Seamless hardening process for longer runtimes

Unlike conventional induction hardening, four inductors are used in the seamless hardening process. The so-called seam is avoided by oscillating movements of the two pairs of inductors and the preheating inductors. With a total of 800KW power, the metal is hardened to a depth of 8mm and then quenched. The result is a continuously hardened material.

After the seamless hardening process, the rings come to rest on two tempering stations. In the so-called tempering process, the workpieces are heated uniformly to a constant 160°C with up to 150KW, thus reducing residual stresses in the material. Thanks to heating by means of electricity, the heat is generated from within the workpiece. This is a technology that is more energy-efficient than conventional tempering furnaces and brings many advantages for the production process: Individual workpieces can now be processed "on demand". This makes production more efficient and sustainable.

Special sealing packages adapted to specific applications:

Different industries have different sealing challenges. Liebherr therefore relies on specially manufactured seal packages for slewing bearings. These are resource-saving and have a long service life. For example, the four-stage seal package for a thruster bearing eliminates the need for a complete replacement of the sealing system.

The service seal ensures double safety. Developed with the long-standing partner for seals and specially tested at Liebherr, the service seal ensures both greater operational safety and greater cost efficiency. For example, it can be activated by compressed air in a thruster bearing. It thus protects the raceway system against seawater ingress and prevents major damage to the bearing. The advantage is that the ship can still be steered. This means that the gas tanker can still sail to the nearest port or shipyard for repairs.