Rolling Bearings

PRODUCT NEWS | 2025-05-05

Regal Rexnord Showcases Optimized Solutions for the Metals Industry at AISTech

Regal Rexnord Corporation recently showcased its rugged and reliable solutions for the metals industry at AISTech 2025.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2025-04-03

Timken Releases Suite of Online Engineering Tools to Streamline Design Engineer's Workflow

The Timken Company has introduced a comprehensive offering of online engineering tools – available at engineering.timken.com – for use by design engineers and others who specify bearings for new or existing applications.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2025-04-01

Humanoid Component Advancements

Schaeffler continues to advance key technologies shaping the future of mobility and motion. One area of interest—humanoid robots—is where Schaeffler is developing advanced component and system capabilities for the next generation of robotics. PTE recently had the opportunity to discuss these technologies with Al Makke, engineering director, humanoid robotics, North America, at Schaeffler Group USA. 

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2025-02-18

Elgeti Offers Bearing Engineering Seminars

The Elgeti online spring engineering seminars begin soon. Additionally, Elgeti offers customized and private sessions if needed. Here's a quick look at the schedule:

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2025-02-12

Inside the PT Ecosystem

The Bearing Show North America 2025, colocated with Lubricant Expo North America 2025 takes place March 18–20 at Huntington Place in Detroit. The Bearing Show connects the evolving needs of bearings end-users with the latest technologies serving OEM development, maintenance professionals and R&D engineers. 

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2025-02-05

Timken Announces Retirement of Christopher Coughlin

The Timken Company recently announced that Christopher A. Coughlin, executive vice president and president, industrial motion, will retire at the end of the year after 41 years with the company.

PRODUCT NEWS | 2024-07-24

SKF Provides Components for Telescope System

SKF is providing key components for the next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), a $2 billion telescope system that aims to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2024-06-27

NTN Announces the Key Addition of Mike Ferris to Automotive Aftermarket Sales Team

NTN Bearing Corporation, the parent company of BCA Bearings and Bower Bearings, is pleased to announce the addition of Mike Ferris to the Automotive Aftermarket sales team. Ferris is joining NTN’s Automotive Aftermarket business unit as the regional sales manager for the Central Region. 

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2023-06-28

IKO Appoints New National Distribution Sales Manager

IKO is pleased to announce that Jeff Williams has joined the company as national distribution sales manager. Contributing to IKO's efforts to build and enhance relationships with valued customers, Williams will be based in Parsippany, NJ and will work closely with distributors and sales teams.

PRODUCT NEWS | 2022-12-02

KISSsoft Applies Raceway Modifications for Rolling Bearings

Rolling bearing life depends on the contact stresses that occur between the rolling elements and the raceways. Contact stresses are calculated from contact loads, which in turn depend on the external loads acting on the bearing and the precise internal geometry of the bearing.

REVOLUTIONS | 2021-06-07

Maximizing Bearing Performance

Carrier and SKF Collaborate on Centrifugal Compressor Technology The opportunity to improve product design separates market lea...

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2020-12-01

Rolling Bearing Performance Rating Parameters Review and Engineering Assessment

The main function of rolling bearings is to support load and transmit rotational movement with minimum energy loss. In order to achieve this, bearings are manufactured with particularly good quality fatigue resistance materials, proper design and tight manufacturing tolerances. Particular emphasis is put in both the macro, and micro geometry of the working shapes and surfaces of the raceways. Rolling bearings come in many types and sizes as ball and roller bearings for radial and thrust loads.

EVENTS | 2019-06-01

The Electric Evolution

CTI Symposium Presents Latest Automotive Transmission Developments and Applications.

| 2018-07-26

Bearing Sourcing: Investigate Here

Steve Katz, president, Emerson Bearing Boston One significant and challenging issue that MROs and OEMs face is premature bearing failure in equi...

| 2018-05-30

Machine Parts No Longer in Production? Solutions for Hard-to-Find Bearings and Parts

Written By: Steve Katz, President, Emerson Bearing Boston Good machinery can last a lifetime. But, replacement parts for older equipment may be ...

POWER PLAY | 2018-04-01

It's a Jungle Out There

Harsh environments and saltwater properties tend to make it difficult for motors, gearboxes and engines to perform consistently at a high level.

| 2017-11-14

Freudenberg Examines Sealing Requirements for Heavy-Duty Equipment

The seals and the hydraulic systems of any piece of mining, construction, agricultural or other heavy industry equipment like

| 2017-05-30

Induced Axial Load

Every bearing that has a non-zero contact angle will generate an axial load as a radial load is applied. This generated load is referred to by a fe...

| 2017-05-09

Hannover Messe: A New Perspective in Manufacturing

The rumors are absolutely true. The factory floor is changing at an incredible pace and the digitalization of manufacturing systems (Big data, Indu...

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2016-10-01

ISO 281:2007 - Caveat Emptor

I was invited by Tom Astrene of TLT to write a response to the July 2010 TLT article (Ref. 1). My rebuttal — “In Search of a Fatigue Limit: A Critique of ISO Standard 281:2007” — was published in Tribology and Lubrication Engineering, TLT, August 2010 edition (Ref. 10). While this article is also available online, I will attempt to summarize the essence of my response.

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2016-09-01

A Model for Rolling Bearing Life with Surface and Subsurface Survival - Tribological Effects

Until now the estimation of rolling bearing life has been based on engineering models that consider an equivalent stress, originated beneath the contact surface, that is applied to the stressed volume of the rolling contact. Through the years, fatigue surface–originated failures, resulting from reduced lubrication or contamination, have been incorporated into the estimation of the bearing life by applying a penalty to the overall equivalent stress of the rolling contact. Due to this simplification, the accounting of some specific failure modes originated directly at the surface of the rolling contact can be challenging. In the present article, this issue is addressed by developing a general approach for rolling contact life in which the surfaceoriginated damage is explicitly formulated into the basic fatigue equations of the rolling contact. This is achieved by introducing a function to describe surface-originated failures and coupling it with the traditional, subsurface-originated fatigue risk of the rolling contact. The article presents the fundamental theory of the new model and its general behavior. The ability of the present general method to provide an account for the surface–subsurface competing fatigue mechanisms taking place in rolling bearings is discussed with reference to endurance testing data.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2016-06-01

Can You Develop Your Own Custom Motor-and-Motion System

In this century’s complex, ever- changing world of manufacturing, such capabilities as hardware and software expertise, effective location and distribution, business savvy and yes, even luck, are some of the cardinal requirements for running a successful business.

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2015-03-01

The Modified Life Rating of Rolling Bearings: A Criterion for Gearbox Design and Reliability Optimization

Engineers typically learn that the bearing L10 life can be estimated using the so called “C/P method” — or the “basic rating life” of the bearing, a method rooted in the 1940s. Major developments have since led to the “modified rating life,” released in ISO 281:2007, which includes the aiso life modification factor. In this paper a succession of equations used for bearing life ratings are reviewed, and current bearing life rating practices are discussed in detail. It is shown that — despite the introduction more than 30 years ago of the adjustment factor of the basic rating life, and the standardization in 2007 of the aiso modification factor — use of these improved calculation methods are not practiced by all engineers. Indeed — many continue referring to the old model as a way of seeking compliance with existing, established practices.

| 2015-01-29

Just How Big Are the Biggest Bearings?

I don’t recall a single bearing class where someone didn’t want to know what the largest bearing ever made was. From my stint as a bearing engineer...

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2013-10-01

Microstepping Tutorial

This article describes the challenges involved in designing and implementing microstepping systems.

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2013-02-01

Rolling Bearing Steels - A Technical and Historical Perspective - Part 1

This paper summarizes the chemical, metallurgical and physical aspects of bearing steels and their effect on rolling bearing life and reliability.

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2012-06-01

Rolling Bearings in High-Speed Passenger Traffic

Passenger transport today moves significantly faster than ever before, often operating on separate tracks especially designed for high-speed trains. Accordingly, high-speed rolling bearings are very important components in the bogies of trains today. Maximum train speeds currently reach 380 km/h (236 mph) in the latest high-speed applications - 80% higher than in the earlier days of high-speed traffic. This paper presents two application examples of modern, high-speed traffic, together with some typical bearing arrangements and housings. It provides insight regarding measures taken in the bearing industry to meet the requirements of contemporary, high-speed traffic, and it cites important standards and regulations applicable for - but not restricted to - European applications. To be precise, the focus here is on journal bearings; information on traction motor bearings, transmission bearings and housings is included, but described in less detail.