All About Pillow Block Bearings

Pillow blocks and plummer blocks are often made from cast steel or iron for sheer strength and durability, and can be made either in one piece or two splittable pieces for ease of maintenance and replacement. The mounting surface, or housing surface, is used to mount the entire bearing to a plain surface, while the other element supports the shaft and housing surface. These bearings keep the outer ring stationary, while allowing the inner ring to rotate. Plummer block bearings types are often used in mining, construction, and heavy manufacturing, where strength is paramount.
 
Bearings within the pillow block are usually made from aluminum that offers high load carrying capacity and heat conductivity. Pressed steel is often used in low load carrying applications and offers high performance, and stainless steel is used where corrosion resistance is paramount.

Pillow block bearings take several different forms. Plain bearings that consist of a shaft rotating within a hole, and are usually made from bronze, metal alloy, or plastic. These bearings require copious lubrication, however. Ball bearings are widely used to provide high load carrying capacity at high performance thanks to how much frictionless motion they offer. This is due to the set of balls between the inner and outer ring that rotate and share friction and weight between the set. Roller bearings are used for rotary motion application with a set of rollers, needles, or cylinders between their inner and outer rings.