While many people think of bearings as separately designed components, they can also come mounted within housings. The pillow block bearings, which may also be known as bearing housings or Plummer blocks, are used in a wide variety of different applications to support a shaft that rotates through the housing.
These are often referred to a Plummer blocks, particularly in Texas, but you will hear the term pillow block used as well. With their very simple design, they are very durable and long lasting and are easy to install onto any type of flat mounting surface. While the two names are used interchangeably, most Plummer blocks are designed for a higher demand type of applications with more pressure on the shaft is a factor to consider.
Most of the Plummer bearings are sold as just the housing and the bearing is then installed into the housing. This allows the user to select the correct bearing for the specific performance required as well as the working conditions. The pillow block typically comes as either a split or unsplit design with the mounting holes already pre-drilled and the bearing installed in the housing.
What to Consider
In virtually all applications requiring pillow block bearings, you will find that the housing is made out of cast iron, but it is possible to also have these types of bearings in different metals.
The choice of the metal for the housing is really a factor of the environment. For highly corrosive environments, specific metal finishing may be used on the housing for increased durability.
Additionally, different designs of the actual bearing will also come into play. Tapered bearings and mounted roller bearings will have different features such as sealing options, thrust loading and even the inside diameter and speed.
Finding the correct option in pillow block bearings for replacement bearings is not always easy. Look for specialized industrial and mechanical power transmission equipment and parts suppliers in Texas to make sure you have the choice in components you need.
