Selection of preload in tapered roller bearingsarrangement according to durability criterion

Abstract

The main purpose of using tapered roller bearings is to obtain high bearing stiffness. High bearing stiffnessis achieved by using an appropriate mounting clamp in the bearing system. The mounting clamp, or in otherwords, the pre-clamp, is currently selected based on experience. The literature lacks precise indicationsregarding the size of the initial clamp of the bearing arrangement depending on the external load, and it isselected intuitively. The wrong choice of preload can have a disastrous effect on the life of the entire bearingarrangement.This study aims to determine the maximum preload in the tapered roller bearing system, taking into accountits durability and the elasticity of the bearings and the shaft.In this article, different load variants are analysed, considering the effect of preload on the fatigue life of thebearing system, and recommendations are proposed for the acceptable preload value depending on the size ofthe bearings used.