C OM P O N EN T S

Sealed Ball Bearings:

A Clear Choice Over Tapered Roll
A Superior Industries White Paper
U p to 30 percent of all idler bearing failures are the
result of marginal lubrication. But with hundreds, if not
thousands of idlers within an operation, maintenance costs
4. TOLERANCE TO ANGULAR SHAFT DEFLECTION
Angular misalignment between the shaft and the end-
disc occurs when the shaft deflects under the operating
become a nagging hot button. So, many producers specify load. Ball bearings are praised for their ability to tolerate
factory-sealed, non-relubricable ball bearing idlers. Others up to 16 minutes or .005 in/in of misalignment while
may remain with regreaseable tapered roller bearing idlers, maintaining normal contact. Keep in mind that early
pointing to their higher L10 life. But consider that L10 life may designs of tapered roller bearings could only tolerate 3
have little to do with actual idler life. Less than 5 percent of minutes or .0009 in/in. Misalignment causes edge contact
bearings fail by fatigue, so it follows that the added L10 life of in tapered roller bearings, severely reducing bearing life.
the tapered roller bearing should be minimized. Even though
idler manufacturers may offer a “so-called” sealed-for-life
5. HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE
The point contact of the rolling elements, the controlled
tapered roller bearing idler, it is merely playing catch-up to the
grease fill aid in making ball bearings a consistent
superior sealed ball bearing design. Here are five big reasons
high-speed performer. The tapered roller bearing can
why the sealed ball bearing idler is a clear choice:
also operate at these speeds, but the higher operating
temperature requires close attention to maintenance,
1. LOW MAINTENANCE
idler seal design, grease quantity, and grease type.
A sealed-for-life ball bearing provides significant,
ongoing cost savings by eliminating maintenance labor,
grease expenditures, and grease piping for single-point
lubrication. As to the tapered roller bearing, the grease
pumping action caused by the wide surface of the roller
forces the grease away from the rolling elements. The
only way to replace it is to pump in new grease.

2. LOWER OPERATING COSTS

Typically, the ball bearing offers a lower price tag and an
easier assembly versus that of the tapered roller bearing.
Power consumption is also an issue. The friction caused by
rolling resistance increases the amount of power required
to move the conveyor belt. The CEMA Ai value is the force
required to overcome frictional resistance and rotate idlers.
Ball bearing idlers have a significantly lower Ai value than
tapered roller bearing idlers. On long horizontal conveyors,
this can represent major costs savings, plus an increased life of
associated drive components.

3. SEAL EFFECTIVENESS
Idler roll seals are responsible for retaining grease in the
bearing cavity, excluding contaminants, maintaining low roll
resistance, and maximizing wear life. Ball bearing idlers rely
on the seal attached to the bearing itself as well as the seal
configuration provided by the idler manufacturer. Tapered
roller bearing idlers rely only on the idler manufacturer’s seal.

SPWP1205ENPR-01

2 Superior Industries, Inc. | 315 E State Highway 28, Morris MN 56267