SKF Produces its Largest Spherical Roller Bearing for Mining Application

SKF has manufactured and supplied its largest ever spherical roller bearing (bore diameter 1.25 m) to be used within the mining industry. The bearing was manufactured at SKF’s factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

“SKF is a world leader in spherical roller bearings, manufacturing bearings of all sizes and series – from the smallest, with a 20 mm bore size, to this large size bearing that weighs close to 8 tonnes,” says Petra Öberg Gustafsson, Product Line Manager for Self-Aligning Rolling Bearings at SKF.
 
The bearing is equipped with SKF SensorMount, a unique system that measures the actual mounting fit of the bearing onto the shaft. It helps avoid the risk of improper mounting, a major issue for large size bearings. The bearing weighs 7,780 kg. Each roller within it weighs 42 kg.
 
The bearing is of the upgraded SKF Explorer class with improved wear resistance, thanks to the patented material heat treatment process that nearly doubles service life in poor lubrication and contaminated conditions.
 
SKF was chosen to supply the bearing due to its application engineering expertise and support, and the knowledge and experience in manufacturing large size industrial bearings.
 
Daniel Ortega, Project Manager at the Gothenburg factory, says, “We have worked in close cooperation with the customer in order to design an optimum 241/1250 bearing that is particularly suitable for applications in the mining industry. These applications have extreme operating conditions and are very demanding from a bearing service life perspective.”