Tapered Roller Bearings
The most versatile bearings in the world - flexible designs, rigid stability, and high load capacity. WD tapered roller bearings feature a cup and cone assembly designed to maximze axial and radial loads with ultra-low friction, vibration, and noise.
The WD Edge:
- Globally interchangeable inch and metric designs
- Higher radial load capacity and single-direction axial load capacity
- Maximized operational stability even under difficult conditions
- Through-hardened steel as standard with available VIM/VAR steel
- Paired and stacked arrangements available
- Minimized clearance range when mounting bearing pairs
- Outer diameters up to 762 mm
- Improved raceway surface roughness for higher speeds
- Low friction, noise, and vibration
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Tapered Roller Bearing Components and Application
Components
Tapered roller bearings are specialized roller bearings utilizing a separable cup and cone assembly to offer flexibility in design and installation as well as rigid performance.
Cup and Cone (Rings)
Often referenced as a cup and cone, tapered roller bearings use an outer ring and an inner ring assembly.. The outer ring on tapered roller bearings is known as the “cup” of the bearing while the assembly of the inner ring, rollers, and cage are called the “cone”. The inner ring assembly consists of a standard ring, a set of tapered rollers, and a cage.
Raceways
The raceways on these bearings are not parallel. Instead, the raceways are angled to allow for both radial and axial loading. To prevent the rollers from leaving the raceway, raceways are tapered allowing for the axis of rollers to be positioned in a way where their faces converge to a common point. To prevent the conical rollers from escaping this configuration, inner rings are outfitted with a flange to stabilize their rotation.
Application
With credit to the unique geometry of the conical rollers and their relatively large surface contact with the raceways, tapered roller bearings have a unique ability to perform under heavy axial and radial loads making them incredibly versatile bearings.
The technology and purpose of tapered roller bearings can be similarly matched to angular contact ball bearings.
Types/Configurations/Variants
Single Row
Composed of a ribless outer ring, a twice-ribbed inner ring of differing heights, a set of tapered rolling elements, and a cage, WD single-row tapered roller bearings provide reliable motion under both radial and thrust, or axial, loads. Our designs advantages when compared to common tier-one competitors such as:
- Extended bearing life from specialized raceway profiles
- High-level surface finish on shoulders and inner ring guides
- Minimized heat generation and maximized speed capabilities
- Load rating values in accordance with ISO standards and above
Double Row
A double row tapered roller bearing features a tandem pair of single row tapered roller bearings in a mirrored or a series configuration allowing for an even greater load distribution across the bearing assembly.
WD offers both face-to-face, back-to-back, or tandem configurations to be flexible to your application needs.
Four Row
A specialized tapered roller bearing built to endure the greatest of loads at low to moderate rotation speeds. This configuration is used almost exclusively in the steel mill industry.
Loads
The WD tapered roller bearing design allows for heavy combined loads with very little friction.
Given that they are fitted with tapered rollers instead of balls, higher forces can be transmitted to the bearing. An added benefit of the unique roller geometry is the ability to offer smaller rolling elements without reducing load handling ability.
And with regards to tailored fit and function, the load capacity of tapered roller bearings is easily adjusted by changing the contact angle of the rollers (typically between 10° and 30°) against the raceway. The higher the degree of angle, the greater the contact and subsequently the greater load capacity one can expect.
Friction
The primary purpose of any bearing is to guide motion and reduce friction.
Tapered roller bearings are particularly efficient in this regard due to the conical shape of the rollers combined with the tapered angle of the bearing rings. This allows the conical rollers to move axially together without sliding motion between the mating components.
With that, the speeds of each roller are the same as the raceways along the entirety of the contact path. Given their extreme geometrical accuracy, this bearing type has ultra-low-noise and low-vibration operating characteristics during operation.
Application
Without question, tapered roller bearings are one of the most widely used bearings types on the planet, acceptable for any application that utilizes rotating axles and transmission shafts. Combined with modern lubricants , they are as durable as they are versatile.
In many applications, it is common to see a pair of tapered roller bearings working together in tandem so axial forces can be supported regardless of direction. Most useful in applications requiring performance under heavy loads and at moderate speeds, tapered roller bearings are in use in a variety of industries including (but not limited to):
- Material handling
- Agriculture
- Gearbox
- Construction
- Mining
- Forestry
- Steel manufacturing
- Conveyors
The Social Influence Behind Bearing Choice
It is paramount to the successful operation of any OEM to carefully consider the bearings they choose. When generating motion is essentially the standard of success, what does it say when bearings are overlooked?
In many ways the decisions made on bearings influence the overall performance and lifetime of all applications that utilize combined bearings and ultimately affect customer relationships, revenue, and perception of brand.
All bearings, including tapered roller bearings, require visual inspections and regular maintenance to increase longevity and maintain productivity. If it’s been a while since you have evaluated the efficacy of your bearings or bearing seals, feel free to take advantage of our no-commitment-required customer application review . We’ll help you see where your opportunities for improvements are. After all, productivity drives revenue .
We have a robust selection of tapered roller bearings to fit any application you’re working with. And, of course, if you need something special, we’ve got your back there, too.
Contact Us Now
We believe in quick and efficient communication. For more information, feel free to:
- Use our Live Chat feature to chat with us right now . No robots – just us! Simply click the chat icon on the bottom right of your screen.
- Call or email our knowledgeable, non-commision sales team.
- Send us a message using our quick and easy contact form.
WD Bearing Group produces the whole range of tapered roller bearings, both inch and metric designs. Customized tapered roller bearings are available to fit your application as well as a risk-free application review where we provide our engineering recommendations to improve your application or reduce your operating costs.
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"WD is the bearing manufacturer I wish I found ages ago."
Manufacturing and Quality Control
We source our high-quality 99.98% VIM-VAR steel and move it directly into our production facility where grinding, turning, heat-treating, assembly, and washing occurs. Our quality assurance and control teams constantly evaluate our product until they ship to the customer.
Engineering and Local Support
WD Bearing manufacturing headquarters is a 20,000 m² facility with a dedicated 140 m² quality and inspection room. Our engineering labs in Europe and North America extend our quality control, service, and sales to the entire world. Our global footprint affords our customers local support from our sales and service teams anywhere on Earth.
Experience and Partnerships
WD Bearing Group has crafted a team with hundreds of years of engineering experience collectively. Our engineers have developed applications used by NASA on the Mars rover, the construction of the World Trade Center, and numerous bearing-specific applications with popular OEMs around the world.
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