Why are tapered roller bearings used in pairs?

Tapered Roller Bearings

Tapered roller bearings contain an inner ring, outer ring and multiple tapered rollers. Individually, the inner and outer rings of the bearing are also tapered, similar to a tapered section. Due to the large contact area, tapered roller bearings are able to carry heavy axial and radial loads.

Compared to other types of roller bearings, tapered roller bearings have unique design characteristics. The rollers themselves have two different sizes of end diameters, hence the name "tapered roller". The raceway in which the rollers run has an inclined surface corresponding to the taper of the rollers, which makes these rings resemble parts of a cone; the inner raceway is actually called a cone, while the outer raceway is called a cup. The rollers are separated by cages (also known as cages) that keep the rollers at a fixed distance, ensuring smooth rotation and uniform load distribution. The rollers themselves are actively aligned by the angular surfaces of the rollers, cone and outer race, so the cage is primarily used to evenly space the rollers and contain them in a unified assembly. The flange prevents the roller and cage assembly from leaving the bearing raceway at high speeds. In theory, if the tapered roller, taper and outer ring all satisfy the geometric cone, their vertices will intersect at the same point on the bearing spindle.

The bearing axis is where the projection lines of the raceways combine at a common location to improve rolling while reducing friction. The load capacity can be increased or decreased depending on the increased or decreased contact angle. The higher the angle, the greater the contact angle. They are often used in pairs to better handle radial loads and, in some heavy-duty applications, can be used in a single unit in a combination of two or four rows.

Tapered roller bearing applications

These types of bearings can be found in a variety of everyday applications, especially in automotive wheels. Although originally designed to actually be manufactured for wagon wheels to improve their performance in agriculture, they have since been widely used in the automotive industry. Usually used in pairs to withstand equal amounts of axial force in either direction, they have come a long way since the days of the wagon wheel. However, the concept still exists and thrives today. They can also be found in agricultural equipment, gearboxes and axles, engines and reducers, propellers, railroad axles, as well as in mining and construction.

Advantages

The purpose of the tapered roller bearing is to reduce friction and thus the heat that causes the former bearing design to fail. The tapered shape allows for uniform load transfer when rolling. This greatly reduces wear, which in turn increases durability, and is now widely used in drive shafts and rotary shafts almost worldwide. Because of the high durability of these bearings, these shafts can typically run maintenance-free for hundreds of thousands of miles. Because of their reliability, they also handle many heavy-duty operations. 

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