Gothenburg – October 07, 2026 -- SKF will debut its new MBx active magnetic bearing series for high-speed chillers at Chillventa 2026, targeting the data center cooling market with claimed energy efficiency improvements of up to 30-40% over conventional technologies.
SKF's integrated drive portfolio cuts maintenance and downtime for centrifugal chillers
The Gothenburg-based bearing maker will present a combined offering of high-speed motors levitated with magnetic bearing technology, active magnetic bearings, digital controllers, variable-speed drives, condition monitoring and engineering services. SKF states the oil-free drive solutions reduce wear, maintenance and unplanned downtime in centrifugal chillers and other high-speed applications.
New MBx bearing design targets faster production to meet data center demand
SKF's MBx magnetic bearing uses automatic winding and a modular design enabling semi-automated production and faster assembly. The company says this will shorten lead times and expand production capacity for high-speed motors as chiller demand from data center operators grows.
Ceramic and precision bearing lines extend to heat pumps and vapor compression systems
SKF will also show hybrid ceramic bearings, including the new CeraDrive series, for chillers, heat pumps, steam compressors, motors, fans and pumps. Ceramic rolling elements provide electrical insulation and support high-speed operation under demanding lubrication conditions.
A separate Extreme super-precision bearings platform, aimed at high-speed centrifugal compressors in chillers, heat pumps and mechanical vapour recompression systems, is designed for speeds up to 120,000 rpm, 2.4 Mndm, ring contact pressure up to 2.8 GPa and turbine-side temperatures up to 200°C.
Thomas Grubbauer ties cooling reliability directly to digital infrastructure uptime
"Cooling systems are becoming increasingly critical to reliability and energy efficiency of industrial and digital infrastructure,