For railway axle bearings applied in railways, different structural designs are adopted for the axle systems of railway locomotives and rolling stock due to varying application conditions. Locomotives and passenger cars are equipped with axle boxes, and the bearings are connected to the bogies through the axle boxes; railway freight cars have no axle boxes, and the bearings are connected to the side frames of the bogies through bearing adapters.
Bearings bear the impact load generated between the wheel sets and the bogie frames, and also bear the axial load generated when the vehicle turns. The structure of axle bearings includes cylindrical roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearing units, tapered roller bearings, and tapered roller bearing units.
According to the application requirements of railway bearings, axle bearings should have a long maintenance-free period, a structural design that facilitates maintenance, and high reliability.
