Various Design Features of a Spherical Plain Bearing and its Uses

Spherical Plain Bearing

Among bearings, spherical plain bearings are state-of-the-art components that are available in a range of sizes, dimensions, designs and series, which are standardized for easy interchangeability. They are so crafted to enable self-alignment, as well as multi-directional alignment movements. The inner and outer ring raceways are spherically designed to have “convex outside diameter” and “concave inside surface”. This spherical bearing variant accommodates the static forces on it during oscillation or slewing or tilting movements at comparatively moderate to low speeds.

For high performance, rod ends, which are typically units with eye-shaped heads with a spherical plain bearing and an integral shank. You can find their use on the piston rod ends or with pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders to connect them with related components.

Get to Know the Inherent Characteristics of Spherical Plain Bearing and Rod Ends

Where the total design economy is your prime choice, spherical plain bearings with rod ends should be used. Their innate design features offer a number of advantages.

Sliding contact surfaces, which offer easy maintenance and extended service life

The bearing unit comes with sliding contact surfaces of high rigidity and carbon chromium steel treated with phosphate and special lubricant. This helps manage high static and alternating loads and accommodates oscillating movements, as well as high-frequency alignment. The in-built feature also makes it suitable for operation under high temperature and contamination conditions. When it comes to maintenance, it is easy for there are grooves in both outer and inner ring washers.

Well-proven designs

The design, quality and material of spherical bearings with rod ends make them more suitable for heavy applications that ask for high operational reliability and extended service life. 

Comes with multi-groove system

A spherical plain bearing helps several applications that require handling heavy direction loads with minor alignment movements. For the purpose, it comes with multi-groove system to provide continual lubricant supply during heavy loads. While enlarging the lubricant reservoir, the system also enables the extension of re-lubrication intervals.

Multiple Uses of Spherical Plain Bearings and Rod Ends

You can find this spherical plain bearing variant used in various applications like the fork-lift trucks, steel manufacturing industry, hydraulic cylinders, mineral processing equipment, cranes and earth-moving machines. Of course, these applications require maintenance. There are some others like conveyors, switching levers, packaging and industrial robots, where you can find maintenance-free spherical plain bearings are used.