Roller Bearings Operate In Heavy-Duty Environments
The E1 range - which has now been expanded to include eight bearing series with bore diameters from 20mm up to 1,220mm - is suitable for applications where very high load carrying capacities and reliability are key design criteria. Thanks to their robust design and high load carrying capacity, the E1 spherical roller bearings in Schaeffler's X-life rating are said to offer excellent solutions for vibrating screens. The low friction of the X-life E1 bearings not only withstands the high alternating loads that occur in vibrating screens but also helps to reduce noise levels and operating temperatures, resulting in improved machine efficiency.
In the larger-sized bearings with bore diameters greater than 320mm, the X-life E1 bearings benefit from having hardened sheet steel cages, which enable a longer operating life owing to significantly reduced wear. Large-sized X-life spherical roller bearings are used as locating and non-locating bearings on the continuous casting machines used in steel processing. The compact design of the bearing, combined with improved basic load ratings and friction-optimised kinematics, provide improved performance and a longer operating life in tough, aggressive operating environments such as steel processing.
The new sheet steel cages provide excellent resistance to wear and contamination. Standard bearing dimensions facilitate the mounting and replacement of existing bearings. In a wind turbine, the design of the rotor shaft bearing is critical, as this bearing is directly exposed to the loads and forces induced by the wind. E1 spherical roller bearings are designed to withstand conditions experienced by wind turbine rotors, such as alternating loads with extreme peaks and troughs, as well as fluctuating operating temperatures.
The X-life E1 spherical roller bearings are suitable for paper production applications. By converting standard E1 spherical roller bearings to X-life quality, Schaeffler customers benefit from a 15 per cent increase in basic dynamic load ratings and up to a 60 per cent longer service life compared with previous bearing designs. These higher basic static load ratings lead to improvements in the static load safety factor of the bearings. Under similar operating conditions, this means that a longer bearing life can be achieved, even with a considerable increase in load.
In the latest bearing designs for paper mills, similar or higher performance can be achieved using smaller-diameter bearings. By downsizing (smaller design envelope, reduced friction, lower lubricant requirement and higher speeds), more economical bearing solutions can be achieved. As a result, the improved bearing kinematics lead to lower operating costs because both friction and bearing temperatures are minimised, which, in turn, places less strain on the grease. Spherical roller bearings are double-row, self-contained units that comprise solid outer rings with a concave raceway, solid inner rings and barrel rollers with cages.
The inner rings have cylindrical or tapered bores. Many bearing sizes within the E1 spherical roller bearing range can now be converted to X-life quality. These bearings have no central rib on the inner ring and are therefore able to use longer barrel rollers. In addition, the bearings benefit from improved kinematics and optimised surfaces and are made from higher-performance materials. As a result, the basic dynamic load rating and basic rating life (under similar operating conditions) are improved.
This means that, in certain applications, a smaller bearing solution can be provided. For the customer, these benefits translate into higher machine availability, new design possibilities, more economical bearing solutions owing to downsizing and lower operating costs as a result of reduced energy consumption.
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