The Development History of Four-Point Contact Slewing Bearings
The development history of four-point contact slewing bearings is a history of continuous innovation and breakthroughs. It has always kept pace with the development of science and technology and continuously met the growing demands of various industries for mechanical components.
What is Four-Point Contact Slewing Bearing?
The four-point contact slewing bearing is a mechanical component composed of an inner ring, an outer ring, rolling elements, etc. The rolling elements have four-point contact with the raceways of the inner and outer rings, enabling the bearing to withstand axial forces, radial forces, and overturning moments simultaneously. It features a compact structure, high rotational accuracy, and large load-carrying capacity. It is widely used in fields such as construction machinery, wind power, and robotics, and can realize the smooth rotational movement of components. It is an indispensable key component in many large-scale mechanical equipment.
The Impetus of the Industrial Revolution: The Germination of Modern Slewing Bearings
It was the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century that truly promoted the development of slewing bearings. The widespread application of industrial manufacturing and mechanical devices put forward higher requirements for bearing technology. In 1776, the gyroscopic disc-shaped rolling bearing invented by the Scottish engineer John Sgriam was regarded as the prototype of modern slewing bearings. In the early 19th century, the British engineer Robert Jenner further improved the design and invented a metal bearing, making the slewing movement more stable and reliable and promoting the widespread application of slewing bearings in industrial machinery and railway transportation.
The Key Breakthrough in the Early 20th Century: The Birth of Four-Point Contact Slewing Bearings
The early 20th century was an important stage in the development of four-point contact slewing bearings. In 1912, the spherical ball device invented by the British engineer Joseph Thomson laid the foundation for the design of four-point contact slewing bearings. This design enables the bearing to withstand axial loads, radial loads, and tilting moments through the four-point contact between the steel balls and the bearing raceways, greatly expanding the application range of slewing bearings. Since then, four-point contact slewing bearings have continuously improved in design and manufacturing technology. The application of new materials and new technologies has significantly improved their load capacity, wear resistance, and service life.
The Leap in the Mid-20th Century: Material and Process Innovation
In the mid-20th century, with the rapid development of materials science and manufacturing processes, four-point contact slewing bearings迎来了新的突破. The application of new materials such as high-strength alloy steel and ceramic materials has significantly enhanced the performance of slewing bearings. High-strength alloy steel improves the load-carrying capacity and wear resistance of slewing bearings, while ceramic materials endow them with the characteristics of high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and low friction, enabling them to operate stably under harsher working conditions. At the same time, the improvement of manufacturing processes, such as the development of precision machining technology and heat treatment technology, has further improved the accuracy and reliability of slewing bearings.
During this period, four-point contact slewing bearings were widely used in fields such as construction machinery, construction machinery, metallurgical machinery, and ship machinery. In construction machinery, such as excavators and cranes, four-point contact slewing bearings enable the working devices to rotate flexibly and efficiently complete various operation tasks; in construction machinery, the slewing mechanism of tower cranes relies on four-point contact slewing bearings to achieve the precise lifting of heavy objects; in metallurgical machinery, the slewing bearings used in equipment such as converters and continuous casters need to withstand huge loads and harsh working environments, and four-point contact slewing bearings ensure the stable operation of the equipment with their excellent performance; in ship machinery, four-point contact slewing bearings provide reliable slewing support for equipment such as ship rudders and cranes.
Modern Innovation and Development: Technology-Driven and Application Expansion
With the continuous progress of science and technology, four-point contact slewing bearings have been continuously innovating in design and manufacturing. The application of technologies such as computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) enables engineers to design and analyze the structure and performance of slewing bearings more accurately, optimize design schemes, and improve product quality. At the same time, advanced manufacturing equipment and processes, such as numerical control machine tool processing and automated production lines, ensure the high-precision manufacturing and stable production of slewing bearings.
In the application field, four-point contact slewing bearings are constantly expanding new markets. In the wind power generation field, with the growing global demand for clean energy, the installed capacity and single-unit power of wind turbines are constantly increasing, putting forward higher requirements for the load-carrying capacity, reliability, and service life of slewing bearings. Four-point contact slewing bearings have become key components of the yaw and pitch systems of wind turbines with their good performance. In the industrial robot field, with the rapid development of intelligent manufacturing, industrial robots are being used more and more widely. Four-point contact slewing bearings provide high-precision and high-reliability slewing support for the joints of industrial robots, enabling robots to achieve more flexible and precise movements.
The Price of Four-Point Contact Slewing Bearings
There are many factors affecting the price of slewing bearings. Firstly, raw materials. High-quality steel has a high cost, and products made from it have excellent performance and a long service life, so the price is also high. Secondly, slewing bearings with complex manufacturing processes and high precision requirements require advanced equipment and strict quality control, so the price will also increase accordingly. Moreover, the larger and more special the size and specifications are, the greater the processing difficulty and material consumption, and the higher the price.
Suppliers of Four-Point Contact Slewing Bearings
In the field of slewing bearings, ldb bearing company shines globally with its excellent quality and innovation capabilities. With its profound heritage and unremitting efforts, the products of ldb bearing company cover a wide range. Whether they are standard or non-standard slewing bearings, they can be manufactured with high quality to meet the diverse needs of different customers. Advanced production and testing equipment are the cornerstone of high-quality products. ldb bearing company is well aware of this and is equipped with nearly 30 sets of various types of equipment. The company has an experienced design and technical team. With their profound professional knowledge and innovative spirit, they continuously optimize product designs and overcome technical problems.
