SKF develops bus door actuator which significantly improves fuel economy and reduces CO2 emissions

Nov. 5, 2012 - PRLog -- SKF (http://www.skf.com/portal/skf_gb/home/) has announced that a single bus using the new SKF Bus Door Actuator (http://www.beyondzero.com/Products/en-gb/PDFs/12713%20-%20SKF%20Bus%20door%20actuator.pdf), a BeyondZero Portfolio product, for operating the bus doors saves 1.9 tonne of CO2 /year when compared to a bus using pressurized air.  This figure is valid for one city bus, diesel hybrid with six doors (one actuator per door).

“The actuator requires 80 to 90% less energy than a pneumatic system does and because of this, the compressor system size can be reduced to require smaller engines,” says Richard Klausen, General Manager of SKF Actuation System. “These two benefits produce almost a 3% improvement in the fuel economy. There are a few examples available of electromechanical solutions being used for bus doors, but, as far as we know this is the first one that lives up to all the specifications.”

SKF partnered with a customer in the automotive market to develop an alternative to pneumatic door-opening systems that would be more reliable and require less energy. The resulting solution is an actuator which integrates electrical and mechanical elements to precisely control the door’s speed and position. It has been subjected to extensive testing and verification.

SKF Bus Door Actuators increase bus availability because they are driven by electric motors and do not require air pressure like pneumatic systems. Additionally, due to their controlled motion, there is significantly less wear of mechanical parts. Installation of SKF Bus Door Actuator is a simple drop-in replacement. The robust construction, and integrated electronics and software, deliver repeatable function regardless of temperature, load or wear variations.

Operational benefits compared to pneumatic systems:

● Lower energy use

● Improved reliability and durability

● Easy installation – plug-and-play

● Less noise

● Maximum bus uptime

● Virtually maintenance-free

For further information, please contact: Phil Burge, Communication Manager, SKF (U.K.) Limited

T: +44 (0)1582 496433 (tel:%2B44%20%280%291582%20496433)   M: +44 (0)7770 647591 (tel:%2B44%20%280%297770%20647591)   phil.burge@skf.com

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SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2011 were SEK 66,216 million and the number of employees was 46,039. www.skf.com