Plain and simple maintenance-free bearings

SKF's range of spherical plain bearings includes maintenance-free bearings to satisfy increasing customer demand for maintenance-free machines and equipment.

SKF's range of spherical plain bearings includes maintenance-free bearings, to satisfy increasing customer demand for maintenance-free machines and equipment, and bearings requiring maintenance, for use in more arduous environmental conditions.

Maintenance-free spherical plain bearings are primarily designed for applications where loads of constant direction occur, a low or steady friction level is required, or relubrication is either not possible or not desired.

This makes them ideal for applications such as conveyors, textile and printing machinery and food and beverage treatment machines.

These bearings run without lubrication, so they don't need seals against grease leakage, although a seal protecting against the ingress of contamination or moisture can significantly prolong the service life.

Customers can select from a comprehensive range consisting of radial spherical plain bearings (for shaft diameters from 4 to 1250mm), angular contact spherical plain bearings (25 to 120mm) and spherical plain thrust bearings (17 to 120mm).

The range is further expanded by a wide choice of sliding contact surface combinations.

SKF has also developed a range of spherical plain bearings for arduous environmental conditions, where maintenance is necessary, such as where temperatures range from -50 to +300C, dirt and dust occur and impact or alternating loads are present.

For these conditions, a robust steel-on-steel version, with relubrication facility, is available for shaft diameters from 4 to 300mm.

Angular contact spherical plain bearings and spherical plain thrust bearings of the steel-on-steel version are also available on request.

SKF offers the most frequently used standard bearings with or without integrated seals, making it possible to use the standard bearings to solve a large number of sealing problems in a space-saving and cost-effective manner.

Certain sizes are also available with heavy-duty LS triple lip seals for high performance in particularly difficult operating conditions.

Spherical plain bearings will suit applications in the steel construction industry, in rolling mills, and in the construction of cranes and earth moving equipment.

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