What makes an Extreme Bearing special?

What we sell is a customised solution based on our unique stainless steel bearing housings that we design and manufacture ourselves. They are made entirely from high-grade AISI 316 stainless steel. (Most companies offer cast iron housings that rust in aggressive environments or weak plastic housings that tend to become brittle over time.) We invented the stainless steel housing that is an essential part of an Extreme Bearing assembly. This stainless steel housing is combined with a variety of bearing inserts plus a range of clever sealing options to keep dirt, water and chemicals out. The cover is locked into the housing so the cover cannot be lost. This complete bearing assembly unit is what we call

the Extreme Bearing. So what you get is a solution customised for your needs based on advice from our team of experts.

An Extreme Bearing makes a good investment because you can use the same housings through multiple changes of the bearing inserts.

The latest generation of Extreme Bearing units are designed for a single row spherical roller bearing insert.

Designed for two types of bearing inserts

We offer housings designed for two types of bearing inserts:

  • Type T is for double row spherical roller bearings.

  • Type E is new and is for single row spherical roller bearings.

Please note that we do not use stainless steel bearing inserts in our bearing assembly solutions. Even though stainless steel makes a great material for the bearing housing of the Extreme Bearing, stainless steel makes a poor material for a bearing insert. Stainless steel inserts are often subject to fretting damage and wear out fast. Instead, we recommend inserts made of chrome steel such as 100Cr6.

Type T - Self-aligning double row spherical roller bearings

Valuable in demanding applications with heavy loads.

  • Self-aligning double row spherical roller bearings allow misalignment between the shaft and housing without increase of friction and without reduction of bearing life.
  • Very high load-carrying capacity: optimum layout inside provides maximum radial and axial load-carrying capacity.
  • Robust: insensitive to misalignment caused by shaft or housing deflection due to heavy load.
  • Easily fitted for loads in all directions.
  • Easy to mount: The favourable design characteristics and mounting enable an efficient and compact machine design.
  • Perfect concentric fit on shaft using an adapter sleeve.
Type T data sheet
Axial Alignment

Type E - Self-aligning single row spherical roller bearings

Valuable for high radial loads or a combination of radial and thrust loads

  • New generation of Extreme Bearing

  • High radial load capacity

  • Extra barrier to prevent contamination

  • The bearing seals are properly secured by retaining rings

  • Sealed and greased for life

  • Perfect concentric fit on shaft using an adapter sleeve

  • Type E inserts cost less than Type T

Type T data sheet
Axial Alignment

A typical self-aligning double row spherical roller bearing insert.

Extreme Bearing’s Type E inserts are made of hardened steel inner and outer raceways with single spherical rollers separated by steel land riding type retainers. They are protected with bearing seals.

The Type E bearing seal is shown in red with
the retaining ring in black.

Type E bearing seals

An extra barrier to prevent contamination from entering the bearing

As standard, Type E bearings feature 2-RS bearing seals which differentiate this type from the unsealed Type T double row spherical roller bearings.
These Type E bearing seals and the lubricant are integrated into one system, so that the bearing can be kept sealed and greased for its lifetime without the need to refill.

The grease nipple on the bearing housing is intended to fill the rest of the Extreme Bearing housing with grease and so prevent water and contaminants from entering.

The Type E bearing seals are designed to provide an extra barrier to prevent
contamination from entering the bearing. In fact, an Extreme Bearing unit with a Type E insert offers superior triple protection from harsh environments and extreme conditions.

Triple protection to shield the bearing

  1. Bearing housing seals

  2. Grease-filled housing

  3. Bearing insert seals

A bearing is only as good as the seal

It doesn’t matter how good a bearing is, if the seal is not good enough, the bearing will fail sooner or later. Some bearing companies have a standard approach of “one size fits all” when it comes to seals and do not have the expertise or the time to investigate what best fits an extreme application.

​We realise that a seal to resist a corrosive chemical should be different to one that will be used in a powder handling plant or in the mining industry to keep out dirt and dust. Temperature variations and the speed of the shaft will also affect the choice of seal. That’s why we offer a range of seals and we have also developed our own designs. For example, many Extreme Bearing units feature our own centrifugal seals (CS) specially developed to repel dirt and contaminants using centrifugal force generated by the shaft.

​We also offer some seals that are completely maintenance-free so the bearing unit is sealed for life. This is especially useful if the bearing is in an inaccessible place or if maintenance service is infrequent. In some cases, we will develop a one-off sealing solution specifically for one customer.

​Many sealing options are possible because within the Extreme Bearing housing blocks, several different seals can be assembled. We offer flexibility and would be pleased to advise you on the best choice of seal for your particular application. Nothing is standard for us!

A new type of seal design featuring seals made of PTFE was developed especially for this underwater application. This is an example of our custom-made sealing solutions.

CS and DS Seals
CC and CL Seals
AS and SA Seals

Learn More