Effect of Roller Geometry on Roller Bearing Load–Life Relation

Abstract

Cylindrical roller bearings typically employ roller profile modification to equalize the load distribution, minimize the stress concentration at roller ends, and allow for a small amount of misalignment. The 1947 Lundberg-Palmgren analysis reported an inverse fourth-power relation between load and life for roller bearings with line contact. In 1952, Lundberg and Palmgren changed their load–life exponent to 10/3 for roller bearings, assuming mixed line and point contacts. The effect of the roller–crown profile was reanalyzed in this article to determine the actual load–life relation for modified roller profiles. For uncrowned rollers (line contact), the load–life exponent is p = 4, in agreement with the 1947 Lundberg-Palmgren value, but crowning reduces the value of the exponent, p. The lives of modern roller bearings made from vacuum-processed steels significantly exceed those predicted by the Lundberg-Palmgren theory. The Zaretsky rolling-element bearing life model of 1996 produces a load–life exponent of p = 5 for flat rollers, which is more consistent with test data. For the Zaretsky model with fully crowned rollers, p = 4.3. For an aerospace profile and chamfered rollers, p = 4.6. Using the 1952 Lundberg-Palmgren value p = 10/3, the value incorporated in ANSI/ABMA and ISO bearing standards, can create significant life calculation errors for roller bearings.