TIMKEN bearing selection is a process for evaluating the suitability of bearings for specific industrial applications. The quality of the information available to make these selections will play a major role in determining the success of the bearing choice.

The first step in TIMKEN bearing selection is identifying the proper roller element type, whether it is a ball, needle, cylindrical, spherical or tapered roller bearing. Each TIMKEN roller bearing type has advantages and disadvantages that are specific to each design and will affect such things as the loads and speeds that the bearing can sustain in the application.

Next, assess the size constraints of the TIMKEN bearing envelope or available space. This is done by considering the minimum shaft diameter, maximum housing bore and available width within the application for the bearing. After the bearing envelope is defined, search the catalog for TIMKEN bearings with bores, outer diameters and widths that will fit within the bearing envelope. There may be several bearings with different load-carrying capacities available that fit within the envelope.

Determine which of these TIMKEN bearings will give the desired life in the application by performing a bearing life analysis for each bearing. The following sections in this TIMKEN catalog give a detailed explanation of how to perform bearing life analysis.

Once you have chosen the right TIMKEN bearing to handle the load requirements of the application, the bearing selection is completed once the design options are chosen. These options include such features as cage type, cylindrical roller bearing flange arrangements, radial internal clearance or setting, precision level and lubrication. These options are selected based on the application's speed, temperature, mounting and loading conditions, and will enable you to achieve optimum bearing performance and life.