SKF supplied a large spherical roller bearing, with a bore diameter of 1,25 metres, to be used within the mining industry. The bearing was manufactured at SKF’s factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, and has a weight of 8 tonne, with each roller within weighing 42 kg. The bearing is equipped with SKF SensorMount system, measuring the actual mounting fit of the bearing onto the shaft, helping avoid the risk of improper mounting, a major issue for large size bearings.
The bearing is of the upgraded SKF Explorer class with improved wear resistance, thanks to a patented material heat treatment process that nearly doubles service life in poor lubrication and contaminated conditions. SKF worked in close cooperation with the customer, in order to design an optimum 241/1250 bearing particularly suitable for very demanding and extreme operating conditions typical of mining industry applications.