Thrust Cylindrical Roller Bearings

Thrust cylindrical roller bearings are compact, robust and designed to accommodate axial loads. They require a small amount of axial space, are very stiff and insensitive to shock loads.

They are often used in automotive and industrial machinery, mining & construction, as well as aerospace systems. Depending on the use case, these bearings offer different load capacities.

Needle roller bearings

Needle roller bearings have a unique structure that allows them to take on heavy loads, especially axial thrust. They are durable, compact, and provide excellent lubrication for high rotation speeds. They are also able to dissipate and create less heat than sliding friction bearings. However, they must be used in a correct application in order to obtain a satisfactory lifespan.

For applications that require a high load capacity in a limited space, needle roller thrust bearings are an ideal solution. These bearings can sustain axial loads but not radial loads. They can be used with adjacent machine parts to act as raceways, so they take up less space than other roller bearing types.

Drawn cup needle bearings have a drawn outer shell that acts as the raceway for the rollers, making them an ideal option when space is limited. They can be used with either molded or stamped cages. The molded design allows for increased lubricity flow.

Cylindrical roller bearings

Cylindrical roller thrust bearings are designed to carry axial loads with no radial load capacity. They comprise a shaft washer, a housing washer and a roller and cage assembly. The bearing is separable and can be mounted and removed easily. They are used in many applications such as briquetting machines, rolling mills and rotary dryers.

Unlike ball type bearings, cylindrical roller thrust bearings have line contact between the rollers and the raceway. This allows them to withstand heavy axial load with low friction.

The load is distributed evenly over the entire surface of the raceway by a factor of leff, the effective length of the contact area. This allows a high number of rollers to be loaded, and the load is transmitted through the bearing without losing its energy. The illustration below shows the load distribution of a type NU206 cylindrical roller bearing with 13 rollers, where 4 are under load at all times. The load is continuously re-distributed between the rollers as the inner ring rotates, so that only a small proportion of them actually bear a significant part of the load at any one time.

Spherical roller bearings

Specifically designed to cater for heavy machinery’s high-performing needs, spherical roller thrust bearings are highly resilient and insensitive to shock loads. They feature a spherical raceway surface on the outer ring and barrel-shaped rollers. These rollers are held together by cages in a way that complements the shape of the roller raceways, and the cage is usually made from pressed steel or machined brass.

The spherical shape of these bearings allows them to compensate for misalignment and shaft deflection under heavy loads. They also offer high axial load capacity. Moreover, these bearings can also withstand incidental thrust loads in addition to radial ones.

In addition, spherical roller thrust bearings can withstand temperatures up to 250°C without losing their functionality or requiring maintenance. This is due to their durable construction, premium-grade materials and optimized design. They can help you cut costs and improve productivity by enabling you to reach higher limiting speeds while reducing downtime. They also reduce the risk of failure by minimizing friction.

Thrust ball bearings

These are a special type of bearing that support axial loads and reduce friction. They feature small tapered rollers arranged in a circular arrangement around an axis. They are able to accommodate incidental thrust loads apart from the radial ones and also offer higher load capacity than their counterparts. They are typically found in vehicles (such as automobiles) to support their wheels.

They are separable axial bearings that can bear heavy axial loads and shock impact loads. They are stiff and insensitive to shaft deflection and require little axial space. They can only be operated in one direction, so they aren’t suitable for high speeds.

They are often used for applications that require a rigid and compact design. These include marine, aerospace, and automotive equipment. They can also be found in power generation equipment, industrial machinery, and handheld machine tools. They can withstand harsh operating environments and are available in different sizes to meet your needs.