Why choose cylindrical roller bearings as work roll bearings

Dec 11, 2023

Rolling millwork roll bearings, of which cylindrical roller bearings are the most important and expected. To ensure that the rolling mill work rolls can withstand high loads, high-speed operation, long life and low friction coefficient, cylindrical roller bearings are widely selected as their supporting and rotating components. This article will explain why cylindrical roller bearings are the best choice for work rolls in rolling mills, covering various aspects.

High carrying capacity

The work rolls of rolling mills need to withstand enormous radial and axial loads during the rolling process. These loads will cause the work rolls to bend and deform, thus affecting the quality and accuracy of the product. Cylindrical roller bearings have high load-bearing capacity and can effectively bear these radial and axial loads, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the work rolls. In addition, cylindrical roller bearings can provide greater stiffness, further reduce the deformation and vibration of the work roll, and improve the quality and accuracy of rolled products.

The picture above is Heavy-duty four-row cylindrical roller bearings customized by FV for European customers.

High-speed operation

Modern rolling mills require high-speed and high-efficiency production, so the work rolls must operate at high speeds. Cylindrical roller bearings have a low friction coefficient and good lubrication performance, can achieve stable operation at high speeds, and have good durability. During high-speed operation, the rolling elements of cylindrical roller bearings can reduce friction and wear and extend the service life of the bearings, thereby ensuring efficient production and long-term stable operation of the rolling mill.

Long life

The work rolls of rolling mills need to work continuously for a long time, so their life span is required to be high. Cylindrical roller bearings have long fatigue life and wear resistance and can maintain performance and accuracy under long-term and high-intensity working conditions. The structural design of cylindrical roller bearings is reasonable and easy to maintain and replace. It reduces downtime and maintenance costs and improves production efficiency, enhancing rolling mills' economic benefits. 

Low friction coefficient

The friction coefficient of the rolling mill work roll has an essential influence on the rolling process and product quality. Cylindrical roller bearings have a low friction coefficient, which can reduce friction and wear of work rolls and improve the production efficiency and service life of rolling mills. Reducing the friction coefficient can improve product quality, reduce energy consumption and heat generation, and prevent metal surface defects and thermal deformation due to friction.

Easy maintenance

Cylindrical roller bearings have a reasonable structural design and are easy to maintain and replace. During use, operations such as disassembly, cleaning, and lubrication can be carried out according to actual needs, which is convenient and fast. At the same time, the cage material of cylindrical roller bearings is usually made of steel plate or copper alloy, which has good wear and impact resistance and can extend the bearing's service life and maintenance cycle.

Strong adaptability

Cylindrical roller bearings are adaptable and can adapt to rolling millwork rolls of different specifications and models. According to different needs, different inner rings, outer rings, cylindrical rollers and other components can be selected and used in combination to meet the working requirements of different rolling mills. At the same time, cylindrical roller bearings can also choose different cage materials, seals and other accessories according to actual needs to meet specific use environments and performance requirements.

The picture above is a four-row cylindrical roller bearing designed and manufactured by FV for long-product rolling mills.

To sum up, choosing cylindrical roller bearings as the support and rotating parts of the rolling mill work rolls has the advantages of high load-bearing capacity, high-speed operation, long life, low friction coefficient and easy maintenance. These advantages can meet the performance and service life requirements of rolling mill work rolls, improve the production efficiency and quality of rolling mills, and reduce maintenance and use costs. Therefore, rolling mills have widely used and promoted cylindrical roller bearings.