SKF unveils MBx magnetic bearing series for data center chillers at Chillventa 2026

SKF is presenting its new MBx active magnetic bearing series for high-speed chillers at Chillventa 2026, held in Nuremberg from 13 to 15 October. The Swedish bearing maker is also showing an optimized CeraDrive hybrid ceramic bearing series and a new Extreme super-precision bearing platform aimed at data center cooling, heat pumps and other demanding HVAC applications.

According to the company’s announcement of 7 October 2026, around 20 percent of global energy consumption goes into overcoming friction. As data center capacity grows, cooling is putting more pressure on energy systems, and chiller and compressor makers need to raise cooling capacity while keeping energy use, maintenance and system complexity in check.

MBx: automatic winding and modular build

The MBx magnetic bearing uses innovations such as automatic winding to optimize cost without sacrificing performance. Its modular design supports semi-automated production and faster assembly, which SKF says will shorten lead times and expand production capacity for its high-speed motors as demand from the data center chiller market rises.

SKF’s portfolio for this segment combines magnetically levitated high-speed motors, active magnetic bearings, digital controllers, variable-speed drives, condition monitoring and engineering services. The company says the resulting oil-free, compact drive solutions for centrifugal chillers reduce wear, maintenance and unplanned downtime, with energy efficiency gains of up to 30–40 percent over conventional technologies.

CeraDrive and Extreme platform

The optimized CeraDrive hybrid ceramic bearings target chillers, heat pumps, steam compressors, motors, fans and pumps. Ceramic rolling elements provide electrical insulation and support high-speed running under difficult lubrication conditions.

The Extreme super-precision bearing platform is designed for high-speed centrifugal compressors in chillers, heat pumps and mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) systems. It can be tailored to extreme conditions, for example speeds up to 120,000 rpm, 2.4 million ndm, ring contact pressure up to 2.8 GPa and turbine-side temperatures up to 200°C.

Thomas Grubbauer, Global Fluid Machinery Industry Manager at SKF, said cooling systems are becoming increasingly critical to the reliability and energy efficiency of industrial and digital infrastructure, and that the company’s ceramic and magnetic technologies help customers build more reliable and efficient high-speed systems.

SKF is exhibiting at booth 1-510.

Source: SKF press release, Gothenburg, 7 October 2026. Image: SKF