The Forgotten Criteria – Accommodating Axial Load In Cement Processing
In cement processing bearings applications, increased production demands, longer running times, and more corrosive environments are putting machinery under pressure. As crucial components in the operational efficiency of any machine, bearings must be able to withstand increasing forces and extended operating hours. Chris Ager, Business Unit Manager at Bowman International, explores the growing importance of load types in industrial applications and how innovation in bearing design can help avoid system failure, unplanned downtime and increased maintenance costs.
Understanding Forces: Axial and Radial
When choosing the right bearing for the job, it is important to understand the load and application requirements. If the wrong bearing is selected, it may not carry the required load effectively, leading to damage and potential failure.
There are two main types of loads. Radial loads act at right angles to the shaft, while axial loads are applied parallel to the shaft in both directions. While many bearings are designed to handle either axial or radial loads, high-load applications across the cement industry bearings sector often require a combination of both—a requirement that, due to manufacturing limitations, has historically been difficult to achieve.
To meet the needs of applications with both load types, many bearing manufacturers and OEMs use a combination of two bearings to accommodate forces in each direction. However, this approach increases space requirements within machinery, enlarges the overall equipment footprint, and can complicate both assembly and future maintenance.
Although there are now more axial load bearings available that can accommodate both radial and axial forces, many achieve this by inclining the rolling elements to provide axial support. In doing so, they sacrifice radial capacity, limiting bearing axial capacity, and reducing suitability for demanding industrial applications.
Both radial and axial load specifications directly influence the strength and rigidity of the bearings, shaft, and overall machinery. Exceeding these specifications in applications with high axial forces may damage the bearing and reduce operating efficiency. In fact, studies suggest that exceeding either radial or axial load limits by just 10% may reduce component life by around 1,000 hours, while significantly increasing the risk of unplanned downtime. For demanding cement plant bearings applications, these compromises are far from ideal.
Innovations in Bearing Design
In a standard split bearing design, the rollers run against the outer race lips and clamp rings on the inner race assembly, creating stress, friction and limiting the bearing’s ability to accommodate higher axial loads.
Using engineering-grade 3D-printed Nylon-11 and the latest additive manufacturing technology, Bowman has developed an innovative bearing design that removes the axial locating lips from the bearing outer race. This allows the radial roller length, as well as the total number of rollers, to be increased, delivering both a higher radial load capacity and approximately five times greater radial L10 bearing life.
Increased Axial Capacity
By incorporating dedicated axial roller and cage assemblies into the design, Bowman has overcome the traditional compromises associated with axial load bearings. The design uses three independent sets of rolling elements to handle radial and bi-directional axial loads separately, significantly increasing bearing axial capacity without sacrificing radial performance.
The bearing also retains the key advantages of a split bearing system, including much faster installation and removal compared with solid bearings, while delivering increased radial capacity and substantially improved axial load capability. These benefits make it an ideal solution for heavy-duty bearings cement applications where reliability and uptime are critical.
To find out more about how advanced cement processing bearings can improve reliability in cement manufacturing facilities, and to learn about the state-of-the-art bearing innovations Bowman International has brought to market, contact our team today.
