1

Steel versus brass cages

in spherical roller bearings

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 2

Design development

1907

1919 1951

CA CC

1954 1979

CAC E
1979 1989

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 150
Bearing life (Mrev)
150
140 Endurance test results
130
120 Test conditions
110 * Bearings 22220; Sample size 35 pcs
100 * Load, Fr = 140 kN; C/P = 2,63 for SKF E
90 * Speed, n = 1500 r/min (ncat,SKF = 3000 r/min)
80 * Circulating oil lubrication
70
60
50
41
40 34
30
21 20 20
20
10 7
2 1,6
0
SKF E SKF E Comp. A Comp. B Comp. C Comp. D Comp. E Comp. F Comp. G
New Old

SKF E ≈ Comp. A ≈ Comp. B ≈ Comp. C Bearings with asymmetrical

C values rollers and central guide
SKF E > Comp. E > Comp. F ≈ Comp. D > Comp. G flange on the inner ring

4488

Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

3
 4

SKF CA design

4488/Appendix

Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 5

Closed pocket, Open,

pressed steel machined
cages brass cage

F
F

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 6

Why spherical roller bearings

with brass cage?
* Cost
* Problem solvers in applications
subject to very heavy impact loads
(linear accelerations causing
hammering)

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 7

Improved E design
spherical roller bearings
The improved E design bearings have desicive
new features:
+ Hardened steel cages
+ Improved roller profile
+ Rollers with much less waviness

And of course the new bearing has all the

successful features of the old E design:
+ Roller guidance (CC properties)
+ Floating guide ring

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 8

Test bearings

SKF E

Comp. 1

Comp. 2

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 9

Failure mode test

(Failing oil flow)
Test conditions
Bearings: SKF 22320 E (Hardened cages)
SKF 22320 E (Unhardened cages)
22320 - Comp. 1
22320 - Comp. 2
Load: Fa = 50 kN (C/P = 14)
Speed: n = 1680 r/min
Lubrication: Ultra Oil 650. Oil drip (No oil level in the housings)
The oil flow was closed after 24 h.
Test time: Running to failure (Brake limit 140 oC)

Heavy wear. Heavy wear.

Impossible to Impossible
Time [h] Light wear. put into opera- to put into
Could be put tion again. operation
into operation One bearing again.
7,5 again. blocked after
3 h because of 7,0
blocked cage!
5,5
5,0
Wear.
Should
not be
put into
operation
again.

Hardened Unhardened
Comp. 1 Comp. 2
SKF

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 10

Bearing components
after dry running

SKF Comp. 2 Comp. 1

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 11

Failure mode test

(Failing grease feeding)
Test conditions
Bearings: SKF 22320 E (Hardened cages)
SKF 22320 E (Unhardened cages)
Load: Fa = 50 kN (C/P = 14)
Speed: n = 1680 r/min
Lubrication: LGEP2 grease. 250 g in the bearing at start.
Relubrication with 100 g grease after 24 h.
Test time: Until dry running (Brake limit 140 oC)

Time [h]

390
330

Hardened Unhardened

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 12

Failure mode test

(Failing grease feeding)
Test conditions
Bearings: SKF 22320 E (Hardened cages)
22320 - Comp. 1
22320 - Comp. 2
Load: Fa = 50 kN (C/P = 14)
Speed: n = 935 r/min
Lubrication: LGEP2 grease. 250 g in the bearing at start.
Relubrication with 100 g grease after 20 h.
Test time: Until dry running (Brake limit 130 o C)

Time [h]
4959

1357
826

SKF Comp. 1 Comp. 2

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 13

Wear test
Test conditions
Bearings: SKF 22320 E (Hardened cages)
22320 - Comp. 1
22320 - Comp. 2
Load: Fa = 15 kN (C/P = 16)
Speed: n = 400 r/min
Contaminants: 1,97 g dust/litre oil.
Test time: 85 h
The dust consists of a standardised mix of hardened bearing steel M50,
cast iron powder and silicone carbide. This contamination corresponds
to a contaminated gearbox without filter.

Wear [g]

0,65 0,63

0,45

0,05 0,05
0,01
Rings Cages Rings Cages Rings Cages
+ rollers + rollers + rollers
SKF Comp. 1 Comp. 2

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 14

100×

Overrolling direction
in all photos

Hard particle in the pocket of

a cage made of soft material,
e.g. brass or polyamide

2,7× 3,5 ×

Circumferencial
groove in a roller
Inner ring flaking
(spalling)

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 15

Bearing design trend

SKF

FAG FAG

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Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings

 16

Summary
Hardened pressed steel cages
have the best performance in all
applications.
Unhardened pressed steel cages
perform better than machined brass
cages in dirty environment and
when lubrication is insufficient.
Machined brass cages perform
better than unhardened pressed
steel cages when the bearing is
subjected to heavy linear accelera-
tion (hammering).
Machined brass and unhardened
pressed steel cages have equal
performance in most applications.

4488/Appendix

Product Division Spherical Roller Bearings