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What is a Roller Bearing?

A roller bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses a cylinder (roller) instead of a ball.

In general, the cylindrical bearings allow for greater radial loads. They are made to handle heavier loads than ball bearings.

There are several types of roller bearings:

  • Cylindrical roller bearings use cylinders as bearings and are ideal for high radial loads and high speeds.
  • Spherical roller bearings are self-aligning bearings that use two sets of spherical bearings to facilitate use in misalignment applications.
  • Gear bearings consist of smaller 'satellite' gears that revolve around the center of the bearing and on the inside of the external gear. They are highly efficient due to the minimization of sliding friction.
  • Tapered roller bearings are designed to withstand combination loads, so axial loads and radial loads.

Due to the simplicity of their design and cost effectiveness, GGB innovative plain bearings offer a variety of significant advantages compared with roller bearings. Learn why design engineers are increasingly replacing roller or needle bearings with plain bearings in a wide range of applications.

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