Without them, many wind turbines would not be turning; these are large-diameter anti-friction bearings and rings from thyssenkrupp rothe erde, which are used in the drives of nine out of ten wind turbine manufacturers worldwide. The industrial company is continuously working on improvements in order to maintain and expand this leading global position.

Continuous optimization and innovation are therefore part of everyday life, and thyssenkrupp rothe erde Germany GmbH in Lippstadt, which manufactures large-diameter anti-friction bearings, is playing an important role here. The finishing of the bearings is now carried out on seven Dörries CONTUMAT vertical turning and grinding machines.

Feedback from operating personnel was also the impetus for numerous improvements. Starrag changed the dressing position, for example, to eliminate the previous bottleneck to the protective cover. Now grinding wheels of all types up to a diameter of 26 in. (650 mm) can be easily dressed on the left and right. “It is a significantly optimized, universal dresser,” emphasizes Erz. “The multiple dressing positions allow operators to precisely adjust the dressing process to the grinding operation.” Another point of criticism concerned the machine enclosure. Starrag therefore commissioned a new manufacturer for the complete enclosure, whose construction and assembly, according to Erz, are distinguished by “the fact that the company delivers the enclosure ready for assembly and pre-tested and sets it up very efficiently”.