What Is Thrust Bearing?

Thrust bearings, also known as thrust bearings, are special bearings used to bear axial force, that is, bearings with vertical axis force.

Thrust bearings are generally composed of two thrust gaskets or more thrust gaskets and a number of rolling bodies. Generally, thrust gaskets are 

divided into shaft plates and seat plates. The most common type of rolling bodies is generally composed of iron or copper cages. The most 

common type of bearing is steel ball thrust bearing. Thrust bearings are designed and used to withstand axial loads.The following is an 

introduction to thrust bearings:

1, thrust ball bearing: thrust ball bearing (thrust ball bearing) is a kind of separation bearing, the shaft ring, seat ring can be separated from the 

cage, steel ball components. The shaft ring is matched with the shaft ring, the seat ring is matched with the bearing seat hole ring, and there is 

a gap between the shaft; Thrust ball bearings can only bear axial load, one-way thrust ball bearings can only bear axial load in one direction, 

two-way thrust ball bearings can bear axial load in two directions; Thrust ball bearings can not limit the radial displacement of the shaft, 

the limit speed is very low, one-way thrust ball bearings can limit the axial displacement of the shaft and the shell in one direction, 

two-way bearings can limit the axial displacement of the two directions.

2, thrust roller bearings: thrust roller bearings (thrust roller bearings) for bearing axial load, radial combined load, but the radial load shall 

not exceed 55% of the axial load. Compared with other thrust roller bearings, this kind of bearing has lower friction coefficient, higher speed 

and self-aligning performance. The roller of type 29000 bearing is asymmetric spherical roller, which can reduce the relative sliding of 

roller and raceway at work. Besides, the roller is long and large in diameter, the number of rollers is large, and the load capacity is high. 

Oil lubrication is usually used, and grease lubrication can be used in some cases of low speed. In the design selection, should be preferred; 

80000 type thrust cylindrical roller bearing, 90000 type thrust tapered roller bearing and AXK type thrust needle roller bearing, can withstand 

one-way axial load, it is much larger than the axial load capacity of thrust ball bearing, and large rigidity, occupy small axial space. 

Thrust cylindrical roller bearing and thrust needle roller bearing are suitable for the occasion of low speed, the speed of thrust 

tapered roller bearing is slightly higher than that of thrust cylindrical roller bearing.

3. Thrust needle roller bearing: Thrust needle roller bearing can be considered as a special thrust cylindrical roller bearing, whose length-width 

ratio is defined as the ratio of roller length to diameter, which is significantly greater than 2.

Therefore, the load capacity of thrust needle roller bearings is obviously smaller than cylindrical roller bearings with similar thrust diameters. 

Use thrust needle roller bearings in the medium and low speed range to prevent adverse effects of sliding between roller and raceway. Thrust 

needle roller bearings may be complete bearing assemblies with thrust gaskets and roller cage assemblies or needle roller and cage assemblies. 

Needle rollers are hardened and precision ground for optimal load distribution.

In automotive applications, one use of thrust bearings is in manual transmissions. In this case, the clutch release bearing, or throw bearing, is actually 

a special type of thrust bearing, it is located within the transmission shaft, when the driver on the clutch pedal, started by fork, fork will be pressed into 

the pressure plate, release the clutch plate, allowing the pilot shift or brake pressure plate, bolted to the flywheel When the clutch separation bearing 

comes into contact with the flywheel, it rotates, so the bearing may have to cope with high levels of thrust without breaking.

In non-automotive applications, thrust bearings can be found anywhere bearings are likely to withstand high levels of axial stress. On aircraft and 

helicopters, thrust bearings will be used in landing gear and rotors to handle the thrust involved in these applications. Roller and ball bearings are 

most commonly used in automotive and aerospace applications, and fluid thrust bearings are commonly used in thrust blocks in ships. These 

bearings are much smaller than ball bearings or roller bearings and provide lower levels of friction. These factors make engines more powerful, 

and fluid thrust bearings are widely used in both offshore and onshore power plants.