Computational model for determination of static load capacity of three-row roller slewing bearings with arbitrary clearances and predefined raceway deformations

•Determination of static load capacity of large three-row roller slewing bearings.•Consideration of arbitrary axial bearing clearances and predefined ring deformations.•Consideration of roller profile, tilted loading and surface quenching of the raceway.•Consideration of elasto-plastic material properties of the bearing's raceway.•Reliable calculation model appropriate for early stages of slewing bearing design.

A new computational model for determination of internal contact forces distribution and consequently the determination of acceptable load curves for static load capacity in three-row roller slewing bearings is presented in this paper. The proposed model considers some typical characteristics of large slewing bearings (possible structural ring deformations, non-parallel ring displacements, clearances, surface quenching of the raceway raceways, etc.) and their influence on the bearing static capacity. For practical applicability of the model, vector approach is used for mathematical description of the bearing geometry and relative ring movements, together with the static force and moment equilibrium calculation. The model has been implemented into a computer code and it serves as a convenient engineering tool especially suitable for early stages of slewing bearings’ design.The proposed computational model has been used to determine the static load capacity of an actual three-row roller slewing bearing, where different geometric parameters, such as different predefined ring deformations, rollers sizes, roller profile modifications and tilted contact of rollers have been additionally analyzed. Computational analyses have shown that some of the investigated parameters have a significant influence on the static load capacity of analyzed slewing bearing.