Roller bearings are usually used in industrial applications instead of sliding bearings since the latter tends to cause more friction which might further lead to hindrances. For instance, in a machine that requires a sliding motion, roller bearings are always given preferences. There are two reasons for this. One, roller bearings produce comparatively less friction and thus prevent wear and tear of the machine. Two, a rolling motion is always much easier to carry out and paves the way for smooth operation of the machine.
Now there are different kinds of roller bearings, the most common ones being cylindrical roller bearings. As the name suggests, these roller bearings consist of rolling components that are cylindrical in nature and crowned, in order to prevent concentrating the stress on one specific point. Cylindrical roller manufacturers are available across the world, since this is one of the most common machine parts used in industrial applications. Before you try your hands on this, let’s take a look at some advantages and disadvantages of cylindrical roller bearings.
Advantages of cylindrical roller bearings
- These cylindrical roller bearings can be used for functions that are heavy duty and require high radial load capacity like compressors, machine tools, and cement pulverizers and so on. As your load becomes heavier, the rolling components will have to be kept static, which is possible with such roller bearings. It can bear some light thrust motions which make it ideal for roller blades, fan blades, wheel bearings and so on.
- The geometry of the cylindrical roller bearings is one that is easy to understand. We all know what cylinders look like; since the roller bearings are cylindrical in nature, they reduce friction to a great extent. Because of their shape, these roller bearings slide over other surfaces in a smooth manner. Also, the roller bearings have a crowned surface which prevents concentration of stress at one particular point, further reducing chances of friction. This ensures that the machine lasts longer.
- Oil is usually used as a lubricant in the case of cylindrical roller bearings. Conveniently enough, this oil also works as a kind of coolant, which is important in any kind of machine. This coolant ensures that you don’t overwork the machine, thus leading to its wear and tear.
- Since the cylindrical roller bearings have higher radial capacity than the other kinds of roller bearings, they can bear more load. Also, they are capable of accommodating axial displacement in the machines being used. In machines performing vibratory applications, cylindrical roller bearings come in handy.
Disadvantages of cylindrical roller bearings
- The cylindrical roller bearings aren’t able to handle any kind of angular misalignment. This is one of the major limitations.
- If we are to compare with ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings come with lower RPM capacity, reducing its efficiency.
- With repeated usage, the generation of friction becomes higher making the machine prone to wear and tear.
While cylindrical roller bearings have both pros and cons, they are definitely used in a number of applications in the industrial field. To know more about these bearings, you can contact cylindrical roller manufacturers.