What is a pillow block bearing?

A pillow block bearing (or plummer block) is a pedestal used to provide support for a rotating shaft with the help of compatible bearings & various accessories. The assembly consists of a mounting block which houses a bearing. The block is mounted to a foundation and a shaft is inserted allowing the inner part of the bearing / shaft to rotate. The inside of the bearing is typically 0.001 inches (0.025 mm) larger than the shaft to ensure a tight fit. Set screws, locking collars, or set collars are commonly used to secure the shaft. Housing material for a pillow block is typically made of cast iron or cast steel.

A pillow block usually refers to a housing with an included anti-friction bearing, wherein the mounted shaft is in a parallel plane to the mounting surface, and perpendicular to the center line of the mounting holes, as contrasted with various types of flange blocks or flange units. A pillow block may contain a bearing with one of several types of rolling elements, including ball, cylindrical roller, spherical roller, tapered roller, or metallic or synthetic bushing. The type of rolling element defines the type of pillow block. These differ from "plummer blocks" which are bearing housings supplied without any bearings and are usually meant for higher load ratings and a separately installed bearing. Plummer block bearings are designed for more corrosive environments.

How To Install A Pillow Block Bearing?

1) Check and clean the shaft

First, check your shafting to make sure it's clean, rounded, straight, free of burrs and nicks, and not under or oversized according to the manufacturer's specifications. Use fine-grit sandpaper or scotch gloss to clean the rust from the shaft. Then use a thin layer of oil to remove any debris.

2) Position the bearing on the shaft

When placing the bearing on the shaft, use a mallet and a block of hardwood or soft steel against the inner race if you need to knock the bearing into place. Do not tap or apply pressure on the housing or seals.

3) Lightly bolt the housing to the mounting structure

Position the shaft in place by lightly bolting the housing to the mounting structure. Bridge the housing mounting bolt slots with heavy duty washers or heavy duty spring lock washers. This may help prevent loosening.

4) Determine the final installation location

Before securing the bolts, align the bearing unit by hand or with a rubber mallet to determine the final mounting position.

5) Securely bolt the housing to the mounting structure

Once the bearings are properly aligned, bolt the two units securely to the mounting structure.

6) Make sure the shaft can move axially

Make sure the shaft can move axially through the bearing hole to confirm proper alignment. If this is not possible, loosen the housing and realign the shaft.

7) Tighten the two collar fixing screws

Tighten the two collar set screws, then rotate the shaft and torque alternately to the manufacturer's recommended torque. If a torque wrench is not available, tighten the setscrew until permanent torque is obtained with the hex key.

8) Expansion unit*

If you are using an expansion unit, always lock the stationary bearing first. Move the expansion bearing axially to the center of the housing. Once centered, alternately tighten the set screws on the expansion unit as you would on the fixed unit.

For complete installation manuals and documentation, please visit

https://www.sunspeedbearing.com/ Or click Contact Sunspeed for technical and sales support.

Sunspeed is a Chinses bearing brand. Chinese bearings are very affordable and at the same time you may really get some of the best quality you can expect from a product like this. What makes these bearings really great is that they are designed for a specific model or models. We offers good quality pillow block bearings with the most competitive price. Learn more or inquiry, please click Sunspeed Sales Center. 

More about Sunspeed:

Sunspeed was established in 1996 and is a large bearing enterprise in China. The company focuses on 10 categories of bearing products, with a total of more than 5,000 kinds. Products include: deep groove ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, self-aligning ball bearings, self-aligning roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, angular contact bearings, thrust ball bearings, thrust roller bearings, needle roller bearings, spherical plain bearings, etc. Bearings are widely used in motors, machine tools, automobiles, wind power, mining and other fields.

Sunspeed bearing production personnel have undergone strict technical training, are familiar with every production process of bearings, and are proficient in various production equipment to ensure the normal production of bearings.

Sunspeed has various types of testing equipment for bearing size testing, noise testing, vibration monitoring, etc. After the bearing production is completed, each bearing must undergo strict quality inspection to ensure that each bearing product delivered to the customer meets the customer's quality requirements.