SKF and Sentea Develop Smart Bearings to Improve Predictive Maintenance

SKF has partnered with Belgian fibre-optic sensing specialist Sentea to develop SKF Core, a new hardware platform designed to bring advanced condition monitoring directly into industrial bearings. The collaboration aims to make bearing intelligence easier to deploy at scale, giving manufacturers greater visibility into machine performance and early signs of equipment failure.

The new platform supports the next generation of SKF Insight bearings, which collect operating data from inside the bearing rather than relying solely on external machine-monitoring systems.

SKF Core Integrates Sensing, Processing and Communication

SKF Core combines sensing, data processing and communication capabilities into a single industrial unit.

The platform is designed to simplify the deployment of SKF Insight bearings by reducing the complexity of separate monitoring components.

Through its partnership with Sentea, SKF is incorporating fibre-optic sensing technology into the system to support more detailed monitoring of bearing operating conditions.

The companies intend to make the technology easier to deploy across a wider range of industrial machinery and production environments.

Smart Bearings Monitor Conditions Inside Machinery

SKF Insight bearings provide direct information about operating conditions inside a bearing, including:

• Load and rotational speed

• Temperature and vibration

• Lubrication conditions

• Contact pressure

• Bearing health

Conventional condition-monitoring systems often rely on sensors installed on the exterior of machinery.

By collecting information from within the bearing itself, SKF aims to provide operators with additional insight into the conditions experienced by critical rotating components.

This information can help maintenance and engineering teams understand how equipment behaves under different loads and operating conditions.

Fibre-Optic Sensors Enable More Detailed Monitoring

Sentea specialises in fibre-optic sensing technology, which uses optical signals to measure physical changes.

Fibre-optic sensors can capture multiple parameters, including strain, temperature and vibration, while operating in demanding industrial environments.

The technology also offers resistance to electromagnetic interference, making it suitable for applications where conventional electronic sensors may face limitations.

Sentea’s compact, chip-based sensing technology is intended to make fibre-optic monitoring more practical for broader industrial deployment.

Through SKF Core, these sensing capabilities can be integrated into bearing-monitoring systems without requiring a separate, complex monitoring architecture.

Predictive Maintenance Targets Early Bearing Problems

Bearings are critical components in rotating machinery, and deterioration can affect equipment reliability and production performance.

SKF’s next-generation Insight bearings are designed to provide maintenance teams with more detailed information about bearing condition, allowing them to identify potential problems before they develop into larger equipment failures.

Monitoring changes in vibration, temperature, lubrication and contact pressure can help operators investigate abnormal operating conditions and assess whether maintenance intervention is required.

The technology supports a shift from reactive maintenance towards condition-based and predictive maintenance, where maintenance decisions are informed by the actual operating condition of equipment.

SKF Targets Wider Industrial Deployment

SKF and Sentea are developing the platform with the aim of expanding bearing intelligence beyond specialised applications.

Mark Verbakel, Head of SKF Insight Bearings, said customers are seeking technologies that improve productivity, reduce unplanned downtime and maximise equipment performance.

Sentea CEO Karsten Verhaegen said the collaboration represents an important step towards deploying fibre-optic sensing technology at industrial scale.

By integrating sensing, processing and communication into one platform, the companies aim to make advanced monitoring more accessible to machine builders and industrial operators.

SKF Showcases New Solution at AMB 2026

SKF presented SKF Core and its next-generation Insight bearing solution at AMB 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany, from September 15 to 19.

The exhibition featured a live demonstration of the technology, showing how bearing-condition data can be collected and used to provide information about machine operation.

The demonstration highlighted the potential application of embedded bearing intelligence in machine tools and other industrial equipment where reliability, precision and operating stability are important.

Bearing Intelligence Expands Industrial Condition Monitoring

The SKF–Sentea collaboration reflects the growing integration of sensing technology into mechanical components.

Rather than relying exclusively on external sensors, manufacturers can increasingly collect operating data directly from individual machine components.

For maintenance teams, this creates opportunities to monitor critical assets more closely, investigate emerging abnormalities and make maintenance decisions based on equipment condition.

SKF Core represents another step towards integrating advanced sensing and predictive maintenance capabilities into the machinery used across industrial production.