FE analysis of a novel roller form: a deep end-cavity roller for roller-type bearings

A novel roller form, a deep end-cavity roller, is proposed for roller-type bearings, with a view to reducing the weight of the structure and the centrifugal forces acting on the outer race of the bearing, and reducing the sensitivity of the bearing performance to the manufacturing precision. FE simulation results suggest that the new design would enable a straight-profile-roller bearing to have a similar performance to that for a logarithmic-profile roller bearing, as the deep end-cavity roller eliminates the sharp edge-stresses at the two apexes of the roller. Compared with the manufacture of a logarithmic-profile roller, the manufacture of a straight-profile deep end-cavity roller is simpler, and less strict on manufacturing precision. The deep end-cavity roller also enables an “in-process” correction of the contact-stress distribution between the roller and the raceway.