Double-row self-aligning ball bearings are also called self-aligning because they are insensitive to angular misalignment of the shaft relative to the housing, which can be caused, for example, by shaft deflection.
Self-aligning ball bearings are therefore equipped with two rows of ball bearings, a common spherical raceway in the outer ring and a raceway with two deep, continuous grooves in the inner ring and are designed to tolerate shaft bending during stroke and they are also able to resist any initial misalignment.
They produce less friction than any other type of bearing, which allows for lower operating temperatures even at high speeds. Furthermore, thanks to reduced heat production, bearing temperatures are lower, resulting in longer service life and maintenance intervals. These self-aligning ball bearings can reduce noise and vibration levels, for example in fans.
Acronyms and variables
There are many possible options for double row angular contact thrust ball bearings, the acronyms may change from brand to brand, to clarify, here is the complete list of acronyms so you can choose the bearing that best suits your application:
E: Optimized internal design for greater load capacity
M: Solid steel cage, centered on the balls;
C3: Internal radial clearance greater than Normal
TN9: PA66 (Polyamide) cage reinforced with fiberglass, centered on the balls.
K: Tapered bore, 1:12 taper
C2: Radial internal clearance less than Normal
