Engineered Bearing Emproves Radio Telescope's Performance

The Timken Company announced yesterday that VertexRSI, a provider of communication satellites, earth stations and scientific instruments, achieved improved reliability by incorporating an enhanced Timken spherical roller bearing into a radio telescope installed on the South Pole. Timken's innovative bearing design helped San Jose, California-based VertexRSI build a radio telescope that was more durable than previous designs, more accurate over a longer period of time and able to withstand the harsh operating conditions found on the South Pole. Through the application of Timken engineered surface coatings and a special heat-treatment process, the spherical bearing in the VertexRSI radio telescope has exhibited decreased wear while ensuring accurate and optimum pointing at extreme temperatures. "Timken provided us with a robust bearing design that was able to withstand the challenging application requirements," said Ray Carey, mechanical engineer for VertexRSI. "Timken's ability to provide an innovative friction management solution has helped us expand our technologies to some of the most inhospitable and abusive environments in the world."