Design features of maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings

1 PTFE
2 Tin bronze
3 Sheet steel backing

1 PTFE fibres
2 Reinforcement fibres
3 Resin
4 Steel backing

1 Fibres
2 Polymer and PTFE
3 Steel backing

Inner ring

C and CJ2 designs
Bearing steel, through-hardened, sliding surface hard chromium plated

TXE and TXA designs
Bearing steel, through-hardened, sliding surface hard chromium plated

TXGR, TXG3E and TXG3A designs
Stainless steel X46Cr13 (1.4034), hardened

Series GEP and GEC
Bearing steel, through-hardened, sliding surface hard chromium plated

Outer ring

C design
Steel backing with PTFE sintered bronze layer pressed around the inner ring, with a butt joint

CJ2 design
Steel backing with PTFE sintered bronze sleeve pressed around the inner ring, without a butt joint

TXE and TXA designs
d ≤ 400 mm:
Bearing steel, through-hardened
d > 400 mm:
Quenched and tempered steel
TXE:
fractured at one point
GE(H) .. TXA, GEZ .. TXA:
axially split, held together by one band
GEC .. TXA:
axially split, held together by two bands (d ≤ 400 mm) or bolted together (d > 400 mm)

TXG3E and TXG3A designs
Stainless steel X46Cr13 (1.4034), hardened
TXG3E:
fractured at one point
TXG3A:
axially split, held together by one band

TXGR design
Unhardened stainless steel X17CrNi16-2 (1.4057) or equivalent, pressed around the inner ring, no butt joint

Series GEP and GEC
Quenched and tempered steel; FRP shells are retained by side flanges and also glued to the outer ring
Series GEP:
radially split, separable
Series GEC:
axially split, bolted together

Seals

RS design

LS design

Available on request

Bearings with designation suffix -2RS or -2LS (depending on bearing size) have a double- or triple-lip seal on both sides (Sealing and table 1)

None

Permissible operating temperature range

–50 to +150 °C (-60 to +300 °F), for short periods up to +280 °C (+535 °F)

Reduced carrying capacity above 80 °C (+175 °F)

Bearings without seals:
–50 to +150 °C (-60 to +300 °F)

Bearings with RS seals:
with a bore diameter d < 320 mm: –30 to +130 °C (-20 to +265 °F)
with a bore diameter d ≥ 320 mm: –35 to +100 °C (-30 to +210 °F)

Bearings with LS seals:
–50 to +110 °C (-60 to +230 °F)

Reduced carrying capacity above 65 °C (+150 °F) for both sealed and unsealed bearings

–40 to +75 °C (-40 to +165 °F), for short periods up to +110 °C (+230 °F)

Reduced carrying capacity above 50 °C (+120 °F)

Lubrication

(Lubrication)

Self-lubricating; the bearings must not be lubricated

Self-lubricating; the bearings must not be lubricated

Greased before leaving factory, self-lubricating capability, however occasional relubrication extends service life