Lincoln Industries

Lincoln Industries is proud to be the partner of choice in providing plating solutions for one of the world’s largest companies, the Schaeffler Group.

The Schaeffler Group, with its INA, FAG, and LuK brands, is a leading supplier and innovator for precision components and systems for the automotive, industrial, and aerospace sectors. With 66,000 employees in over 180 locations worldwide and revenues exceeding $13 billion, the Schaeffler Group is a company that thinks big and deserves big.

The problem? Schaeffler needed their wind turbine gear box bearings to withstand the constant pressures and loads that these giant wind turbines produce—but that’s not all. Internally, wind turbines are a chaotic symphony of moving parts, all working together to efficiently harness the force of the wind. Schaeffler also needed a finishing solution that aided lubrication and quickly identified their bearings for maintenance crews. In short, not only did the bearings need to operate efficiently, but they needed to stand out as well. Despite the numerous capabilities of the Schaeffler Group, this was one process they decided to outsource.

Lincoln Industries worked closely with Schaeffler to analyze the problem and identify the proper finish. After examining the challenge, black oxide was identified as the proper choice.

We applied the black oxide finish to the wind turbine gear box bearings, which proved to be no small task considering their large size. Afterwards, we thoroughly cleaned the bearings and applied a rust preventative oil to further enhance corrosion resistance.

In addition to providing corrosion protection, the black oxide finish increased the operating lubricity of the bearings and lowered the risk of heat buildup and wear that could potentially cause the bearing to fail. Lastly, the black oxide resulted in a brilliant black finish that provided Schaeffler with the necessary visual differentiation they required to aid maintenance crews.

With wind power being an increasingly sought after renewable energy source, Schaeffler recognizes how important their bearings solutions are in ensuring wind turbines are performing at their maximum ability. With our 56+ years experience in finishing—including 35+ years with black oxide—as well as our ISO16949, ISO9001, and ISO14001 certifications, Lincoln Industries is a natural partner for their needs. They need a company they can trust to deliver, and that’s exactly what we’re doing