X-life E1 spherical roller bearings for heavy-duty applications

The E1 range - which has now been expanded to include eight bearing series with bores from 20mm up to 1220mm - is suitable for a wide range of applications, including continuous casting machines, paper mills, wind turbine rotor shafts, and vibrating screens.

Vibrating screens

The low-friction characteristics of the X-life E1 bearings mean not only that the bearings withstand the very high alternating loads that occur in vibrating screens, but they also help to reduce noise levels and operating temperatures, resulting in improved machine efficiency.

In the larger-sized bearings with bore diameters greater than 320mm, the X-life E1 bearings benefit from hardened sheet steel cages, which enable longer operating life due to significantly reduced wear.

Continuous casting machines

Large-sized X-life spherical roller bearings are used as locating and non-locating bearings on continuous casting machines used in steel processing. The compact design of the bearing, combined with improved basic load ratings and friction-optimised kinematics, provide improved performance and longer operating life. The new sheet steel cages provide excellent resistance to wear and contamination, and standard bearing dimensions enable easy mounting and replacement of existing bearings.

Wind turbine rotor bearings

Wind turbine rotor shaft bearings are critical, as they are exposed to the complex loads induced by the wind. Alternating loads with extreme peaks and troughs, as well as fluctuating operating temperatures, represent further challenges to the bearing designer. E1 spherical roller bearings are designed to withstand these conditions, and the improved design results in an extended operating life, higher reliability, improved drive system efficiency, lower noise levels and reduced operating temperatures.

Paper mills

X-life E1 spherical roller bearings are well suited to paper production applications. By converting standard E1 spherical roller bearings to X-life quality, Schaeffler customers benefit from a 15 per cent increase in basic dynamic load ratings, and up to 60 per cent longer service life compared to previous bearing designs. Higher basic static load ratings lead to improvements in the static load safety factor of the bearings. Under similar operating conditions, this means that significantly longer bearing life can be achieved, even with a considerable increase in load.

In the latest bearing designs for paper mills, similar or higher performance can be achieved using smaller diameter bearings. By downsizing, more economical bearing arrangements can be specified. As a result, the improved bearing kinematics lead to lower operating costs because both friction and bearing temperatures are minimised, which, in turn, reduces the demands on the lubricant.

X-life explained

Many bearing sizes within the E1 spherical roller bearing range can now be specified in X-life quality. These bearings have no central rib on the inner ring and are therefore able to use longer barrel rollers. Furthermore, the bearings benefit from improved kinematics, optimised surfaces and are made from higher-performance materials. As a result, the basic dynamic load rating and basic rating life (under similar operating conditions) are improved significantly. This means that in certain applications, a smaller bearing can be specified.

For customers, these benefits translate into higher machine availability, new design possibilities, more economical bearings due to downsizing, and lower operating costs due to reduced energy consumption.

For a free copy of Schaeffler's new Spherical Roller Bearings E1 X-life brochure (TPI 183), call the Marketing Department on +44 (0)121 313 5870 or email [email protected].