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By incorporating special enhancements to address these modes of fatigue damage, power density can increase the cost-effectiveness of the entire system. Specifically, tapered roller bearings have improved both service life and power capacity through advances in:

* Materials -- Improved micro-cleanness, alloys and processing techniques (Figure 1).
* Design -- Improved internal geometry, such as roller/race profiles, to carry higher loads and handle misalignment within a given envelope (Figure 2).
* Tribology -- Optimized interaction of bearing surface topography with lubricants, lubricant additives and debris (Figure 3).
* Manufacturing -- Advances in processing techniques for surface finish, plus precision tolerances, improved profiles, material cleanness and heat treatment.
* Application Analysis -- Advanced performance-prediction tools that consider the effects of bearing design features as well as significant bearing environmental influences such as load zone, misalignment, lubrication, temperature, housing rigidity, load and speed.

Degrees of Life Enhancement
Various degrees of power density can be applied to enhance bearing life and durability, Figure 4. Typically an enhanced bearing will provide a minimum of 1.5 times the life of a standard bearing, although in more severe operating conditions, performance gains of 4-5 times are not uncommon. To clearly identify the design and life enhancement potential of power dense bearings, the designer should make a detailed application analysis of the many bearing design variables as well as operating and environmental factors. Bearing manufacturers can apply advanced software to accurately quantify these effects.

Fully-enhanced bearings increase life by minimizing the three primary modes of fatigue damage through the incorporation of cleaner steel, super-finished rolling contact areas (rollers and raceways) and optimized geometry. Super-clean, air melt steel provides an additional 30 percent increase in life to fully enhanced bearings.Selectively-enhanced bearings offer the flexibility of selecting or applying only those enhancements needed to economically optimize performance in specific applications. Service life can increase within the range shown in Figure 4 and depends both on the specific enhancements chosen as well as the specific operating conditions. Such bearings fill the performance gap between standard and fully enhanced bearings. Selectively enhanced bearings are especially cost-effective in large bearings (8 to 84" OD), where fully-enhanced features may not be readily feasible.

Putting Power Density to Work

Despite the detailed analysis associated with optimizing power density, the concept is not limited to original equipment design. Its effectiveness has been well-documented with replacement bearings in existing envelopes-doubling life, decreasing downtime and reducing regular maintenance intervals.

In fact, most industrial vehicle drivelines experience demanding operating criteria, and as such, can significantly benefit from enhanced bearings. These criteria include: heavy loads, high deflections, high temperatures, slower speeds (generates a thin lubricant film separating the bearing contact surfaces) and low viscosity lubrication. Power density attributes can be applied to directly address the operating environment's most prevalent mode of fatigue. Specific applications include: off-highway truck wheel and rolling mill chock bearings,countershaft transmissions, pinion shafts, planetary drives, sprockets, hydraulic pumps and motors, sheaves, large gear drives and most industrial gearbox and axle units.Similarly for service replacement these cost-effective, power dense bearings enable users to: 1) increase bearing life, or 2) correct a field performance problem, without modifying the system to incorporate a larger bearing.

In this context, the knowledge to improve performance and reduce downtime through increased bearing power density has proven to be a "powerful" means to maximize competitive advantage. Give it a try.