Review and prospect of precision machining of bearing rollers: Cylindrical, tapered and spherical rollers

Rolling bearings are the most widely used basic components in the industrial field, and their rotational accuracy, ultimate speed and fatigue life significantly affect the performance and reliability of the assembled equipment. As a pivotal element in bearings, the precision machining quality of rollers affects the performance of bearings. In this work, a comprehensive summary of precision machining techniques for cylindrical rollers, tapered rollers, and spherical rollers is provided, and prospects for different machining methods are discussed. Firstly, the influence of roller precision requirements, namely shape accuracy, batch consistency and surface quality, on bearing performance is discussed. Subsequently, the ultra-precision machining and surface finishing of cylindrical rollers, tapered rollers, and spherical rollers are reviewed respectively, comparing the roundness error, batch diameter variation, and surface roughness obtained by different machining methods. Ultra-precision machining processes such as centerless grinding and double-discs lapping can effectively improve the geometric accuracy of rollers, while finishing machining processes such as superfinishing and shear thickening polishing can significantly promote the surface quality of rollers. Furthermore, in view of the above advanced methods, the future development trend of precision machining of bearing rollers is discussed.