Bearings Used In The Agricultural Industry to Maximise Profitability

In the height of summer, many in the agricultural industry will be haymaking, silage collecting, and beginning the combining of cereal crops, alongside many other farming-related duties. Needless to say, those in agriculture work around the clock and face tough and unforgiving conditions and the machinery they use must withstand these conditions to operate effectively and dependably.

Bearings are found in a range of agricultural applications, like Combine Harvesters, Balers, Mowing, Raking, and Picking Machinery, to name a few. Each play a vital role in farming and the production of crops, and therefore it can be costly if downtime occurs. Weather conditions throughout the year take a toll on equipment and the bearings within. Dust can contaminate the bearings in summer and in the spring and autumn months, poor, hard ground conditions can put pressure on the machines and cause the bearings to misalign. Below, we’ll outline the different types of agricultural bearings found in machinery and how they are suited to these applications and environments.

Deep Groove Radial Ball Bearings

Agricultural Ball Bearings are used in nearly every piece of machinery you see.  Deep Groove Ball Bearings can handle both radial and axial load from both directions and perform in high-speed operations. They are often used in the head of Combine Harvesters and the gear drive of Disc Mowers. Contamination in the bearing by dust, dirt, and water can dramatically reduce its service life.  Sealed Deep Groove Ball Bearings are an effective solution. They are easy to maintain as the robust sealed design means they are ‘sealed for life’ and never require relubrication. Sealed bearings are a dependable choice for these applications.

Taper Roller Bearings

Taper Roller Bearings feature a cup and cone assembly and are available in single, double, and four-row configurations. The intended application and expected environmental factors - like the speed, load, temperature, and vibration - will determine which of the different configurations is required. Taper Roller Bearings are robust and hardy and are commonly used in trailer wheels where they can handle the tough conditions and ensure reliability in the field. Single Row and Matched Taper Roller Bearings, in particular, are used in Tractors. Tractors spend a lot of time on the road travelling between locations, so these bearings allow for higher speeds and enhanced carrying capacity while maintaining the compact tractor design.

Sealed Spherical Roller Bearings

Spherical Roller Bearings are a popular choice in agricultural machinery due to their capacity to manage extremely heavy loads and their self-aligning nature. These bearings are often found in Grain Processing Machinery as they can compensate for the small amounts of misalignment in this type of operation.  Sealed Spherical Roller Bearings are used in the Feederhouse assembly of Combine Harvesters. The Feederhouse delivers crop material from the header of the Combine into the threshing area. As a result, the bearings can come into contact with dirt and debris, which can potentially cause skewing.

Sealed Spherical Roller Bearings are an ideal choice in this application as not only are they able to withstand high speeds, high loads, and misalignment, but they are also sealed to prevent contamination, reducing the need for relubrication, and increasing service life. This means less unplanned downtime, lower lifetime cost on new bearings and grease, and a reduced need for maintenance.

Maintenance-free Spherical Plain Bearings

In Agriculture,  Spherical Plain Bearings are often used in Fertilizer Sprayers. This is an application which operates under harsh, demanding and corrosive conditions, and still, farmers today increasingly desire sprayers which are faster, more precise, with better manoeuvrability, less maintenance, and lower fuel costs. As such, Maintenance-free Spherical Plain Bearings are being implemented, and the benefits are being seen. The sliding contact surface of these bearings is different from the standard steel/steel (steel on steel) combination, with different material combinations available. Spherical Plain Bearings are robust by design, have excellent load carrying capacity, are wear-resistant, and enable multi-directional self-aligning movements. The maintenance-free types enjoy the added benefits of minimal maintenance requirements, reduced lubrication consumption, and overall savings thanks to their longer service life.

Flanged Bearing Units

Flanged Ball Bearing Units consist of a ball bearing and housing, often made from cast iron or pressed steel, which is bolted onto a machine. You’ll often find Flanged Bearing Units in Tillage and Harvesting Machinery, Seedbed Finishers, Disc Harrows, and Ploughs. These machines work in challenging environments exposed to shock loads and high speeds. To avoid downtime during the on-season and reduce maintenance, overall costs from replacement parts and stalled productivity, the machines must be fitted with reliable bearings designed to withstand these gruelling operating conditions. Both 2-bolt oval and 4-bolt square types of Flanged Ball Bearing Units are used in Tillage and Harvesting Machinery. Square Flanged Units are easy to attach to machines and include four bolts. The Oval Flanged Units are often used where mounting space is limited or when a reduced distance between shafts is desired, as this unit is mounted onto the machine with only two bolts.

To optimise productivity, choosing the right bearing for the application is important. It’s also essential that the bearings are fitted and mounted correctly and provided the correct lubrication intervals. Ensuring the bearing runs at its optimum speed and temperature, and with the right load will optimise its service life.

As we head towards the end of summer, the agricultural industry won’t be slowing down and fields full of machinery will remain a common sight. When time is limited and the window to get work done is closing all the time, downtime due to bearing failure is the last thing anyone needs. Stay a step ahead and order your parts now! 

Here at Quality Bearings Online, we supply many advanced agricultural machinery bearings from world-renowned brands such as  SKF Bearings and Lubricants, NSK Bearings, Timken Bearings and many more. We are proud to offer the fastest and most reliable delivery service worldwide.

If you are looking for the best bearings for agriculture, shop online today or contact a member of our knowledgeable sales team.  Contact Us.