Influence of Clearance on Load Distribution of Crossed Cylindrical Roller Slewing Bearings

Clearance is an important parameter influencing on the performance of the slewing bearings. The influence law of clearance on load distribution of crossed cylindrical roller slewing bearings was researched．Firstly, the statics model of the bearing with external combined loads was established and a set of nonlinear equilibrium equations were obtained; then, the roller load distribution was calculated by using Newton-Raphson iterative procedure. By using this model and method, the relation of internal bearing clearances and the roller load distribution was analyzed. Results show that with the decrease of the clearance, the number of rollers undertaking the loads begins to increase, and the roller load distribution tends to be homogenized. As the clearance decreases from positive value to negative value, the maximum roller load decreases firstly and then increases gradually. There is an optimal clearance value which is propitious to improve the carrying capacity of the bearing.