What are spherical plain bearings?

Spherical plain bearings are specially designed bearings which are capable of a specified angular rotation. They feature a rotating shaft in their inner ring which enables the spherical plain bearing to move rotationally at an angle.

The spherical plain bearing was first used back in 1840 to provide support to the line shafts in mills. Today, these types of bearings are used extensively across almost all industries, where rotational and angular movement is involved.

What are spherical plain bearings made of?

Spherical plain bearings consist of an outer ring and an inner ring, along with a locking mechanism that restricts the movement of the inner ring to the axial direction. The facing surfaces of the inner and outer rings, called the raceway, slide against each other. They typically use a lubricant or a PTFE based liner to ensure smooth movement against each other, and sometimes they can also feature a rolling element to facilitate movement while lowering friction. 

Applications

Spherical bearings are used in a wide range of applications. Some of the most common applications include:

• Vehicle control arm 
• Car suspensions 
• Driveshafts 
• Engines
• Robotics 
• Sewing machines 
• Heavy machinery