5 Things to Know Before Buying thrust roller bearings

08 Sep.,2025

 

Tips for choosing the right thrust ball bearing - Bearing Centre

Do you know when people use thrust ball bearings? The thrust bearing is used when you are working on a mechanical project. Ball thrust bearings are made to boost your mechanical efficiency by reducing friction. Several industrial applications frequently use thrust ball bearings to enhance their efficiency. Installing a suitable bearing is essential to get the most out of your equipment.

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Using the wrong bearing can reduce efficiency, increase maintenance needs, and, in the worst situations, make equipment failure expensive to repair. The fact is that several bearing types do not simplify your decision-making process. Selecting the right industrial bearings can be difficult.

Here you get a tip for choosing the right thrust ball bearing:

What is a thrust ball bearing?

Thrust ball bearings are a unique class of bearing created to support axial stresses. The components of this kind of bearing are a ball in the centre of a cage between two washers. The washer prevents the ball from moving axially while freely rotating inside the cage. Thrust ball bearings are perfect for high axial load applications like turbines and pumps because of their design. Heavy machinery like mining and construction equipment also makes use of them. Linear bearing is also less complex in their design than other types of bearings, which lowers their cost.

Check for accuracy

Thrust ball bearings can support axial loads in one or two directions. The balls, which roll with very low friction and carry the load, transfer the load between the raceways. Due to their design, thrust ball bearings are not appropriate for heavy radial loads.

To ensure appropriate functioning and precise load support, it is important to choose the right size and type of linear bearings and rails south Africa for your application. The bearing also needs to sustain the required speed and load capacity.

Selecting needle bearings that fit your unique requirements is important since thrust ball bearings are made to offer a high level of precision and accuracy. High-precision thrust ball bearings will perform more consistently and deliver successful results.

Speed

Needle bearings are designed to perform well over a specific range of speeds. A fast-moving system will require different bearings than a slow-moving system. Even if they are slightly out of alignment, high-speed bearings must continue to function securely because this might have a far more substantial impact when turning quickly.

Temperature

To make the most of a spinning system, you must know how temperature changes affect its parts. A system's journal bearing can generate a lot of heat, and how they respond to heat from other sources is also essential. The bearing's lubrication needs to be adjusted for the temperatures it will operate.

Load

The bearing load can be measured in several ways. The right radial load angle is applied to the shaft. Forces that act in the same direction can be measured using axial load. In a system, axial and radial loads can combine to create a moment or combined load. A bearing over the expected range must support all three types of loads.

Conclusion

If you are planning to buy a thrust ball bearing, you can choose a bearing centre that will offer you the best accuracy and speed of the bearing. The above listed are all the few tips you need to consider for selecting the right thrust ball bearing.

Thrust bearings buying guide - Itafran

Design :

There are two types of thrust ball bearing: single direction (1 row of balls) and double direction (2 rows of balls).

The single-acting thrust ball bearing accepts axial loads in one direction only, while the double-acting thrust ball bearing accepts axial loads in both directions.

The advantages of these bearings are limited. A minimum axial load is required to ensure that the balls run smoothly and the thrust bearing operates correctly. They are designed to accept axial loads only and must never be subjected to radial loads.

Advantages :

  • Interchangeable components, facilitating assembly, disassembly and maintenance inspections.
  • Shaft washers feature a ground bore for a tight fit. The housing washer bore is turned and its diameter is always greater than that of the shaft washer bore.

Applications :

Thrust ball bearings can be used for operating temperatures from -30°C to +150°C, limited by the lubricant.

Thrust bearings are commonly used in marine and aerospace applications. Other applications include food and beverage food and beverage processing medical devices, portable machine tools and a wide range of other applications.

Design :

There are two types of thrust ball bearing: single direction (1 row of balls) and double direction (2 rows of balls).

The single-acting thrust ball bearing accepts axial loads in one direction only, while the double-acting thrust ball bearing accepts axial loads in both directions.

The advantages of these bearings are limited. A minimum axial load is required to ensure that the balls run smoothly and the thrust bearing operates correctly. They are designed to accept axial loads only and must never be subjected to radial loads.

Advantages :

  • Interchangeable components, facilitating assembly, disassembly and maintenance inspections.
  • Shaft washers feature a ground bore for a tight fit. The housing washer bore is turned and its diameter is always greater than that of the shaft washer bore.

Applications :

Thrust ball bearings can be used for operating temperatures from -30°C to +150°C, limited by the lubricant.

Thrust bearings are commonly used in marine and aerospace applications. Other applications include food and beverage food and beverage processing medical devices, portable machine tools and a wide range of other applications.

Design:

Available with cylindrical, tapered and spherical rollers, thrust bearings are made up of separable elements: washer-shaft, washer-housing, ball cage.

Roller thrust bearings are also designed to support axial loads, but differ in that their rolling elements are rollers instead of balls. This design enables them to handle greater axial loads than ball thrust bearings , although their speed limit is lower than that of ball thrust bearings.

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Advantages :

Compared with thrust ball bearings, roller bearings are more powerful in terms of :

  • Load capacity: Roller thrust bearings are generally better suited to supporting high axial loads. Their configuration with cylindrical rollers offers a wider contact surface, enabling them to distribute the load more evenly and support higher loads.
  • Wear resistance: Thanks to their larger contact surface, roller thrust bearings tend to have lower wear than ball thrust bearings, making them more durable and extending their service life.
  • Sensitivity to shocks: Due to their robust design and load distribution over several rollers, roller thrust bearings are generally less sensitive to shocks and impacts.
  • Support for radial loads: Unlike ball thrust bearings, which are primarily designed for axial loads, some roller thrust bearing designs can also support limited radial loads (e.g. spherical roller bearings), making them more versatile in certain applications.

Roller thrust bearings are better suited to handling loads that undergo oscillating movements, making them suitable for certain applications where forces regularly change direction.

Applications :

Roller thrust bearings are used in applications where a high axial load must be supported, and where cylindrical or tapered rollers provide better load distribution.

In various industrial machines and equipment such as presses, rolling mills, cranes, hoists and machine tools, roller thrust bearings are used to support axial loads resulting from operation and mechanical movements.

Design:

Available with cylindrical, tapered and spherical rollers, thrust bearings are made up of separable elements: washer-shaft, washer-housing, ball cage.

Roller thrust bearings are also designed to support axial loads, but differ in that their rolling elements are rollers instead of balls. This design enables them to handle greater axial loads than ball thrust bearings , although their speed limit is lower than that of ball thrust bearings.

Advantages :

Compared with thrust ball bearings, roller bearings are more powerful in terms of :

  • Load capacity: Roller thrust bearings are generally better suited to supporting high axial loads. Their configuration with cylindrical rollers offers a wider contact surface, enabling them to distribute the load more evenly and support higher loads.
  • Wear resistance: Thanks to their larger contact surface, roller thrust bearings tend to have lower wear than ball thrust bearings, making them more durable and extending their service life.
  • Sensitivity to shocks: Due to their robust design and load distribution over several rollers, roller thrust bearings are generally less sensitive to shocks and impacts.
  • Support for radial loads: Unlike ball thrust bearings, which are primarily designed for axial loads, some roller thrust bearing designs can also support limited radial loads (e.g. spherical roller bearings), making them more versatile in certain applications.

Roller thrust bearings are better suited to handling loads that undergo oscillating movements, making them suitable for certain applications where forces regularly change direction.

Applications :

Roller thrust bearings are used in applications where a high axial load must be supported, and where cylindrical or tapered rollers provide better load distribution.

In various industrial machines and equipment such as presses, rolling mills, cranes, hoists and machine tools, roller thrust bearings are used to support axial loads resulting from operation and mechanical movements.

Design:

Thrust needle roller bearings feature high rigidity in a minimum of axial space. They are ideally suited to environments where space is limited, such as gear assemblies. These types of bearings can be designed with or without a single raceway, and in some cases, the rolling elements can use surrounding machine parts as raceways. Thanks to their design, thrust needle roller bearings can support high axial loads while maintaining high speeds.

Thrust needle roller bearings feature a sturdy cage that effectively holds and guides a large number of needles. They offer high rigidity while occupying minimal axial space. When used in applications where bearing surfaces in the housing or on the shaft can act as raceways, needle roller thrust bearings occupy no more space than a conventional thrust washer.

Advantages :

The main advantage of needle roller thrust bearings is their ability to support considerable loads or shocks. This is due to the small difference in diameter between needles in the same cage. In addition, to reduce contact pressure on raceways, the ends of the needles are slightly depressed, enabling them to better withstand high loads without harming the raceway.

Areas of application :

Here are just a few examples of common applications for needle roller thrust bearings:

  • Crankshaft bearings: Needle roller thrust bearings are used in internal combustion engines to support the axial loads resulting from reciprocating piston motion and crankshaft torque.
  • Driveshafts: In driveshafts, needle roller thrust bearings help support the axial loads resulting from rotation and power transfer.
  • Machine tools: Needle roller thrust bearings are used in machine tools to support axial loads resulting from machining operations.
  • Industrial equipment: In a variety of industrial equipment, such as pumps, compressors and gearboxes, needle roller thrust bearings are used to support axial loads generated by rotational movements and working loads.
  • Medical applications: In some medical equipment, such as fixed-dose syringes and infusion pumps, needle roller bearings can be used to support axial loads in confined spaces.
  • Aeronautical applications: In the aeronautical industry, needle roller bearings are used in flight control systems and flap mechanisms to support axial loads and guarantee precise movements.
  • Precision instruments: Needle roller bearings are also used in certain precision instruments, such as microscopes and optical equipment, to ensure precise, stable positioning.

Design:

Thrust needle roller bearings feature high rigidity in a minimum of axial space. They are ideally suited to environments where space is limited, such as gear assemblies. These types of bearings can be designed with or without a single raceway, and in some cases, the rolling elements can use surrounding machine parts as raceways. Thanks to their design, thrust needle roller bearings can support high axial loads while maintaining high speeds.

Thrust needle roller bearings feature a sturdy cage that effectively holds and guides a large number of needles. They offer high rigidity while occupying minimal axial space. When used in applications where bearing surfaces in the housing or on the shaft can act as raceways, needle roller thrust bearings occupy no more space than a conventional thrust washer.

Advantages :

The main advantage of needle roller thrust bearings lies in their ability to support considerable loads or shocks. This is due to the small difference in diameter between needles in the same cage. In addition, to reduce contact pressure on raceways, the ends of the needles are slightly depressed, enabling them to better withstand high loads without harming the raceway.

Areas of application :

Here are some examples of common applications for needle roller thrust bearings:

For more information, please visit thrust roller bearings.

  • Crankshaft bearings: Needle roller thrust bearings are used in internal combustion engines to support the axial loads resulting from reciprocating piston motion and crankshaft torque.
  • Drive shafts: In drive shafts, needle roller thrust bearings help support the axial loads resulting from rotation and power transfer.
  • Machine tools: Needle roller thrust bearings are used in machine tools to support axial loads resulting from machining operations.
  • Industrial equipment: In a variety of industrial equipment, such as pumps, compressors and gearboxes, needle roller thrust bearings are used to support axial loads generated by rotational movements and working loads.
  • Medical applications: In some medical equipment, such as fixed-dose syringes and infusion pumps, needle roller bearings can be used to support axial loads in confined spaces.
  • Aerospace applications: In the aerospace industry, needle thrust bearings are used in flight control systems and flap mechanisms to support axial loads and guarantee precise movements.
  • Precision instruments: Needle roller bearings are also used in certain precision instruments, such as microscopes and optical equipment, to ensure precise, stable positioning.