Did you know that most household equipment, such as a refrigerator or vacuum cleaner requires bearing to function? Bearings are parts that stabilise and lower the coefficient of friction of loads. Another way to put it is that when other components on the shaft move, it helps maintain the shaft's fixed centre while lowering the friction coefficient during power transmission. 

In today's mechanical machinery, including automobiles, aeroplanes and electric generators, bearings play a crucial role. Its primary duty is to maintain the rotating mechanical body while the equipment is being transmitted, lowering the mechanical load's friction coefficient. With that being said, let's take a closer look at the different types of bearing and their uses. 

Thrust Needle Roller Bearings

A subcategory of cylindrical roller bearings designed to manage and maintain higher radial loads is the thrust needle roller bearings. Due to their durability and reliability, these types of roller bearings are used for joints for maintenance-related reasons. 

The thrust needle roller bearing is one of the most recently developed roller bearings, featuring a greater number of longer and thinner cylinders within the bearing's raceway. It was created in this way to lessen friction under heavier radial loads and lower the possibility of misalignment.

Besides that, the thrust needle roller bearing's potential to handle high radial loads in mechanical functions is enhanced by its ability to shrink in size and carry more elements. To increase thrust loads, this roller bearing includes a single, linear line of rolling elements inside the bearing racetrack. 

Despite having a smaller size, the thrust needle roller bearing can play significant roles in several of the same various industrial uses as the cylindrical roller bearing, including:

• Pulley Supports
• Air Compressors
• Transmissions Devices

Four-Point Contact Ball Bearings

Four-point contact ball bearings can carry radial and axial loads in both directions. A single bearing can replace the combination of angular contact ball bearings in front or back. It can support simulated loads with a significant axial load component and pure axial loads. This bearing is resistant to all directions. 

When the axial force is applied, one of the contact angles can be generated, ensuring that the ring and ball always make contact with two sides and three points along any contact line. Some examples of equipments that uses four-point contact ball bearings are:

• Automotive chassis and gearboxes.
• Gearboxes for industrial, rail and wind turbine applications.
• Agricultural vehicles and equipment

Thrust Roller Bearings

Thrust roller bearings support axial load-based shafts paired with warp load. However, the warp load cannot exceed 55% of the axial load. When compared to other thrust roller bearings, this bearing offers the following: 

• Lower friction coefficient
• Higher speed
• Self-aligning capability

The asymmetrical spherical rollers used in 29000 type bearings have the following characteristics: 

• Extended length 
• Big diameter
• A large number of rollers

These features can reduce relative sliding while in use between the stick and the raceway. Thrust roller bearings are typically used in equipments that involve rotation, such as:

• Crane hook
• Hydroelectric generator
• Hydraulic pumps

Cylindrical Roller Bearings