Traction Railway Bearings
Traction bearings are so important to the railways due to the fact that special consideration should be given to the economical operation of railway vehicles as well as their overall safety and reliability.
Now more than ever countries around the world are investing in new railway networks, which comes as no surprise due to the fact that they are considered to be the ideal form of transportation, especially when it comes to long journeys. In order to accommodate this investment in the trains network a new generation of trains are required in order for the train network to go faster than ever before as well as to travel much longer distances without the hassle of maintenance. All of this of course puts a lot of added stress on the traction motors and rolling bearings of the trains, which is why it is so important for traction railway bearings to be used as they will be able to handle the extra stress.
Traction railway bearings have been designed and engineered in a way that makes them a lot stronger than just your average bearing. They have been designed in such a way that means they are able to operate under some very serve conditions, which include the following:
High radial and axial loads
High impact loads
High speed
Extended periods of operation without maintenance
All of the above points are what make traction bearings perfect for the railway network. These traction railway bearings are generally made from roller bearings and they are usually cylindrical ones because of their high-speed and heavy-load capabilities as well as easy assembly and disassembly.
By using traction railway bearings you are in effect offering new opportunities for space savings, easier mounting and longer maintenance intervals as well as improved performance. They allow you to achieve lower life cycle costs within the railway network and unlike gearbox bearings, traction railway bearings are usually grease lubricated in order to avoid the complication of an oil system and to avoid any risk of oil actually entering into the motor.
In the past grease lubrication has been used mainly for low speed bearings as this is the most appropriate and reliable. However for high speed bearings special greases have been developed in order to cope with the relatively high temperatures and high degree of mechanical working. In cases such as this however the greasing instructions need to be carefully followed and the bearing housing must have appropriate arrangements to expel excess grease. If a high speed bearing is over-packed with grease it will overheat. This generally demonstrates that the only time traction railway bearings won't perform to their full potential is when they are accidentally over greased.
As the railway industry is growing and improving it is vital that traction railway bearings are made a part of this. They can help to change the way the network runs and could be just the thing to get more people using the trains again.
