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KOD 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 393 (2018) 012060 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/393/1/012060
1234567890‘’“”

Stiffness analysis of slewing bearings

R Skyba1, S Hrček2, L Smetanka3 and M Majchrák4

1
University of Žilina, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Univerzitná 8215/1,
01026 Žilina

E-mail: Rudolf.Skyba@fstroj.uniza.sk

Abstract. The article deals with analysing the stiffness of a special type of bearings
called slewing bearings. The purpose of the analysis is to examine the stiffness of the
bearing steel. This type of bearings is most often designed for operation in which the
rolling elements and hence the rings themselves are loaded in the axial direction.
However, the aim of the work is not only to examine the stiffness but to identify
possible ways that would favourably affect the stiffness, achieving the maximum
lifetime or the maximum hours of operation. Stiffness measurements will be
performed in the Ansys Workbench calculation program. On the basis of the measured
values, manual calculation will be performed on the basis of which possible
inaccuracies that arise from the bearing production itself will be corrected.

1. Introduction
Slewing bearings also knowns as slewing rings are large sized rotary elements usually used in
applications in which large rotational functional elements are involved, such as tower cranes, wind
turbine generators, boring machines, etc. There are many different types of slewing bearings and they
can be divided in depending on the number of rows and also on the type of rolling elements. There are
bearings with one, two or three rows of rolling element and we distinguish between balls and rollers.
Figure 1 points to a typical arrangement of four contact point slewing bearing. Figure 1 also shows the
usual load system acting on bearing in axial or radial direction.
It has been studied that all angular contact ball bearings have similar features in consideration of
geometry, mechanism and structure [5]. The stiffness of angular four contact point ball bearings has a
very important influence on the dynamics of a rotating shaft and the machine system [6], the life and
the rolling contact fatigue can be determined by full scale bearing tests. This type of tests are released
on test rigs and that is very expensive and time consuming solution. Bearing designers would like to
understand the impact of four variables like Subsurface residual stress, Ball material density, Gradient
in yield strength with depth Raceway surface hardness that are thought to affect spall propagation [7].
Mullick [8] researches radial stiffness of a radial and ball bearings with angular contact using the
John Harris method and also the finite element method. For solving systems of nonlinear equations,
we are using Newton Raphson's method, while in contact analysis uses finite elements method. The
results show that the displacement and of the bearing rings depend with high probability on the
combined loads and centrifugal force. Antoine et al. [9],[10] propose two methods for determination
the contact angle between inner and outer ring of the bearing depending on the preload and also speed
for special cases of elastic preload. There are many methods based on the Hertz contact theory. They
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution
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Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
KOD 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 393 (2018) 012060 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/393/1/012060
1234567890‘’“”

Figure 1. Typical arrangement of four contact point slewing bearing.

are based on the assumptions that the force of preload constant and doesn't affect on the change of
contact angle or speed. In solving the system of equations, it is admitted that a certain speed, for a
preload comes only to the revoke of the axial clearance, and that there is no axial deformation.
Sun M. K. at al. [11] examine relationship between contact deformation, change of stiffness and
clearance of beating. The results gained by experimental and analytical propose determining the elastic
deformation of bearing elements must be taken into account radial and axial clearances in the bearing.
Wei L. at al. [12] examined the influence of centrifugal force, gyroscopic moment and preload on the
bearing stiffness. They concluded that if the value of contact angle of raceway and ball exceed 8.9°,
the value of the radial stiffness decreases with increasing speed. By the experiments have been shown
that the radial stiffness decreases more than 20% if the contact angle is 40° and revs are 15,000 rpm.
They also noted that the increasing of the temperature affects an increasing of preload of bearing and
increase the frequency of oscillation.
The most appropriate way to determine axial or radial stiffness of four point contact ball bearing is
to create 3D model with cad software programme like for example creo 3.0 parametric. In the next
step, it is necessary to convert native file from 3d cad software into a suitable format that could be
meshed in program such as ansys workbench. After the network is created, calculations can be made.
In an ideal case, experimental test will be performed to verify the calculations and confirm the
hypothesis.

2. Hertz contact theory

The Hertz contact theory assumes the contact of two bodies with curved surfaces, which are pushed
against each other by the force . Each of the two bodies is characterized by a curvature in main
planes that are perpendicular to each other, and in which the maximum and minimum curvature is

Figure 2. Radii of curvature located in main planes.

2
KOD 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 393 (2018) 012060 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/393/1/012060
1234567890‘’“”

located. Curvature is defined as the inverted value corresponding to the radius of curvature .
Curvature is positive if the centre of curvature is located inside the body (convex curvature ), and
negative if the centre is located outside the body (concave curvature ).

cos ∑
(1)
where:
∑ (2)
In accordance with Herts derived relations, the coefficients μ, and 2 / can be determined as a
function of cos . The values of the coefficients depending on the function of cos are shown in
Figure 3.

Figure 3. Coefficients µ,ν and 2Κ/πµ.

3. Theoretical calculations
According to Hertz relationship we can calculate the elastic deformation in order to analytically
express the ball slewing ring stiffness. Elastic deformation is calculated, with respect to the Hertzs
theory, separately for each point of contact. Which means that the calculations are separately for
rolling element - inner race contact and also separately for rolling element – outer race. For two rolling
elements with point contact that are compressed against each other by the compression force !",
Hertz compiled the calculation as [13]
' / , ∑
1.5 &()* +& * & * (3)
- .

Provided that the effective elastic modulus is [13]

-
0´ (4)
, "
The resulting formula can be written as:
' / ∑
1.5 &()* +&- ´* & * (5)
.

If we introduce constant K from equation 3 :

/
2 1.5+. (6)

We obtain a simplified adjusted relationship

3
KOD 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 393 (2018) 012060 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/393/1/012060
1234567890‘’“”

' /
2 & * +& ´ * ∑ (7)
() -
The total elastic deformation for rolling or slewing rings is equal to the summation of the elastic
deformation 3 between the outer race and the rolling element and deformation 4 between the inner
race and rolling element.
= 4+ 3 (8)
Then after formal adjustments we obtain :
' '
= 22 & ´*
/
"/ 5 ∑ 4 "/ + ∑ 3 "/ 8 (9)
- ()6 ()7

By adjusting the magnitude of the constant 2 to

/
2 = 2 ∗ 1.5+. (10)

We can than adjust equation 10 if we want to express the magnitude of the normal force acting on:
/
-´
= / (11)
/
; ;
' :<= ∑ 6 "/ <= ∑ 7 "/ >
6 7

If we introduce the constant ?@ for a double point contact of three bodies with spherical surface
-´
?@ = / (12)
/
; ;
' :<= ∑ 6 "/ <= ∑ 7 "/ >
6 7

We obtain the relationship for the normal force in the following well known form [13]
/
= ?@ ? (13)
If we take into account only the axial force AB because we are dealing with axial type of bearing then,
the relationship between axial deformation and normal deformation can be expressed by the
goniometric function
@ @ @
sin E = @ F@ = @F → = IJKFL (14)
6 7 G

Then the the final relationship between the normal force and the axial deformation of slewing ring will
be:
/
@
= ?@ &IJK FL * (15)

4. Basic model for FEM analysis

Geometrical parameters of the slewing bearing Figure 4. that are necessary to build 3D cad model, that
will be the basic element needed for structural analysis in ansys workbench or another software.
For analysing the slewing ring we must divide the whole bearing into a smaller units Figure 5 for
achieving more accurate results and much better computing mesh that is one of the most important
elements of this analysis.
The most important place where the fine calculation mesh is needed are the rolling elements itself.
Before the rolling elements will be divided, we need to know which part of rolling element surface is
in the contact with the race ways which are also the part of inner and outer rings. Schematic
representation of the model for the ball and the ball raceway contact is shown in Figure 6

4
KOD 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 393 (2018) 012060 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/393/1/012060
1234567890‘’“”

Figure 4. Geometrical parameters of the slewing bearing.

Figure 5. FEM model of slewing bearing.

Figure 6. Schematic representation of the model for the ball and the ball raceway contact.

An elliptical shape, being the values of its semi axes M and:

M ≈ 1.71 ∗ 10 1 − R" S.TSU

VW / / (16)

X ≈ 1.52 ∗ 10 1 − R" S. UYT

VW / / (17)
The maximum pressure in the contact area is found to be

Y `/
Z[\] ≈ 1.84 ∗ 10. 1 − R"S. (18)
/
ab

Finally, the elastic contact pressure that causes the static failure of the ball is, according to Z[\] .

5
KOD 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 393 (2018) 012060 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/393/1/012060
1234567890‘’“”

5. Results and conclusions

The main purpose of this work was to build a 3D cad model of the slewing bearing so that this model
could be recalculated using the ansys workbench calculation program, then the stiffness calculations
were to be performed to verify the simulated analysis. Due to the lack of structural analysis and the
time-consumingness of the solution of this task, a model was developed and the equations based on
which the bearing will be counted. Therefore, it can be assumed that the following article will deal
with the results of the current work that is in the process of solution.

Acknowledgements
This study was supported by Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract no.
APVV-14-0508 – Development of new methods for the design of special large-size slewing rings.
This study was supported by The ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak
Republic under the contract VEGA 1/0595/18 – Optimizing the internal geometry of roller bearings
with line contact in order to increase their durability and reduce their structural weight.

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