat treatment technology. They have an optimized internal geometrical structure and can withstand extremely high impact loads. They are ideal for the end face of the hob of the roadheader. Following the globally uniform design standards and quality system, Timken ensures product consistency and quality stability. At the same time, in addition to bearing products, Timken can also provide complete lubrication, sealing, and other power transmission solutions for shield equipment or provide customized solutions according to the different needs of customers.
Globally, Timken provides solutions for several well-known tunnel engineering projects, including the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel-the Gotthard Base Railway Tunnel in Switzerland. Timken’s 25,000 sets of bearings for the project significantly reduced the tool change rate during the construction process and helped save huge construction costs. In China, in many projects such as subways, high-speed rails, and urban pipe corridors in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Xinjiang, Sichuan, etc., Timken products have also shown outstanding performance.
Xu Jiang, Sales Director of Timken China, said: “With high-quality products and extensive customer base, Timken has always been a leader in the field of shield tunneling tool bearings. With the development of technology in the excavation industry, Timken The company will continue to strengthen industry cooperation to provide value for the most challenging application requirements.”