A spherical roller bearing is capable of sustaining which type of loads?

A spherical roller bearing is designed primarily to accommodate high radial loads, making it suitable for applications where such forces are prevalent. The unique geometry of the spherical rollers allows them to maintain contact with the raceway over a larger area, which distributes the load more effectively and reduces stress concentrations.

This design also provides the ability to handle misalignment between the shaft and housing, which is common in many industrial applications. As a result, spherical roller bearings are highly reliable under conditions of significant radial stress and have the capacity to endure heavy loads while maintaining smooth operation.

In contrast, while spherical roller bearings can handle some axial loads, they are not primarily intended for high axial loading applications, and thus they are less effective in those areas compared to other bearing types specifically designed for axial loads. Similarly, they are not suited for applications focused on low radial loads or vibrational loads, which might require different bearing technologies optimized for those specific conditions.