Schaeffler supplies its largest-ever spherical plain bearing
29.08.2019

Schaeffler has produced the largest spherical plain bearing in the company’s history to date. This special bearing weighs in at around 4.7 tons and has an outside diameter of 1,900 millimeters, a bore diameter of 1,500 millimeters, and a height of 600 millimeters. The bearing will be used on a cutter suction dredger that was designed and built by Royal IHC, a Dutch company. A cutter suction dredger is a working ship either with or without its own drive that removes solid material from the bottom of the body of water. A vacuum is used to lift stones and transport them to shore, e.g. using floating pipelines. Particular strain is placed here on the connection between the pipeline and the ship, which is implemented via a spherical plain bearing that is mounted on the hull and supports the rotary motions that take place between the hull and the pipeline. On the basis of these requirements, a special bearing was designed specifically for the application.

Thanks to Schaeffler’s high-level expertise in application engineering, design, and production combined with a close collaboration with Royal IHC it was possible to produce the bearing according to the customer’s requirements in a record time of just three months.To ensure a long operating life and low levels of wear, Schaeffler created a special system of lubrication grooves, which are designed in such a way that the grease is evenly distributed. Because the operating conditions found in offshore applications also require special protection against corrosion and optimal sliding conditions, the sliding surfaces of the bearing were coated with Durotect P, a proven lubricating varnish, which ensures that no metallic contact occurs between the inner and outer rings, even in the event of insufficient lubrication. Lubrication with grease also means that the bearing is protected against corrosion. This ensures a combination of high operational reliability and low maintenance outlay for the customer.