Bearings manufacturer Timken says owing to its new EJ and EM spherical roller bearing design an increase in bearing life can be realised through improved performance.
Through improved material, increased internal geometries and a new cage design, the company has registered a significant increase in the L10 life of its new spherical roller bearings.
The new spherical roller bearing design has been well received in the South African market, as customers seek to increase their uptime and increase output at the lowest operating cost. These products are used across several industries, such as mining, aggregates and cement, says Timken industrial sales manager Barry Crawford.
Timken launched its new SNT spherical bearing housed unit in July. The bearing is manufactured from cast steel and includes a primary as well as secondary sealing design, which makes it suitable for harsh applications, where shock loads, heavy contamination and misalignment are challenges. Shaft sizes range from 35 mm to 180 mm.
He explains that the new EJ spherical roller bearing design is fundamental to the bearing housed units.
Further, he explains, the cage pocket incorporates a function that guides the rollers in and out of the load zone. Crawford notes that, as a result, a central guide ring is not required, which reduces friction between the roller and the ring. Therefore, a longer roller can be accom-modated, resulting in a higher load capacity. Lubrication flow is also improved, he adds.
Crawford explains that the new face slots in the cage also enable a better flow of lubri-cation, which can hep reduce the running temperature of the bearing, adding that the cage’s weight is reduced, resulting in lower centrifugal forces.
The bearing cages are heat-treated. “The treatment provides increased fatigue strength, which is ideal for harsh environments, as well as reduced wear under increased loads and speeds,” notes Crawford.
Timken has registered an 18% increase over its previous load ratings and a 17% increase over previous Timken spherical bearing speed ratings as a result of the new design.