The special bearing weighs in at around 4.7 tons and has an outside diameter of 1,900 millimeters, a bore diameter of 1,500 millimeters, and a height of 600 millimeters.

The bearing will be used on a cutter suction dredger that was designed and built by Royal IHC, a Dutch company that specializes in equipment, vessels, and services for the offshore, dredging, and wet mining markets.

Auto component manufacturer, Schaeffler on Thursday said it has produced the largest spherical plain bearing in the company’s history to date. 

This special bearing weighs in at around 4.7 tons and has an outside diameter of 1,900 millimeters, a bore diameter of 1,500 millimeters, and a height of 600 millimeters, the company said in a statement. 

The bearing will be used on a cutter suction dredger that was designed and built by Royal IHC, a Dutch company that specializes in equipment, vessels, and services for the offshore, dredging, and wet mining markets.

According to the company, the collaboration made it possible to make the bearing in three months with customised requirements. 

Designing and producing remained a challenge for Schaeffler’s experts as the inner and outer rings had to be implemented in a single-piece design.

As the forces only act unilaterally on spherical plain bearing, it was designed asymmetrically, making important savings possible in terms of space and weight.

To ensure a long operating life and low levels of wear, Schaeffler created a special system of lubrication grooves, which are designed in such a way that the grease is evenly distributed during small swiveling motions of around 20 degrees, thus ensuring optimum lubrication.

The company claims that the bearing has a high operational reliability and low maintenance outlay for the customer.