Each time the Perseverance Mars Rover collects or handles rock and regolith samples in Jezero Crater during its multiple-year mission on the surface of the red planet, key components from SKF will facilitate these activities.
Enabling the Mars Rover’s core operations in the harsh environment on Mars are Kaydon RealiSlim thin-section ball bearings, designed and manufactured by SKF at the company’s global thin-section bearing engineering centre in Muskegon, and its recently expanded manufacturing hub in Sumter, USA. These highly engineered components are contributing to the survival of the Rover’s main robotic arm, sample collecting turret, tool bit carousel and sample handling assembly during a months-long trip through space, and its function as intended on the Mars surface. SKF also supplied critical bearings for the mission’s launch vehicle which carried the Rover and its lander into space.
SKF bearings will play an integral role in the vital process of sample collection on Mars. When the rover is ready to begin collecting samples on the surface, the robotic arm will manoeuvre into place and the tool bit carousel will whirr into action, deploying tools to drill or abrade material, which will then be collected by the sample collecting turret, aka ‘the hand’, and transferred to the sample handling assembly for processing onboard the Rover, and eventually a potential return to Earth for analysis via a future Mars mission.
“The bearings we designed and built to help the Rover perform its core science activities were based on several models of Kaydon thin-section ball bearings customised by our engineers to minimise weight and save space, while retaining maximum functionality and reliability for a mission where repair or replacement is simply not an option,” said Isidoro Mazzitelli, director of product development and engineering for the Americas. Space applications must be a small fraction of the weight of standard bearing assemblies.
Kaydon bearing solutions are often customised from baseline models for specific customers and commonly used in applications that require a careful balance between strength, weight, size, functionality and reliability – including robotic surgical equipment, automated precision manufacturing, detailed painting, aircraft systems, airport security scanners and medical CT imagers.
In addition to the latest mission, SKF has a decades-long history as a supplier to global space programmes, dating all the way back to NASA’s Apollo 11 mission.
“Our company’s bearings, seals and other products have helped enable a wide range of spacecraft and missions for more than 40 years,” said John Schmidt, president of SKF USA. “Our parts have flown on the previous space missions, dozens of commercial and government satellites, space-borne telescopes, a wide range of rocket launch vehicles and in astronauts’ spacesuits. When conditions become critical and applications demanding, engineering knowledge is the only way to success.”
Cogged raw edge belts SKF South Africa
Shaft power components
SKF’s cogged raw edge belts are ideally suited for essentially any industrial application that runs on ISO wedge and classical V-belt pulleys.
Read more...Taking reliability to the trenches SKF South Africa
Shaft power components
SKF’s maintenance-free Y Bearing Unit has significantly extended equipment uptime for key customer Gibela, a leading level 5CE CIBD-rated civils company with more than ten years of experience in the field.
Read more...Pushing technological boundaries with Festo Electric Automation solutions Festo South Africa
Editor's Choice
In the ever-evolving landscape of Industrial Automation, Festo Electric Automation solutions are at the forefront of a revolution, fundamentally reshaping production paradigms. As a global leader in automation, Festo focuses on intelligent connectivity to reduce costs, save time, and increase efficiency and convenience for customers.
Read more...Perfect balance for every race Horne Technologies
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
It goes without saying that success in Formula 1 requires a top driver. However, their chance of achieving a place on the podium depends on the car, which in turn depends on three essential factors: engine, tyres and aerodynamics. To find the optimum balance, the racing teams test models of their bolides in the wind tunnel. At Sauber, the adjustable components are moved on the model and in the test chamber using FAULHABER motors.
Read more...MeerKAT radio telescope array
Editor's Choice News & events
Leading consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory practice, Zutari is continuing its involvement with the world-leading MeerKAT radio telescope array, where it has played a leading role since the project first broke ground.
Read more...Navigating the cosmos with precision SKF South Africa
Shaft power components
As the next-generation Very Large Array navigates towards its key science goals, SKF’s technology is playing a pivotal role in charting the stars. SKF is providing key components for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), a $2 billion telescope system that aims to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.
Read more...Top 10 emerging technologies
Editor's Choice
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified ten technologies likely to make a significant positive impact in the next three to five years. These are detailed in the ‘Top 10 Emerging Technologies’ report, which explains each technology’s potential for addressing global challenges and the factors that will shape the future and revolutionise connectivity still further.
Read more...Electrifying the future Parker Hannifin - Sales Company South Africa
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
A revolution is underway, transforming the way we power compact construction machines and heavy-duty mobile machinery. This is the electrification of equipment, a movement propelled by the need for environmental sustainability, lower emissions, reduced noise levels, and the pursuit of a cleaner, greener future.
Read more...How to clean compressed air effectively
Editor's Choice
SO-Reliability Partners has taken another step in bringing to market highly effective solutions to combat contamination in all its forms. The locally designed and patented Air Wizard inline water trap is proudly manufactured in South Africa. It has been SABS tested for the separation of water, oily fluids, rust and solid particulates from pneumatic compressed air or gas lines.
printer friendly version