Funding mandate for a new gearbox oil development
A new cooperation project for the lubricant specialist REWITEC®
The medium-sized company REWITEC® works in cooperation with the University Mannheim, commissioned a new R & D cooperation project. As part of the funding "Central Innovation middle stand program" of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in Germany, has the lubricant specialist and the research facility aimed at a newly formulated lubricant to develop it into the form of a new fully formulated gear oil. The up to 2017 ongoing project is to reduce wear in tribological systems and to clearly increase the life by 20 to 30 percent. In order to increase the Energy efficiency at the same time on gearboxes, for example in wind turbines and to archive a friction reduction with the innovative lubricant. This should effectively avoid cost intensive losses on gearboxes and ball bearings.
Another part of the cooperation project, which focuses largely on the university Mannheim and where it will take over, the development of a new screening method for a fast, reproducible and scientifically economic testing of industrial gear oils. As a low-cost Alternative to the currently existing elaborate endorsement testing is the method and the possibility to test with small amounts - as it is the norm usually in the development stage - to carry out rapid tests. A number of experiences as well as approaches to optimize the many years of development has the two partners already contribute to similar test models.
The Independent, Central Hessian Company REWITEC® developed synthetic and mineral silicatebased lubricant additives for tribological systems and markets them worldwide. In Cooperation with the University of Mannheim where there have already shown several long-term load tests on ballbearing-wear-test-stands which gearboxes and bearings in time lapse simulate, showed significant test results and scientific evidence of REWITEC® products: a significant reduction of friction (up to 33%), wear-induced surface roughness (up to 50%) and temperature (up to 20%) and an improvement in material properties.
Even with further tests, analysing and the effectiveness of the technology, revealed the success of REWITEC®. Therefore, has the innovative company and the research institute again merged close together and with the support from the government with funding in the six figures. The character of the pilot project is also highlighted by the fact, that a new and sustainable product to be created that can be trend-setting for the industry.
ZIM - Support program for midsize businesses
The "Central Innovation middle stand program" (ZIM) sets nationwide, technology and market development programs open for midsize businesses and their cooperation with business-related Research institutions. In particular, should the innovativeness and competitiveness of enterprises in the long term be supported with an important contribution to their growth combined with the creation of secure employment. By the end of 2014 were about 28,000 projects promoted with funds totaling 3.8 billion euros granted.
(Source: http://www.zim-bmwi.de/)