A method for the tolerance analysis of bearing seats for cylindrical roller bearings in respect to operating clearance and fatigue life

Roller bearings are used in a vast variety of mechanical applications and are often highly stressed machine elements. Therefore the fatigue life of roller bearings can determine the reliability and service life of these mechanical systems. The fatigue life of a roller bearing is greatly affected by its operating clearance and the design of the adjacent components (namely shaft and housing). Especially the geometric dimensioning and tolerancing of the bearing seats can have great influence on the operating clearance and therefore the fatigue life of a roller bearing. In this article a method for the statistical tolerance analysis of the operating clearance of cylindrical roller bearings is presented. The method uses a discrete geometry representation coupled with contact detection algorithms for the determination of the operating clearance. The results are thereafter coupled with the calculation of the fatigue life. Statistical analysis of the results assists an engineering designer when choosing a robust design for the bearing seats.