The Timken Company (www.timken.com) has unveiled the latest line of high capacity, easy-to-install bearings for the most demanding continuous caster applications in the metal industry, the new ADAPT bearings.

This new bearing comes with a unique design that delivers optimal performance, reliability and ease of installation, which translates to lower downtime attributed to maintenance intervals.

“The introduction of the ADAPT line underscores Timken’s long-standing commitment to the metals market,” remarked Mike Connors, Vice President, Distribution at Timken.

“We developed the ADAPT bearing in response to our customers’ requests for a caster application bearing that is easy to install, offers extended bearing life and improves performance. While caster applications are demanding on equipment components such as bearings, the innovative design of ADAPT provides durability and flexibility to keep casters operating at optimal levels.”

The new ADAPT bearing comprises a cylindrical inner ring, an outer ring designed with a proprietary outer race profile and a retainer/roller assembly that comes with a profiled rollers and a snap-in retainer. The bearing’s inner ring features a cylindrical raceway, which allows the shaft to float or move left to right relative to the outer ring.

Designed with a proprietary profile, the bearing’s roller and outer ring compensates for misalignment associated with shaft bending to a maximum of 0.5 degrees. It also enhances contact stress distribution for longer bearing life and develops a self-aligning effect with the rollers, which reduces skewing while keeping a constant bearing clearance.

The one-piece nitride steel retainer of the bearing snaps into position to keep the rollers in place during mounting and dismounting, while the outer and inner rings can be separately fitted for improved installation flexibility and easier handling. The component design of the ADAPT bearing simplifies removal and inspection while allowing operators to save time, costs and to independently change parts as required during maintenance.