Self-aligning roller bearings feature two rows of rollers, a common outer ring raceway with a spherical surface, and an inner ring raceway inclined at an angle to the bearing axis. The centre point of the balls in the outer ring raceway lies on the bearing axis. Consequently, the bearing automatically self-aligns and is insensitive to shaft misalignment relative to the housing, accommodating, for example, misalignment caused by shaft deflection. Self-aligning roller bearings are designed to withstand heavy radial loads, as well as substantial axial loads in both directions.

Influencing Factors

Bearing performance depends not only on load or speed rating. Numerous other factors contribute to bearing performance. To a significant extent, performance is influenced by the geometry of the rollers, raceways, and cage, the heat treatment, and the surface finish of all contact surfaces. Key factors influencing the performance of SKF spherical roller bearings include, but are not limited to:

Symmetrical Rollers

Symmetrical rollers provide self-alignment and ensure optimal load distribution along the roller length. This minimises stress under all load conditions, thereby extending bearing service life.

Roller Tolerances

The rollers in SKF spherical roller bearings are manufactured to extremely tight dimensional and form tolerances. Each roller within the assembly is virtually identical in size and shape to the others. This optimises load distribution, maximising the bearing's service life.

Roller profile

The roller profile determines stress distribution across the roller/raceway contact area. The specialised shape distributes loads more evenly along the roller and prevents stress peaks at the roller ends, thereby extending bearing service life.