SKF Automotive is well regarded for its work in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, where it produces camshaft bearings used by major teams in this upper level racing.
Still, the Plymouth, Michigan manufacturer has interests beyond the scope of recognized motor sport. SKF is one of the major backers of the local University of Michigan solar-powered race car. The University of Michigan solar team’s Continuum competed in an 1800-mile race across the Australian outback in 2008
The article on Advanced Metals last month briefly touched on some materials which have been tried and tested in Formula One with varying degrees of success, and in this article we shall look a little deeper at some of the materials currently being used or under investigation, and examine how these differ from the more traditional grades used.
Whilst Formula One is frozen at present in terms of introduction of new materials owing to the homologation
There was a time when simply using the correct grade of oil for your engine and changing it regularly would be all that was needed. Back in the days of the nuclear family, life was simple and we knew that our cam’s lobes were protected even if a nuclear war was potentially just around the corner at ‘five minutes to midnight’. Approaching the second decade of the 21st century and while the prospect of nuclear war has almost disappeared, the threat to some of our camshafts has assumed a level unacceptable in the modern world. And as ever, this has all been achieved under the guise of ‘saving the planet’.
