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Aircraft icing is a well-known problem that can have serious consequences for flight safety. To combat this problem, various ice protection systems (IPSs) have been developed and are currently used on most aircraft, including thermal ice protection systems. However, these systems can be costly, heavy and ineffective. Therefore, there is a need to improve the efficiency and response time of these systems. In recent years, research has focused on the development of hybrid systems that combine different ice protection technologies to achieve better performance. In this sense, the use of an active element with a coating on its external part that improve its efficiency would be an important advance, but there is a wide range of active systems and even more of coatings and surface treatments.

Defining the proper assembly conditions for a bearing (i.e: hub bearing, or bearing in a powertrain) can become decisive for its durability. Traditionally, the adjustment and final setup was defined with a detailed definition of the interference between the different components of the bearing when assembled. This was done in order to guarantee the proper contact between the components under any working condition, and achieving the needed rolling torque. This article describes in detail the use of virtual prototyping techniques in the calculation of the ideal adjustment (initial radial clearance or interference, axial preload, and bearing location), with the aim of optimizing the life of bearings, considering both the final application and its working conditions. The challenge of this activity lies in the development of an analytical tool, which optimizes this fitting at the design stage, and at the same time keeps a good correlation with the simulation (FEM) and experimental results.