No matter where FAG spherical roller bearings are used, they are above all characterized by their extremely high-performance capacity. With decades of experience, Schaeffler’s engineers have gathered and combined innovative ideas to improve their spherical roller bearings even further ensuring optimum kinematics and low wear, which increases the service life even more while keeping maintenance costs to a minimum.

Spherical roller bearings are part of the group of radial roller bearings. These self-retaining rolling bearings have two rows of rollers with a mutually curved raceway in the outer ring and two raceways inclined relative to the bearing axis in the inner ring. This raceway design allows these bearings to combine a range of characteristics, which are essential to many applications, in one bearing, such as angular adjustability for example. The symmetrical barrel rollers are guided by brass, sheet steel or polyamide cages.

The stress distribution at the contact points between the rollers and raceways is determined by the contact surface of the rollers. As a result, the roller geometry is matched to the raceway. This gives a favourable load distribution over the entire length of the roller and prevents both edge stresses and stress peaks at the ends of the roller.

Spherical roller bearings are suitable where:

• Bearing arrangements are subjected to high and very high radial loads
• Relatively high axial loads occur on one or both sides, in addition to high radial forces
• Dynamic or static misalignments of the shaft relative to the housing, or deflections of the shaft, must be freely compensated by the bearing
• High shock type loads must be supported dynamically
• Locating bearings with a very high load carrying capacity are required

Axial Spherical Roller Bearings

Axial spherical roller bearings are part of the group of axial roller bearings. These single row, non-self-retaining rolling bearings comprise solid shaft and housing locating washers with raceways for the rolling elements. Cages guide the large number of asymmetrical barrel rollers. The cage, roller and cage assembly, and shaft locating washer form a self-retaining unit. The raceways are arranged oblique to the bearing axis, the raceway in the housing locating washer is of a concave design. This design allows these bearings to combine a range of characteristics, which are essential to many applications, in one bearing, such as angular adjustability for example.

The stress distribution at the contact points between the rollers and raceways is determined by the contact surface of the rollers. As a result, the roller geometry is matched to the raceway. This gives a favourable load distribution over the entire length of the roller and thus prevents both edge stresses and stress peaks at the ends of the roller.

Axial spherical roller bearings are suitable where:

• Bearing arrangements are subjected to high and very high axial loads
• Dynamic or static misalignments of the shaft relative to the housing, or deflections of the shaft, must be compensated by the bearing under axial loads
• Radial forces occur in addition to axial forces (maximum 55% of F_a ) 
• Relatively high speed suitability is required in addition to a high load carrying capacity 
• High shock type loads must be supported
• Bearing parts are to be mounted separately (the bearings are not self‑retaining)

Product variants of Spherical Roller Bearings

• Spherical roller bearings X-life
• Swivel-joint roller bearing for vibration machines X-life
• Split spherical roller bearings
• Axial spherical roller bearings X-life
• Sealed spherical roller bearings X-life