spherical roller thrust bearings are designed to achieve a high thrust capacity with low friction and continuous roller alignment. This bearing type is ideal for operating conditions that experience heavy loads, difficulty in establishing or maintaining housing alignment, or shaft deflection.
In spherical roller thrust bearings the load is transmitted from one raceway to the other at an angle to the bearing axis (fig 1). The bearings are therefore suitable to accommodate radial loads in addition to simultaneously acting axial loads. Another important characteristic of spherical roller thrust bearings is their self-aligning capability. This makes the bearings insensitive to shaft deflection and misalignment of the shaft relative to the housing.