Pros

Tapered roller bearings have numerous advantages. To begin with, the roller is tapered and inclined between the cups and cones, it can readily withstand a wide range of directional loads. It outperforms spherical, cylindrical, and needle roller bearings in the capacity to withstand combined heavy thrust and radial stresses. Without modification, most conventionally installed tapered roller bearings can withstand pure radial, pure axial, and any combination of those two types of stress conditions.

Because the shape of the tapered roller bearing provides real rolling motion of the roller between the raceways, the rollers are unlikely to skid or slide when unloaded. Other roller bearings feature low load requirements to ensure that the roller rolls rather than slides between the raceways. Skidding or sliding is dangerous because it sweeps lubricant away from the surfaces, causing wear and early failure.

Tapered roller bearings can withstand large loads. These capabilities greatly surpass the restrictions of ball bearings and compete with equivalent spherical roller bearing capacities.

Cons

However, it is necessary to keep in mind that tapered roller bearings have a few drawbacks. Tapered roller bearings are prone to dynamic misalignment. Spherical roller bearings tolerate dynamic misalignment significantly better due to raceway and roller geometry. Tapered roller bearings have static misalignment constraints as well, although in some cases, the bearing housings can be built so that the bearing can appropriately self-align.

Another issue is the limitation of speed. Although tapered roller bearings may run at high speeds, ball bearings can outperform tapered roller bearings and emit less heat at higher speeds. Many tapered roller bearings come as mounted units, such as pillow blocks, flanges, guided flanges, and take-up units. These mounted devices are frequently pre-lubricated and come with a selection of seals to suit a wide range of applications. These mounted units’ cones are particularly designed for rapid bearing-to-shaft assembly by setscrew, tapered adapter, eccentric locking, or clamp-style attachments.

Tapered roller bearings are also often available in unitized forms, which allow for misaligned expansion. Tapered roller bearing assemblies installed within a housing with a spherical outer diameter or rib are examples of unitized arrangements. These components are then put together in a flange or pillow block. The unitized bearing assembly swivels relative to the anchored bearing housing, comparable to a ball-and-socket joint. Common designs allow for a static angular misalignment of up to 4°. These unitized assemblies can also be expanded to prevent preload from thermal shaft growth or contraction.

Tapered roller bearings are widely used in a variety of applications. Tapered roller bearings are used in gearboxes and gear sets, particularly those that employ helical gears, because of their improved performance with multi-directional loads. Fans subjected to strong axial pressures, agricultural equipment, mining and aggregate machinery, aggressive machines used with wood goods, forest and paper products, and typical industrial applications all require mounted tapered roller bearings.