mag[ O ] THE NTN-SNR GROUP PARTNERS’ MAGAZINE N°7

’parTnershipto linear growth

RELEVANT MARKETSNTN-SNR BECOMES A KEY SUPPLIER TO THE PSA GROUP

REPORTINGCLAUDIUS PETERS :THE CHALLENGE OF CEMENT WORKS

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGYTMR MAKES OUR BEARINGS (EVEN) SMARTER

O2 O6 1 1

With you

O’MAG I N°7

Performance Plan 2013: with the emphasis on ambition

In Europe, our capacity for innovation places us in an ideal position to benefit

from the technological breakthroughs linked to sustainable development: hybrid

vehicles in the automotive sector, wind power in industry and the new generation

of commercial aircraft engines in aerospace…..

In emerging markets the automotive sector is booming. We are strengthening

our presence, notably in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Given these opportunities for expansion, audacious is the keyword for our

Performance Plan 2013. Boosted by the trust our clients and partners place in

us, we have set an ambitious target: to maintain annual growth above 10% in

order to achieve a turnover of a billion euros by the beginning of 2014. Speed will

be controlled but the rate will be sustained.

Being part of the NTN Group gives us the strengths we need to rise to these

challenges. Synergies already play a major part in our automotive sector and

will be rolled-out across all our activities.

This new edition of O'mag bears witness, in it you will discover how NTN-SNR

is innovating in mechatronics and benefiting from the connection with NTN to

develop its Linear Motion range in Europe.

Happy reading!

Didier Sépulchre de Condé

CEO NTN-SNR ROULEMENTSMANAGING DIRECTOR EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONS

>

contents

Magazine NTN-SNR RoulementsRCS Annecy B 325 821 072 Editorial board: C. DonatDesign/production: Service publicité NTN-SNRStaff reporter: Agence ARCA

Contributors to this issue:J. Lefevre, J. Quilhot, F.Cury, D. De Sepulchre deCondé, P. De Miribel, L. Dumont, B. Gauthier, U. Gimpel, R. Eshuis, T. Staak, M. Eicke, C. Duret.

Photos: NTN-SNR - PSA Peugeot Citroen - Groupauto - Lin Motion - Claudius Peters - PedroStudio Photo - Shutterstock.

Legal deposit: N° ISSN 1961-425XAny reproduction in full or in part of this magazine issubject to our express authorizationPrinted in France - February 2012.

MARKET UNDER ANALYSISAUTOMOTIVE

Last September, NTN-SNR was named as aKey Supplier by the PSA Peugeot CitroënGroup. The event was the culmination of more

than 30 years of collaboration between the twoGroups.

September 7, Annecy (Haute-Savoie), France.Cameras were flashing in the main reception area ofthe NTN-SNR plant : Jérôme Quilhot, Director ofMechanical Components Purchasing at PSA PeugeotCitroën, officially awarded the charter of Key Supplierto Didier Sépulchre de Condé, Managing Director ofNTN-SNR, in the presence of local political figures andrepresentatives of the management of the twocompanies. The ceremony establishes NTN-SNR asthe first supplier of bearings to the automobile group."Here is an example of a company which has knownhow to simultaneously develop its technical savoir-fairein this field, build an international presence, preserveits capacity for innovation and meet the needs ofPSA", Mr Quilhot declared in his speech.

NTN-SNR and PSA Peugeot Citroën go back a longway: SNR bearings were first fitted to 2CV’s in 1957!The relationship between the former Renaultsubsidiary and the vehicle manufacturer hasstrengthened over the last 30 years. NTN-SNR is nowthe number 1 supplier of wheel, gearbox and strutbearings. For its part, the PSA Group is one of the topthree automotive customers for NTN-SNR.

O2

NTN-SNR

Born out of the merger of Peugeot and Citroën in1976, PSA Group is the second largest automobilemanufacturer in Europe after Volkswagen of Germany. It employs 200,000 staff, of which 85,000 work in its 16 vehicle production centresand 15 component and casting plants (engines,gearboxes, drive chain, etc.). In 2010, PSA producedmore than 3.6 million vehicles and had a turnover inexcess of 56 billion euros.

3,6MILLION vehIcLes a year

O2 I RELEVANT MARKETSNTN-SNR BECOMES A KEY SUPPLIER TO THE PSA GROUP

O6 I REPORTINGCLAUDIUS PETERS

11 I INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGIETMR MAKES OUR BEARINGS (EVEN) SMARTER

editorial

AN ENGINE PROJECTNTN-SNR is associated with many of PSA PeugeotCitroën's strategic projects. "Bearings intended forthe automobile industry are always the subject ofspecific developments : we take into considerationthe function, the bearing and its environment",explains Jacques Lefèvre, NTN-SNR's salesmanager.This is how the Group came to develop the wheeland strut bearings for a future platform which, from2013, will serve as the basis for the production ofvehicles such as the replacement C4 PICASSO and308. It will also produce the bearings for a new,innovative gearbox which will be fitted to numerousmodels from late 2014 onwards. Finally, it will makethe balance shaft bearings for a three-cylinder petrolengine to be used from 2012 on vehicles intended for urban areas. This project is particularly important."Up until now, we weren't involved in PSA engines",Mr Lefèvre underlined.

IN THE WORLD TOP THREEIt is common knowledge that the French automobilechampion plans to strengthen its presence in LatinAmerica, Russia and China. In order to do so, itneeds to work with component manufacturers thatalso have an International standing. “The automobileindustry is a local industry: the cars we sell in Chinaare made in China. So we expect our suppliers to bepresent in the countries where we are present",explained Fabio Cury, Chassis ComponentsPurchasing Manager at PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Through its integration into the NTN Corporation in2008, the NTN-SNR Group is now present on everycontinent. It has factories in Brazil, Romania, Chinaand India – including one in Chennai (formerlyMadras). The PSA Group has also just announcedthe creation of a new manufacturing plant in India."We have an international strategy that correspondswell to that of PSA", explains Mr Lefèvre, underliningthe fact that NTN-SNR is among the top threesuppliers of bearings to the automobile industry.

The Group remains firmly planted in Europe,particularly in France where it has a research centreand no fewer than seven factories – five of which arein its home region, Haute-Savoie. This presence isalso taken into account by PSA Peugeot Citroën inits policy of identifying Key Suppliers. The aim of thisis to develop a strong automotive network (see box).

A SPECIAL CHARTERThe naming of NTN-SNR as Key Supplier marks anew chapter in relations between the two companies.It lays the foundation for a much closer collaborationin the coming years. “This distinction reaffirms theambition of PSA Group to build close relations withthis supplier for the long term within the automotivenetwork", declared Mr Quilhot in his speech.

Within PSA Group, a Charter specific to key suppliershas been created with the naming of regionaldelegates. In addition, top-level meetings will bescheduled on a regular basis.

O3

N°7 I O’MAG

"This distinctionreaffirms PSA

Group's goal of recognising

the privileged relationship with

this supplier”

MARKET UNDER ANALYSIS

Identifying NTN-SNR as a Key Supplier to PSA Peugeot Citroën falls withinthe company's "SupplierRelationship Excellence Initiative" which followsFrench Government initiativesstemming from the AutomobileSummit held in January 2009.

The process began in 2009with the PSA Group designating

13 Strategic Suppliers representingthe first circle of sub-contractors –Bosch, Valeo, Faurecia, Saint-Gobain,Michelin and others. Since lastspring it has continued with the identification of a second circle ofKey Suppliers. These are mid-sizecompanies with international operations that set the standard intheir respective fields. Around 100key suppliers will be identified by theend of 2015. NTN-SNR is the tenthcompany awarded.

The award is made on several corporate and industrial criteria. Key Suppliers must have reached a critical size, be financially soundand their management show goodstrategic vision. They must display a high level of industrial excellence,especially in terms of quality and logistics. Finally, they must be capableof supporting PSA in new internationalprojects.

"The label conveys commitmentsthat are reciprocal not only in termsof purchasing and technical policy,corporate performance and industrialexcellence, but also a commitmentto, and support for the automobileindustry. The PSA Group is keen toparticipate in the construction of a strong network through the entire automotive value supply chainbeginning in our country of origin,France, and then extending to all thedifferent zones in which we operate,"explained Jérôme Quilhot, Director ofMechanical Components Purchasingat PSA.

One hundredKey Suppliersby the end of

2015

>

Fabio CURY Components Purchasing Manager

at PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN

>

Jerôme QUILHOTDirector of Mechanical Components Purchasing at PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN

awarded Key Supplier statusby PSA Peugeot Citroën

7,3

By creating the Hybrid and Electric label,Groupauto enables its retail and repairstores to demonstrate a new expertise in

a market for the future. An interview with Groupauto Marketing DirectorPhilippe de Miribel.

O’mag : Some of your group's outlets will soon bearthe label "Hybrid and Electric". Why this label? Philippe de Miribel : To certify to the competenceof our retail, parts and repairs outlets – TopGarage, Top Truck, Top Carrosserie, etc. – thathave chosen to undergo special training for hybridand electrical vehicles. The training will be madeavailable as part of our G School programme and the label will be rolled out by the end of 2011.This initiative enables our members to better meetthe new needs of the market. Furthermore,motorists who have switched to these new kindsof cars will be delighted to discover an alternativeoffer to those of franchise holders for their car'smaintenance and repairs.

O’mag : Currently, hybrid and electric cars onlyrepresent a tiny fraction of the automobile market. Isn't this initiative a little precocious?

P. de M. : Hybrid vehicles still make up only 2.2%of the global automobile market, even though thefirst models were on sale 10 years ago. What weare now seeing are the signs of an acceleration inthis market and we want to be in a strong position.With the launch of our Hybrid and Electric label,we are offering all members of the network - from parts suppliers to in-house repairers – anopportunity to prepare for the arrival of a newgeneration of vehicles. It is a good illustration of

Groupauto's vocation to accompany its partnersin the changing market.

O’mag : Besides training, are you planning anyother support measures?

P. de M. : Firstly we are going to make ourmembers aware of the importance of thisevolution and the need to prepare for it. Progresson electric engines has been so slow over the last10 years that we have grown accustomed to talkof it like a background noise, you get used tohearing about it and not reacting to it. Now is thetime to wake up and Groupauto is going to drumup the troops.

Aside from making people aware of the trainingitself, professionals need equipment and tools aswell as the logistics required to supply the spareparts.

We will help the designated outlets to communicate:advertising signs and dedicated communicationmaterial will be made available so they can informtheir clients. Motorists will then know thatfranchise holders do not have a monopoly on themaintenance and repair of hybrid and electricvehicles. They can find the same service for abetter price with us. This way we will create a virtuous circle:consumers will have more faith in these newvehicles when they see maintenance and repairoffers becoming more accessible.

O’mag : How can a supplier like NTN-SNR helpyou in this project?

P. de M. : Hybrid and electric technology is stillnot common but we must master it as quickly aspossible in order to give our partners a commercial

O4 MARKET UNDER ANALYSISAUTOMOTIVE

GROUPAUTOprepares its members

for the arrival of the hybrid

O’MAG I N°7

>

Philippe DE MIRIBELGroupauto Marketing Director

According to American consultants JD

Power, by 2020 hybrid vehicles will re-

present 7.3 % of the world automobile

market. That is a five percentage point

increase over 2010.

Hybrid vehicles combine an internal

combustion engine with an electric

motor to improve energy efficiency. The

result is that they can use up to 50%

less fuel than a traditional car.

By 2020, % of vehicles will be hybrids

advantage. Our knowledge is fed by dialogue with oursuppliers and we are counting on the commitment ofeach of them to help us progress. It's the case withthe bearings NTN-SNR provide for these new typesof vehicles, as well as the logistics solutions they canprovide.

O’mag : The Hybrid and Electric label is oneexample of the services Groupauto provides itsmembers. On a broader scale, what other servicesdoes your grouping offer to professionals?

P. de M. : Under our brand, retailers benefit from anadvantageous parts purchasing policy as well as anextremely reactive supply chain network with nine

regional platforms that can ensure same-day delivery. Groupauto deals directly with suppliers so thatretailers do not have to worry about individuallysourcing parts. We participate in their business actionplans and the development of product offers. Andfinally, some retailers can also benefit fromsponsoring.

As for garages, they are equipped with a networkedcomputer system which enables them to placeorders easily. We provide technical training: we helpour outlets - often garages that used to beindependent - to become multi-make specialists. Wealso support them in obtaining our Pare-brise center(windscreen centre) label which promotes ourexpertise in glazing – lights, sun-roofs etc... The samesupport is available for our Utilitaire service center(commercial vehicles centre) label which specialises in repairing commercial vehicles. Lastly, garagesaffiliated to Groupauto benefit from the visibility andprestige of an International trade name.

O5MARKET UNDER ANALYSIS

N°7 I O’MAG

More than 2,200 retail and repair members in France!

"By making the maintenanceand repair of hybrid and electric

vehicles more accessible, we are contributing to the

development of these markets",

The NTN-SNR group figuresamong Groupauto's maindistribution network partners.In particular, it supplieswheel bearings and rangesof tensioners and guiderollers for light vehicle aswell as wheel bearings forheavy goods vehicles underthe trade name G-Truck."By turning to NTN-SNR,Groupauto bet on a leadingbrand, whose reputationand quality of servicerepresents a plus for itsnetwork," emphasised LaurentDumont, Spare Parts SalesDirector (France and Belgium)for NTN-SNR.

NTN-SNR : a major partner for Groupauto

>

Laurent DUMONTSpare Parts Sales Director

(France and Belgium)

Created in 1969 by 15 electro-dieselists in the west of France, GIE Arvro became Groupauto in 1985. The Group is one of the European leaders in spareparts and service suppliers for the automobile industry(retailers and garage owners). In France, Groupauto has developed more than 500spare parts retailers under its four trade names:Groupauto and Partner’s for light and commercial

vehicles, G-Truck for heavy goods vehicles and ColorServices which supplies bodywork paints. The Groupalso has eight garage/repair trade names (Top garage,Top Truck, Top Carrosserie, etc.), to which 1,700members are affiliated. Each member of Groupautoparticipates in the capital of the structure, whichcreates numerous advantages for the Group with acombined central purchasing function.

In August 2011, the Tanzania PortlandCement Company (TPCC) cement works inthe suburb of Da es Salam was shut downfor maintenance. Engineers from the Germancompany, Claudius Peters, a specialist incement work equipment, had been called into change two bearings on the clinkercooler– a delicate operation requiring theremoval of the hammer crusher to a cleanarea. The engineers were assisted on site by

NTN-SNR’s Experts & Tools department,which supports customers in theimplementation of maintenance solutions."The services we offer not only includetraining, auditing, diagnostics and the supplyof products and tools, but also technicalassistance in the field," explains Marc Eicke,Manager of the Experts & Tools Departmentin Germany.

O’MAG I N°7

06 REPORTINGCLAUDIUS PETERS

THE CHALLENGE OF CEMENT WORKS

Claudius Peters is one of the great names inGerman industry. Established in 1906, theGroup specialises in handling, storage andprocessing equipment for materials such ascement, coal, alumina and gypsum. It alsohas an Aeronautics Division, which suppliesAirbus with stringers for the wings on itsaircraft. Claudius Peters’ head office is inBuxtehude, near Hamburg (Germany),where the group has 45,000 square metresof factory and a state-of-the-art engineeringcentre. It has regional offices in Europe,America, China and South-East Asia.Claudius Peters has been a subsidiary ofthe UK engineering group, Langley, since2001.

>Thomas STAAKGroup Manager EquipmentDesign at Claudius Peters

(1) The product of a heated mixture of limestone and silica is ground to produce cement.

With extremely high temperatures, heavy loads and a dusty environment, the reliabilityof bearings in a cement works is certainly put to the test. NTN-SNR supplies bearingsfor the η-Cooler, a clinker cooler developed by the German parts manufacturer,

Claudius Peters, and offers maintenance as part of its customer support.

07

As a supplier to the cement industry forover a century, Claudius Peters hasdeveloped numerous innovative solutionsfor clinker coolers, such as the hydraulicdrive in 1975 and the roller crusher in1979. It made a new breakthrough in theearly 2000s, with the development of theη-Cooler (pronounced ETA Cooler), whichincorporates a new transport system,comprising several parallel lines that canmove forwards and backwardsindependently of one another, to bestmanage the clinker cooling process. Its modular structure also enables the η-Cooler to adapt to any number ofconfigurations, and to offer a capacity of1,000 to 13,000 tonnes of clinker per day.NTN-SNR supplies three types of bearingfor this model: for the roller crusher, thehammer crusher and the transportsystem. The clinker cooler plays animportant role in a cement works, by distributing and cooling the clinker fromthe kiln outlet, and transporting it to the crusher. There are currently more than600 Claudius Peters clinker coolers inservice around the world.

η-Cooler:a new generation clinker cooler

REPORTING

Maintenance in a cement works is crucial.The installations must be able to operate for24 hours a day, 340 days a year. In the eventof the slightest technical fault, production willstop for a week, and with temperatures ashigh as 1,400°C, it is two days before anyrepair work can begin. In addition to theproblem of heat and the colossal loadsinvolved, there is the ever-present problem ofdust. "Few industrial environments can claimto be so extreme," says Thomas Staak,Group Manager Equipment Design atClaudius Peters.

NEW OIL LUBRICATION SYSTEMIn 2008, NTN-SNR developed a new bearingsystem for the hammer crusher on ClaudiusPeters’ latest clinker cooler model, the η-Cooler (see box). This bearing has aclosed-loop oil lubrication system, whichsimplifies maintenance. "Before that, thebearings on the crusher were lubricated withgrease. The grease was exposed to dust, ithad to be constantly applied, and theaccumulation of grease on the bearingoutlets had to be removed regularly," explainsThomas Staak.

The new system took several months todevelop. On the first installations, oil leaksappeared on the drive shaft shortly after theequipment went into service. NTN-SNR

Experts & Tools then improved the bearings’leak resistance by adding a secondsegmented felt sealing ring to each housing. But further work was needed. In late 2010, ateam from the Experts & Tools Departmentvisited Claudius Peters’ Engineering Centrein Buxtehude (Hamburg) to perform somebench tests. Their investigation revealed thatthe felt rings used to seal the bearings wereshrinking due to the effect of the heat –reaching 130°C inside the bearing. So NTN-SNR’s Engineers worked on a new solution."We decided to mount one continuous feltseal ring, for dust protection from theenvironment, and one radial seal to preventoil leaks. The tension of felt sealing ring ontothe shaft was reduced and in addition, we added a special grease chamber fed by a single-point grease lubricator at the point of contact with the drive shaft," explains Marc Eicke.

After more than 300 hours of testing, the solution demonstrated perfect leakresistance, and NTN-SNR supplied ClaudiusPeters with a kit, containing the bearing andits new sealing system. This kit will beinstalled at two cement works in Egypt and at the TPCC site in Tanzania, with the assistance of NTN-SNR’s teams. "Our collaboration has been growing over thelast few years," Thomas Staak is keen topoint out, "and we are counting on theirexpertise to develop new innovative productsin the future".

O’MAG I N°7

NTN-SNR’s Linear Motion Division islaunching a range of linear guidancesystems in Europe, offering one of

the most comprehensive product lines on he market.

From moving a car chassis on an assemblyline to positioning a component on a circuitboard, the variety of industrial needs for linearguidance systems is infinite. Marketedthroughout the whole of Europe since 2010,the NTN-SNR Linear Motion range, coversmost of these applications. The rangeconsists of four product lines, eachcontaining hundreds of references, andincludes: linear guides, linear modules, ballscrews and ball bushings. Any of theseproducts can be combined to designcoherent and integrated solutions to serve all the demands of industry. Better still – they can also be customised on request.

NTN-SNR has been involved in lineartechnologies since 1985 and owns and usesaround thirty patents in the area of rail linearguidance. The Linear Motion range includesconventional rail guides (BGX) and solutionswith ball chains (BGC), which are capable of faster movement and have longerlubrication intervals. Standard rails offered arefrom 15 to 55 millimetres in diameter. "The main features of this range are itsoutstanding reliability and reduced noiselevel," says Ulrich Gimpel, who is responsible

for the Linear Motion range. Since 1992, NTN-SNR has also been one ofthe pioneers of linear modules, componentsthat are now seeing great success on the market. Its AXC and AXS range are built around semi-open aluminium profiles with cross-sections of between 40 and 460 millimetres. The range iscompleted by the double AXDL modules,which allow two rectilinear guides to beassembled in parallel within a closed section."This offers new possibilities in the area ofautomation," says U.Gimpel.

CUSTOMISED PRODUCTSThe variety of drive (synchronous belt or ballscrew) and guide options (roller or caged ball)guarantees an extensive range ofpossibilities. "Depending on the chosenconfiguration, a system can either achieve aspeed of over 10 metres per second,transport loads weighing over a tonne, or position a component with a precision of 5 hundredths of a millimetre," according to U.Gimpel. These two product lines are completed by awide range of ball screws, with an externaldiameter of 4 to 80 millimetres and, in the lastfew months, a range of ball bushings with aninternal diameter of 3 to 80 millimetres. The Engineering Department at the LinearMotion Division’s head office in Bielefeld(Germany) is available to provide support tocustomers and partners in the deployment,

assembly and maintenance of its guidancesolutions. The Department can alsocustomise products to cater for the specificneeds of certain industries, and Linear MotionEngineers are available to visit customers to provide the perfect solution to theirrequirements. "Our customized solutions canbe used in severe environments, such asclean rooms, food processing plants andmedical laboratories," says the GermanEngineer.

A LEADING SUPPLIERThe sale of these products was originallytargeted at Germany, where around 40% ofthe European market is concentrated due tothe high level of industrialisation. With NTNand SNR joining forces in 2007, the LinearMotion Division now benefits from the muchlarger sales force throughout Europe. Linear

O8 LINEAR MOTION

NTN-SNR HAS GREAT AMBITIONS FOR LINEAR GUIDANCE

Motion has become an officialBusiness Unit of NTN-SNR, anddedicated sales teams have beendeployed in France, England, Italy,Spain and other countries.Partnerships have also been forgedelsewhere, such as with LinMotion inthe Netherlands (see box). Faced with the market’s increasingdemand, NTN-SNR has significantlyincreased its production capacity. Inaddition to the Bielefeld plant, whichopened in 2001 and produces linearmodules, two other factories havecome into operation: linear guides andball screws are manufactured inTaiwan and ball bushings are made inJapan. Stock is still held centrally atBielefeld to guarantee the shortestpossible delivery times. "The market

needs solutions that aresimple, effective andquickly available,"U.Gimpel emphasises.Supported by thesuccess of its range inEurope, the LinearMotion Division hasgreat ambitions. It will

soon be extending the sale of itsproducts to South America andEastern Europe, which will mostcertainly be followed by North Americaand Asia. "The global market for linearguidance systems amounts to around3.5 billion euros, barely a third of whichis in Europe. We want to be a leadingsupplier and are giving ourselves themeans to achieve this," U.Gimpelconcludes.

On 14 July, NTN celebrated the fiftiethanniversary of its presence in Germany.The ceremony, which took place at NTN’sEuropean head office at Erkrath, nearDüsseldorf, was attended by its CEO,Yasunobu Suzuki, the Director General ofNTN-SNR Roulements, Didier Sepulchre

de Condé, and a large number ofcustomers and colleagues. NTN was one of the first Japanesebearing manufacturers to establish itselfin Germany, when it opened a factory atMettmann, near Düsseldorf, in 1961.Chosen for its ideal location in the heartof the country and the quality of itstransport system, Düsseldorf is alsohome to Germany's third largestinternational airport.The head office was originally establishedin the centre of Düsseldorf but it soonproved to be too small, so in 1973 it wasrelocated to Erkrath where it remainstoday.

09LINEAR MOTION

Specialising in linear guidance, Dutchcompany LinMotion, based in Veenendaal,distributes Linear Motion modules in theNetherlands. Richard Eshuis, its CEO,explains.

Why did you choose Linear Motion?We have been working in the field of linear guidance since1994 and our experience showed us that there was a highdemand for complete systems. So in 2003, we starteddistributing Linear Motion modules in the Netherlands. With the AXC, AXDL and AXLT modules, you can build apick-and-place unit in just a few hours!

How does this product range meet yourcustomers’ needs?There are many characteristics that I could highlight. The quality of the products is very high, the range is one ofthe most extensive on the market, and you can choose thetype of drive system. NTN-SNR also provides excellenttechnical support and can even customise its products.When we receive a complex request, their engineers helpus find the solution that best meets the customer’s needs.By the way, our slogan is "For every industrial application,we provide an individual solution with the NTN-SNRmodules".

Is the range successful?Yes, the demand for these products is increasing all thetime because we are constantly finding new applicationsfor them. In eight years, we have become one of theNetherlands’ market leaders in linear modules. We estimateour market share to be between 35% and 40%. Even in2009, at the height of the economic crisis, our sales stillincreased by 22%!

How would you describe your relationshipwith NTN-SNR?We maintain very good relationships with the teams inBielefeld, and the Division is a very flexible partner. Weregularly visit customers together. NTN-SNR hasincreased its production capacity enormously in the lasttwo years, which has meant even shorter delivery timesfor us. It also gives us the ability to expand. In 2010, weestablished ourselves in Benelux. The market there isvery competitive but we have the strengths to stand out!

"In 2009, our sales increased by 22%"

N°7 I O’MAG

NTN celebrates 50 yearsIN GERMANY

Our customized solutions can perform insevere environments,"

>

Ulrich GIMPELResponsible for

the Linear Motion range

>

With You www.ntn-snr.com

A revolution for magnetic sensing $!�����#��������(������� !�%��#��� �!��!�����"�����'�"#����� ����#���"�

�$#��"���"��� ������#������!�#�����(���&� �""�����#��"�#����"�#���#"�

��Ultra low power�����#������'���""�#�������������!������ �%����#���&�(���!����!�(�

��!%�"#�������$#�����$"�� ����#���"

��Large air gap��%�!����������!��#������"#����!�� ����!������������!�!�������#�!�$�������$"���

��Increased positioning tolerances��!���� ��"�#������$�#�����!�!$����������!����"���%����#������#�� �!�#$!�"

��Exceptional characteristics�����!������� ���!����"$!����#���������#����������� ��#$���������������

������� ������#��������"#�����)���������#����&��!��#�&�#��#�� �!�#$!��

TMR:The Next Generation ofMagneto-Resistance

Focus

�$#�

�%(�$

#�(

&+�!�'�

(�$#��

����

���

����

��-

����

���

����

���$

($' �

�)((�

&'($�

��&$�'�,"

���"�#

'�$#

PRIX 2010Yves ROCARD

from the “Société Française de Physique”

��!#��!"�� �&�#���

for Linear or Angular Speed / Position Measurement, BLDCMotor Control, Electronic Compass, Wireless Applications, ...

x10��!��"��"�#�%�

#�������"

From the

NOBEL PRIZE

IN PHYSICS 2007

N°7 I O’MAG

11INNOVATION

& TECHNOLOGY

With TMR (Tunnel Magneto-Resistivesensors), magnetic measuring tech-nology developed in partnership with

Nancy University and Sensitec, NTN-SNR si-gnals a major new advance in the world of me-chatronics, 15 years after perfecting ASB.Christophe Duret, Mechatronics innovationmanager NTN-SNR, explains.

Imagine speed and position sensors that used100 to 1,000 times less energy than currentoptions, were easier to install, had better heatresistance and were sensitive to the slightestmovement - and all at a lower cost. These aresome of the - very real - possibilities which theTunnel Magneto-Resistive sensor (TMR) offers;made-to-measure technology presented byNTN-SNR during the "Automotive meetsElectronics" trade fair in Dortmund last May.

Some 15 years after SNR's ASB (Active SensorBearing) system, today a world standard, TMR opens vast fields of innovation in the "smart" bearings sector - and even beyond. "The applications we envisage go far further thanjust the instrumentation of bearings," announcedChristophe Duret, Mechatronics InnovationManager at NTN-SNR.

From machine tools to the automobile

Up until now, sensors have been built to measurethe speed and the position of ball bearingsthrough multipolar magnets mounted in the sealof the wheel bearing, as is the case in an ASBsystem. Tests have shown the advantages oftunnel magneto-resistive sensors in a number ofindustrial applications. Besides their exceptionallylow power consumption which opens the doorsto autonomous applications (see box below),they can also work with a wider air gap (thedistance between the magnet and the sensor),which can be twice that of existing solutions."This characteristic allows a relaxation in thepositioning tolerance, makes assembly easierand reduces production costs." explained MrDuret. The sensors also have a greater toleranceto mechanical and magnetic disturbances.Finally, they have better heat resistance which isa major advantage when used in close proximityto vehicle braking systems or combustionengines.

Several R&D projects using these sensors havealready been initiated by NTN-SNR and itspartner Sensitec for industrial clients in fieldssuch as machine tools and heavy goodsvehicles. Other promising applications in theautomobile industry are also envisaged, but willtake a few years to come to fruition given the highqualification demands of this market. TMR is ofgreat interest to key players who, like the NTN-SNR group, are committed to the developmentof electric vehicles.

The story began in the year 2000 withthe creation of a technology researchteam by Nancy's Henri-PoincaréUniversity and the CNRS dedicated tothe study of metallic nanostructures.Backed from the outset by SNRRoulements, this unit extended workcarried out in the field of spintronics byAlbert Fert, winner in 2007 of the NobelPrize. In 2004, after a CIFRE (1) thesis (G. Malinowski), demonstrated thebenefits of sensors using the tunneleffect compared to existing technology(notably Hall-effect sensors), SNRpatented the TMR. It was to undergonew developments between 2005 and2009 through the CAMEL (CapteurMagnétique à Effet tunneL) project aspart of the ANR**'s PNANO*programme supported by the ArveIndustries competitiveness cluster. This fruitful dialogue between researchand industry was rewarded in 2010 by the prestigious Yves Rocard prize. It lead to the development andvalidation, in partnership with theGerman company Sensitec, of a newgeneration of sensors incorporating aTMR read-head and an innovativeconditioning circuit. (1) Industrial training through researchconvention

* Nanoscience and nanotechnologyprogramme

** National research agency

CNRS: French national centre for scientificresearch

Ten years of industry-research

partnership

A TMR is composed of two conductive magnetic layers separated by an extremelyfine insulating barrier (a few nanometres)which allows a "few" electrons to passthrough. It is this highly-resistant barrier thatgives tunnel effect sensors their low energyconsumption. "A thousand times lower thanan ASB sensor," notes Christophe Duret –which makes it an ideal solution for all em-bedded or autonomous systems (robotic,portable electronic equipment……).

Ideal for embedded applications

"The TMR sensorpaves the wayfor a new generation of

smarter bearings"

"We can envisageapplications farbeyond just theinstrumentation of bearings"

With You

www.ntn-snr.com

A revolution formagnetic sensingThe fascinating properties of our TMR sensingelements improve the performances of existingspeed and position applications but are alsoopening the door to many new possibilities ofmagnetic sensing:

� Ultra low powerIn the µW range, for energy harvesting & autonomous sensors� Large air gapSeveral mm, e.g. for reading through a housing� Increased positioning tolerancesCompensate running clearances, even at high temperatures� Cost reductionThanks to an easier mounting process and a lower power consumption

TMR :a new frontier forspeed and

position sensing

Fromthe

NOBEL PRIZE

IN PHYSICS 2007

Focus

Tunnel Magneto Resistance(TMR) sensors come from a newbranch of Physics called Spintronics.They are 10x more sensitive than AMRsand 3x times more than GMRs, for only1% of their power consumption.

ConceptionetréalisationService

PublicitéNTN-SNR07/2010- ©

NTN-SNR2010- Photos :PedroStudioPhoto

PRIX 2010YYvveess RROOCCAARRDD

x10more sensitive

Partnership with :

Automotive

Off-highway vehicles / trucks

Compass

Robotics

Low power

Large air gap

Large mounting tolerances

High temperature

01010

N

S

W E

>

Christophe DURET

Mechatronics innovation

manager at NTN-SNR

���

���

���

�

Two brands, One group, One strategy www.ntn-snr.com

Original parts guaranteed !

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

���

���

���

�

Tw

���

���

���

�

uorgenO,sdnarboTw

���

���

���

�

ygetartsenO,pu

���

���

���

�

DO

C.G

_OM

AG

7.G

Ba

/ S

AP

279

926