Industrial Bearing Applications — Explained
Understanding the industrial bearing applications is crucial to knowing when to use a bearing and what bearing to use. KG International has created a helpful infographic to shed light on some applications.
In the infographic, you’ll see that the bearings are divided into two categories, radial bearings and thrust bearings. Different industrial applications will require different types of bearings.
To help you further understand the different types of bearings, here is a list of applications that will require every bearing.
Without the proper industrial bearing, your machinery will not run smoothly. That’s why selecting the appropriate bearing type for your particular application is important. For example, in an application with high load and low speed, SKF can help with their wide range of deep groove ball bearings.
There are many different industrial bearings, each with specific applications.
Radial bearings are designed to support loads that act along the axis of the shaft, while thrust bearings can support loads that act perpendicular to the shaft. Deep groove ball bearings are one type of radial bearing well-suited for high load/low-speed applications. These bearings have deep, grooved raceways in which the balls roll. The balls are also free to rotate in any direction, making them ideal for supporting radial loads. Another common type of radial bearing is the tapered roller bearing.
These bearings support combined loads (radial and axial) and can withstand higher speeds than deep groove ball bearings. Tapered roller bearings get their name from their tapered inner and outer raceways; this design allows them to handle both radial and axial loads effectively.
Thrust bearings are designed to support loads that act perpendicular to the shaft. The most common type of thrust bearing is the flat washer bearing, which consists of a series of flat washers held together by spacers.
This design makes flat washer bearings well-suited for high loads and low-speed applications. Another type of thrust bearing is the roller thrust bearing. Roller thrust bearings consist of small cylinders (rollers) that roll along the surface of the shaft.
These bearings can handle higher speeds than flat washer bearings but cannot support as much load. Different industrial applications will require different types of approaches.
To help you further understand the different types of bearings, here is a list of applications that will require each bearing:
Radial Bearings: Used in applications with high load and low speed, such as deep groove ball bearings.
Thrust Bearings: Used in applications where loads act perpendicular to the shaft, such as in roller thrust bearings or flat washer bearings.
Different types of bearings are better suited for different kinds of applications. Knowing which type of bearing to use is essential to ensuring that your machinery will run smoothly. The following is a list of typical industrial applications and the types of bearings that are best suited for each: — High load, low-speed applications:
Deep groove: ball bearings are ideal for this type of application. They have deep, grooved raceways in which the balls roll, allowing them to support radial loads effectively. — Combined load (radial and axial) applications:
Tapered roller: bearings support combined loads and can withstand higher speeds than deep groove ball bearings. Their inner and outer raceways are tapered, which allows them to handle both radial and axial loads effectively. -Loads that act perpendicular to the shaft:
Roller thrust: bearings consist of small cylinders (rollers) that roll along the surface of the shaft. These thrust bearings can handle higher speeds than flat washer bearings but cannot support as much load.
