ROLLERTRAIN® BEARING CAGE

Patent pending bearing cage facilitating 70 % increased radial capacity and 1000% increased axial capacity

The most notable component within the split bearing are the axial and radial cages. Designed by Bowman Advanced Engineering and manufactured by Bowman Additive Production, these 3D printed cages are what gives the split bearing its phenomenal axial and radial load capacities.

Using engineering grade “printable” nylon (PA11) we have developed a design that allows much closer spacing of the rolling elements compared to the “cap and body” cage designs, creating enough additional space around the roller track to incorporate up to 45% more rollers than existing products. It is these additional rollers that allow the load to spread over a higher number of rolling elements. This creates a 30-40% higher load capacity and extends the life of the cage by a factor of 3. The reduction in space required between the rollers is achieved through the complexity of geometry only available through 3D printing; it would not be possible using traditional injection moulding.

This design has enabled our split bearing to boast an increased radial capacity of over 70% and an increased axial capacity of over 1000%!

These incredible numbers are achieved through the fact that the radial and bi-directional axial loads are, for the very first time, handled independently. The loads are accommodated by three independent sets of rolling elements to handle three load directions. This opens up a brand-new dimension which makes the JHB Split Bearing the first ever split bearing to allow calculation of an axial L-10 life.

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