What is a pillow block bearing used for?

A pillow block bearing (or plummer block) is a pedestal used to provide support for a rotating shaft with the help of compatible bearings & various accessories. The assembly consists of a mounting block which houses a bearing.

Where are pillow blocks used?

Pillow block bearing units are usually a housed bearing with a machined mounting surface and used in mechanical power transmission systems to support shafts and couplings. The shaft is parallel to the mounting surface and generally perpendicular to the mounting screws. They are a type of housed bearing units.

How does a pillow bearing work?

A pillow block bearing consists of a mounting bracket (pillow block) that houses a bearing and is used in low-torque, light load applications. With this configuration, the pillow block is bolted to a foundation, securing it, while the shaft and the inner ring of the bearing are free to rotate.

What is difference between Plummer block and pillow block bearing?

Pillow blocks are used for more lightweight applications and plummer blocks are used to transfer high power and support heavy industrial loads. Plummer blocks and pillow blocks are designed to safely mount a bearing which lets its outer ring to not move but allows the inner ring to rotate.

What is a bearing housing used for?

Bearing housings support your bearings, protect them from contaminants while keeping in lubricant, and can also house monitoring equipment. Essentially, they provide customizable mounted bearing solutions and help maximize performance, service life and cost-efficient maintenance of the incorporated bearing.

How strong are pillow block bearings?

They have high radial and axial load capacities when used at low to intermediate speed levels. The thrust level of tapered-roller pillow block bearings is about 60% of the radial capacity.

What type of bearing is a Plummer block?

Plummer block housings can be used with high-capacity spherical roller bearings or self-aligning ball bearings. They are manufactured from high-strength cast iron as standard but are also available in cast steel or spheroidal graphite cast iron.

What are three types of mounted bearings?

Mounted bearing types include pillow blocks (solid or split), flanged cartridges, cylindrical cartridges, and take-up units.

How do I know if my pillow block bearings?

With pillow block bearings, product selection is based on:

Shaft diameter- the diameter must be matched with the appropriate bore dimensions of the bearing unit.
Shaft height- the shaft height or backing height is determined by measuring the distance from the base of a pillow block bearing to the center of the shaft.

Why are Plummer blocks made of cast iron?

High-performance cast iron plummer blocks display excellent rigidity and are easy to handle. They can be fitted with spherical roller bearings (high load capacity) or self-aligning ball bearings. They can be used with bearings with cylindrical bore or bearings with tapered bore with adapters.