Tapered Roller Bearing Application

The application of tapered roller bearings has a long history and remains an ideal choice for many applications. They are able to handle multi-directional loads and can operate well at high speeds.

They are available in a wide variety of configurations, including as mounted units, for use with shafts and housings using setscrew, tapered adapter, eccentric locking or clamp-style attachments. They are also offered with a wide range of seals and are pre-lubricated for quick installation.

Tapered roller bearings can be adjusted to any axial or radial clearance, making them an excellent option for equipment that is being manufactured on the production line. This lets you control the bearing clearance to match operating conditions, which optimizes bearing and machine performance and reduces maintenance costs.

This type of bearing is ideal for applications that require little to no axial movement of the mounting parts or gear. It is often used in a number of gearing and wheel systems where it can increase the mounting stiffness of the assembly and result in better gear contact.

It can be set to any desired radial or axial clearance during the machine’s design and manufacture. This can make the design and installation process more efficient for the manufacturer and end user alike, reducing downtime and improving equipment reliability.

These bearings can be configured with a single row of rollers or a double or even quadruple row, depending on the design. These designs are known as “EXPLORER” class. They are a combination of SKF’s expertise in bearing design, tribology, metallurgy and lubrication.

The tapered rollers in a roller bearing have a conical shape, which allows them to carry a greater amount of load than point contact (ball) bearings, because they use line contact rather than ball contact. This conical shape also limits their ability to slide out at high speed as happens with spherical bearings, which use point contact.

Due to the reduced osculation, they are not as fast as spherical bearings, but they can still take high loads and have low internal friction. They are less bulky than spherical bearings and generate less heat when operating, which can lead to lower maintenance costs in the long run.

They are also a good option for applications where space is limited. Because the inner ring and outer ring are separate components, they can be mounted separately to simplify assembly.

A common flange on the back of the inner ring helps to guide the tapered rollers along the taper of the ring and a corresponding flange on the outer ring prevents them from sliding out at high speeds. This enables the bearing to operate in a broad range of environments and applications without the need for additional lubrication or support.

Special designs are available for applications where the bearings are subjected to severe operating conditions, such as at high temperatures or contaminated lubricating oil. Please consult Schaeffler for advice on these requirements and to obtain the appropriate flange design.