How a Roller Bearing Works

There are many types of bearings, which are used for various applications. The most common are ball bearings, ball thrust bearings, tapered roller thrust bearings, roller thrust bearings, and roller bearings.

Types of steel bearing housings and their applications

Ball

Of all the types of bearings, ball bearings are the most common. They can be seen almost everywhere from hard drives to inline skates. They are able to handle thrust and radial loads. They are generally used to support relatively small loads.

Ball thrust

Most ball thrust bearings are used for low-speed applications, as they are not able to handle very high radial loads. These are seen in applications such as lazy Susan turntables and bar stools.

Roller thrust

When support is required for large thrust loads, roller thrust bearings can work. They are often used in gear sets, such as between car gears between the gears and between the rotating shaft and housing. The often-used helical gear in many transmissions has angled teeth, which brings a thrust load that requires the use of a bearing for support.

Thin roller

This type of bearing has the ability to support large thrusts and radial loads. Tapered roller bearings can be found in the car hub. They are often mounted in pairs that face opposite directions, so they can support thrusts in two directions.

Cylinder

Applications such as conveyor belt rollers, where heavy radial loads need to be supported, use roller bearings. The roller of these bearings is a cylinder, so the point of contact between the inner and outer race is a line, not a point. The load is spread over a large area, allowing the bearing ball to be able to support heavier loads than bearings. However, this type of bearing cannot support much thrust loading.

The working method of roller bearings can be shown when a large wooden block is pulled on a surface. Being heavy, it takes a lot of time and effort to move it from one place to another. However, when it is placed and pulled over some metal pipes, the block is easier to move, as there is less friction and the pipes keep moving.

Roller bearing systems come in many different types and designs, and can be used in industrial and machine applications. Cylindrical roller bearings have a metal collar with a small, serrated wheel. Inside the wheel are ball bearings, and the teeth hold them in place. When the load is being carried, the wheel turns, while the load remains constant just above the spherical ball bearings within the cylinder.

While roller bearing systems can be complex, most of them have a simple design and engineering. One of the most common, basic systems are bearings used under heavy objects. These roller bearings are used in machine applications such as conveyor belts. The roller unit allows to move the heavy object easily through reduction of friction and distribution of weight of the object.

The amount of ball bearings inside the roller bearings helps to reduce the size of the force required to move the object. When the number of ball bearings that come into contact with the bearing housing and object increases, the friction decreases. The reason behind this is that every ball bearing distributes the weight by spreading it in a line. This enables the bearing wheel to rotate easily and to move objects easily.