What types of bearings are generally used in the cement industry?

Nov 20, 2024

The cement industry is an important application field for medium and large bearings. From material preparation, grinding, mixing, and sintering to clinker grinding, bearings are indispensable in the transmission and rotating parts of all mechanical equipment at every step. Due to the large load, large impact and harsh environment, the requirements for bearings in the cement industry are also extremely stringent.

Rolling bearings

Rolling bearings, also known as ball bearings, are one of the most commonly used bearing types at present. It consists of inner and outer rings and balls. The balls roll between the inner and outer rings of the bearings, reducing friction and improving the efficiency of the bearings. Rolling bearings have the characteristics of high load capacity, long life and good fatigue resistance.

Deep groove ball bearings

Deep groove ball bearings are the most common type of rolling bearings, with simple structure, easy use and strong adaptability. It can withstand radial loads and certain axial loads and is suitable for high-speed rotation and heavy loads. In the cement industry, deep groove ball bearings are often used in gearboxes, motors, drive shafts and other components.

Self-aligning ball bearings

Self-aligning ball bearings are suitable for heavy loads and impact loads, such as crushers and mills in cement plants. It has the performance of automatic self-aligning, which can automatically adjust the axial misalignment caused by the deflection or misalignment of the shaft or housing so it can bear radial loads and bidirectional axial loads.

Spherical roller bearings

Spherical roller bearings are also bearings that can automatically align, suitable for heavy loads and impact loads. It has a high radial load capacity and a certain axial load capacity, which is especially suitable for roller presses, ball mills and other equipment in the cement industry.

Cylindrical roller bearings

Cylindrical roller bearings are suitable for large and medium-sized motors, locomotives, machine tool spindles and other occasions, and have a high radial load capacity. In the cement industry, cylindrical roller bearings are often used in the main shaft, reducer and other components of the mill.

Tapered roller bearings

Tapered roller bearings are widely used in the automotive, rolling mill, mining, metallurgy and other industries and are also suitable for some heavy-duty equipment in the cement industry. It has a structure in which the inner and outer rings can be separated, which is easy to install and disassemble. Tapered roller bearings can withstand combined radial and axial loads and are suitable for occasions with large loads and vibrations.

Sliding bearings

Sliding bearings, also known as plane bearings, are a type of bearing that works on the principle of liquid film lubrication. It consists of two metal surfaces in contact with each other, protected by a lubricating oil film to reduce friction. Sliding bearings have technical characteristics such as strong heavy load capacity and strong impact load capacity.

Ordinary sliding bearings

Ordinary sliding bearings are often used in the cement industry for occasions with large loads and vibrations, such as the supporting part of cement mills. They reduce friction and wear and extend service life through lubricating oil films.

Elastic metal plastic tile sliding bearings

In some heavy load and high-speed rotation occasions, the load-bearing capacity of traditional rolling bearings may need to be improved and the life is short. Therefore, elastic metal plastic tile sliding bearings are sometimes used in the cement industry to replace rolling bearings. This type of bearing improves the load-bearing capacity, extends the service life, reduces the difficulty of manufacturing, and increases the possibility of large-scale bearings.

Spherical sliding bearings

Spherical sliding bearings, also known as self-lubricating spherical bearings, are bearings with self-lubricating properties. It consists of inner and outer rings and a sphere, and there is a coating lubricant between the inner and outer spheres to reduce friction and wear. Spherical sliding bearings are wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and high-temperature resistant.

Application of spherical sliding bearings

In cement production, spherical sliding bearings are often used in roller conveyors and workbenches. They can withstand large radial and axial loads and are suitable for heavy loads and vibration environments. At the same time, due to their self-lubricating properties, spherical sliding bearings have low maintenance costs in the cement industry.

Other types of bearings

In addition to rolling bearings and sliding bearings, the cement industry may also use other types of bearings, such as thrust ball bearings, thrust cylindrical roller bearings, etc.

Thrust ball bearings

Thrust ball bearings are only suitable for parts that bear one-sided axial loads and have low speeds, such as crane hooks, vertical water pumps, etc. Although they are less used in the cement industry, thrust ball bearings still play an important role in certain specific equipment.

Thrust cylindrical roller bearings

Thrust cylindrical roller bearings are mainly used in heavy machine tools, high-power marine gearboxes, oil drilling rigs, vertical motors and other machinery. In the cement industry, thrust cylindrical roller bearings are often used in certain heavy-load and high-speed rotating occasions, such as the transmission part of cement mills.

Bearing selection and maintenance

Bearing selection

It is crucial to select bearings (type, size and other technical parameters) that match the use requirements. The cement industry should choose bearing products from qualified large-brand manufacturers to ensure that the various design parameters and delivery status of the bearings are normal so as to avoid the defects of the bearings themselves affecting the service life of the equipment.

Bearing installation and replacement

During the installation and replacement of bearings, it is necessary to strictly follow the installation operating procedures, use tools correctly, and disassemble and lubricate according to the standard process. Ensure the accuracy and cleanliness of the bearings during the installation process to avoid early failure caused by improper installation.

Bearing lubrication

During the installation and use of bearings, high-performance lubricants must be selected to lubricate the bearings continuously. Due to the particularity of the cement production environment, there are often some hard foreign objects in the environment. Therefore, when lubricating, the surrounding environment must be cleaned to prevent foreign objects from invading the lubricant.

Sealing and inspection of bearings

Bearings in cement plant machinery and equipment are more severely corroded than bearings in other environments, so sealing and regular inspection are very important. Regularly check the operating status of bearings, including temperature, vibration, noise, etc., to promptly detect and deal with potential problems.

Replacement and maintenance of bearings

Bearings are consumable parts in mechanical equipment and have their corresponding service life. Keep records when installing bearings, conduct intensive inspections when the bearings reach their scheduled service life and prepare for replacement. Develop a complete monitoring system to promptly detect safety hazards in bearings through detailed data such as bearing temperature and color and eliminate hidden dangers at the primary stage.

The cement industry has extremely strict requirements on bearings, and it is necessary to select suitable bearing types to ensure the normal operation of production equipment. Rolling bearings, sliding bearings and spherical sliding bearings are commonly used bearing types in the cement industry, with their characteristics and scope of application. When selecting bearings, it is necessary to consider the actual operating conditions of the equipment, load size, speed and other factors, and select bearing products with high-cost performance and good performance. At the same time, the operating procedures should be strictly followed in the installation, lubrication, sealing and inspection of the bearings to ensure the normal operation of the bearings and extend their service life.