NSK has developed a highly reliable creep-resistant tapered roller bearing to prevent shaft wear caused by inner ring creep (sliding between the inner ring and the shaft, which causes wear between the shaft and the inner ring of the bearing) in the wheels of mining dump trucks.With the development of this product, NSK will greatly improve the maintainability and reliability of related applications.
With the development of urbanization, the demand for natural resources continues to expand, especially in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and developing countries, mining operations usually run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so extremely reliable equipment is required.
Ordinary tapered roller bearings are commonly used in the wheels of mining dump trucks, but the inner ring is prone to creep, resulting in axle wear, and related repairs require frequent maintenance time and additional expenses, so a dedicated anti-creep mechanism has come into being. Thanks to advanced analysis, testing and production technology, NSK has developed a solution that only requires specification changes to the bearing itself. As a result of this approach, its creep resistance is eight times that of conventional products, reducing axle wear and improving maintainability. In addition, NSK uses a special heat treatment process to improve the surface fatigue resistance of the inner and outer rings, which has a longer service life compared to conventional products.
The new product has two major features. The first is the optimal creep resistance design. Through the analysis of the tapered roller bearings commonly used in mining dump trucks, NSK found that when the rolling elements pass under high loads, the inner ring will deform locally, causing the inner ring to creep. Therefore, NSK increased the thickness of the inner ring and increased the number of rollers to reduce the load on the rolling elements, reduce the local deformation of the inner ring and significantly limit creep. The second is NSK's long-life technology. NSK applies a special heat treatment process to improve the surface fatigue toughness of the inner and outer rings, which has a longer life compared to conventional products.
