Strength check of a three-row roller slewing bearing based on a mixed finite element model

Abstract

For the two failure modes of a three-row roller slewing bearing, ring fracture and raceway spalling, a method for checking the strength of a slewing bearing through finite element analysis is proposed. This method calculates the internal stress distribution of the bearing rings by using the mixed finite element model with both solid elements and spring elements of the slewing bearing assembly and checks the bearing structural strength by using the maximum internal stress of the bearing rings. The method also calculates the contact stress between the roller and raceways by using the entity contact model between the roller and the raceways; the obtained maximum contact stress is used to check the contact strength of the slewing bearing. The proposed mixed finite element model considers the structural deformation of the bearing rings, and the calculated results can reflect the real situation more accurately than the traditional analytical model with the hypothesis of rigid ring. The proposed method also avoids the solution problem, which has large-scale calculation and difficulty of convergence of the entity finite element model of a slewing bearing, and the calculation efficiency is improved effectively. The calculated results by mixed finite element model are consistent with the failure mode of this type of slewing bearing in engineering practice.