Misalignment

Misalignment is an angular deviation between the inner ring and outer ring axes, caused statically by manufacturing and mounting tolerances (non-aligned housing bores, tilted seats) or dynamically by shaft deflection under load. Rolling elements then no longer carry load evenly across the raceway.

Rigid bearing types such as deep groove ball, cylindrical roller and tapered roller bearings are sensitive to it: edge stresses, higher raceway pressure and sharply reduced life result. Permissible values depend on the bearing type and are listed in manufacturer catalogs. Self-aligning types – self-aligning ball bearings, spherical roller bearings – or housed units with spherical insert bearings compensate misalignment by design.