Invisible yet indispensable
Christoph Weißbacher did not have much to do with plain bearings to begin with: after leaving school, he studied electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Joining the family business, however, was an obvious choice, as his father Georg Weißbacher had founded Gleitlagertechnik Weißbacher GmbH (GTW) in Alpen in 1988. Christoph Weißbacher therefore completed his doctorate at the Forschungszentrum Jülich on the subject of magnetic bearings, a combination of electrical engineering and mechanics/mechanical engineering, which later proved useful to him. »My degree and doctorate provided a very good basis for my current work. It would have been much more difficult if I hadn't studied the subject before,« says Weißbacher.
The FVV is making an important contribution to the transformation of the energy and transport systems through innovative collective research. Part IV/IVb of the FVV fuels studies, for example, showed that climate neutrality can be achieved by 2040 with a mix of technologies if the legal framework is created and companies are free to choose their transformation strategies.
FVV member companies are developing technologies and products that show that combustion engines are fit for the future. The younger generation of managers sometimes tackles challenges differently than before, challenging processes and established structures.
In brief profiles, we introduce people who are working to make engines, vehicles and machines more efficient, cleaner and more durable:
- Miriam Florack develops exhaust aftertreatment systems for commercial vehicles at Daimler Truck in Stuttgart.
- Christoph Weißbacher designs low-friction plain bearings for machines and transmissions.
- Sebastian Wohlgemuth is future-proofing engine manufacturer Hatz with innovative products.
The FVV plays a role in everyone's day-to-day work, but as it turns out, pre-competitive research sometimes comes with limits.
»Customers often have very specific requirements. When they bring them to us, we develop the right plain bearing,« says Weißbacher. In three quarters of cases, a bearing is based on an in-house development, with the remainder being produced according to customer drawings. Plain bearings are small components in huge machines, you can't see them and yet they are extremely important – nothing works without them.
With around 75 employees, Weißbacher GmbH produces bearings for large machine manufacturers such as Siemens and Renk, which are mainly used in gearboxes, generators, engines and mills. The largest bearings, for example for drum mills in iron and steel ore processing, can reach a diameter of five to six metres.
Dr.-Ing. Christoph WeißbacherWe work with the COMBROS bearing design programme, which is almost unique in the world, nothing has proven better so far.
Christoph Weißbacher not only provides customer advice, but also calculates and designs new plain bearings himself. He and his colleagues benefit from FVV every day: »We work with the COMBROS bearing design programme, which is almost unique in the world, nothing has proven better so far,« says Weißbacher. The software had been developed in an FVV project as part of the Industrial Collective Research programme; Weißbacher has been a user of the software from the very beginning and is still actively involved in its optimisation. However, he remains sceptical about initiating specific development projects as part of the FVV, such as for a new coating: »There would be no advantage over competitors - that is the nature of pre-competitive collective research«.
GTW components contribute directly to greater efficiency in many machines and gearboxes, for example in phase shifters. These machines are used to transport three-phase current over long distances. Weissbacher supplied Siemens Energy with a new plain bearing with a diameter of 500 millimetres for the world's largest phase shifter flywheel. As more and more wind farms around the world are being connected to the power grid, more phase shifters are needed - and more plain bearings.
However, similar to Hatz in the industrial engine business, GTW's customers also tend to be rather conservative. »The machines cost many millions of euros and the bearing is incredibly important. Customers are therefore almost never prepared to install a newly developed plain bearing, even though it is better,« says Weißbacher. He explains just how much better using the example of a hydroelectric power plant in Austria, for which he supplied a new support bearing at the base of the main shaft: »With the old component, the power loss was around 700 kW - with the new bearing with a special coating, it is now only 190 kW. Calculated over the service life of such a plant, you earn a lot more money with a small investment,» explains the engineer.
Many bearing designs still in use are several decades old and are no longer state-of-the-art. Weißbacher still sees plenty of potential for improvements in the future. The power loss can be significantly reduced with relatively little effort – but you have to be prepared to take a certain amount of risk. »The new findings have to reach the field, but a customer has to have the courage to act,« says Weißbacher.
The father of two is also trying to improve things in his private life; the experience gained from his work with the association helps. He is active in local politics for the Free Democratic Party in Duisburg and also sits on various municipal committees as an knowledgable citizen. Weißbacher is also active in sport; as a handball coach, he shows young players how to be successful as a team.
