The Ladle Turret Slewing Bearing is a large-scale slewing bearing specifically designed for the continuous casting process in the steel metallurgical industry. It serves as the core rotating support component of the ladle turret, which is used to carry and rotate ladles filled with molten steel from the furnace to the tundish, enabling continuous steel pouring.
The bearing typically consists of an inner ring, an outer ring, and a set of rolling elements (balls or rollers). The drive system (motor and pinion) engages with the bearing's integrated gear ring to achieve rotary motion, positioning the ladle at the casting station. With a compact design, the bearing can simultaneously support axial loads, radial loads, and overturning moments, making it a critical component for ensuring safe and efficient continuous casting operations.
Structural Features
Ladle turret slewing bearings typically adopt a three-row roller structure, featuring the following characteristics:
Three seat rings with separate upper, lower, and radial raceways, allowing precise load determination for each row of rollers, enabling simultaneous support of various composite loads. This structure offers the highest load-carrying capacity among all slewing bearing types.
Axial loads and overturning moments are supported by two rows of rollers placed horizontally, while radial loads are supported by one row of rollers placed vertically.
Large axial and radial dimensions with a robust structure, making it particularly suitable for heavy-duty machinery requiring large diameters and high load capacity.
Available in non-geared, internal gear, and external gear configurations to meet different drive requirements and installation needs.
Equipped with high-performance sealing and lubrication systems, as well as specialized cages, significantly enhancing operational safety.
| Model | Outer Diameter (mm) | Inner Diameter (mm) | Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 131.45.2240 | 2461 | 2019 | 231 |
| 132.45.2240 | 2461 | 2019 | 231 |
| 132.50.3150 | 3432 | 2868 | 270 |
| 132.50.4500 | 4782 | 4218 | 270 |
| 131.60.5000 | 5320 | 4670 | 320 |
The above are some standard specifications. Customized design and manufacturing services are available upon request.
Performance & Quality
Ultra-high Composite Load Capacity: The three-row roller structure enables the bearing to simultaneously withstand massive axial loads, radial loads, and overturning moments. For example, bearings for 520-ton ladle turrets can reach a diameter of 5.44 meters-. Industry standard reference value is 120kN, with advanced products achieving safety margins of 180-250kN.
High Temperature Adaptability: Specifically designed for high-temperature operating conditions, featuring steel cages combined with special sealing structures to ensure long-term stable operation under the radiant heat of molten steel.
Wear Resistance and Fatigue Strength: Manufactured from high-quality alloy steel with medium-frequency induction hardening treatment on raceway surfaces, achieving surface hardness of HRC 55-62 and a hardened layer depth of 4mm or more, with a designed service life exceeding 10,000 hours.
Sealing and Protection Performance: Designed with double-lip seals and labyrinth structures to effectively prevent dust, moisture, and splashed molten steel from entering the bearing interior, ensuring reliable operation in harsh environments.
Rotation Accuracy: Rotating accuracy up to Class P5, with maximum outer dimensions reaching 11 meters.
Lubrication Reliability: Equipped with automatic lubrication systems or long-life grease to ensure adequate lubrication during long-term operation, reducing friction and wear.
Bearing rings are manufactured from high-quality alloy steel, primarily including:
42CrMo: Excellent mechanical properties and toughness, suitable for high-load applications and environments requiring low-temperature performance.
50Mn: Suitable for conventional load conditions with outstanding comprehensive performance.
Rolling elements are made of high-carbon chromium bearing steels such as GCr15 or GCr15SiMn, compliant with ISO 683 standards-. Seal materials feature excellent corrosion resistance, aging resistance, and wear resistance.
Certifications & Standards
Our ladle turret slewing bearings strictly comply with domestic and international authoritative standards, ensuring product quality reaches advanced international levels.
JB/T 2300-2011 "Slewing Bearings” : The industry-specific standard that specifies structural types, dimensional tolerances, surface hardness, heat treatment processes, and other core indicators of slewing bearings, serving as the fundamental basis for product design and manufacturing.
GB/T 3077 "Alloy Structural Steels” & GB/T 18254 "High-carbon Chromium Bearing Steel” : Define the chemical composition and mechanical property requirements of bearing materials.
ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification: Covers quality control throughout the entire process from raw material procurement to finished product delivery, ensuring production processes and management systems meet international standards.
ISO 1328 "Rolling Bearings — Dynamic Load Ratings and Rating Life” : Provides globally applicable calculation methods for slewing bearing performance evaluation.
ISO 281 "Rolling Bearings — Dynamic Load Ratings and Rating Life” : Defines dynamic load rating and static load capacity calculation methods for evaluating bearing performance under various operating conditions.
ISO 11337 "Rolling Bearings — Slewing Bearings” : Specifies clear requirements for structural design, dimensional tolerances, and load-carrying capacity of slewing bearings.
ISO 683-17: Specifies the chemical composition and performance requirements of bearing steels.
CE Certification (EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC) : Demonstrates compliance with EU safety, health, and environmental protection requirements, essential for market access in Europe.
ASTM Standards: Compliant with relevant standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials, ensuring material performance meets international levels.
ISO 1940 Balancing Standards (Grade G2.5-G6.3) : Ensures smooth and reliable operation of slewing bearings during high-speed rotation.
Each product undergoes rigorous inspection before delivery, including: clearance inspection, runout inspection, rotation flexibility inspection, dimensional inspection, hardness testing (Rockwell hardness tester), and material certification, ensuring every product meets design requirements
Applications
Ladle turret slewing bearings are widely used in the following applications:
Ladle Turret: The core application, connecting the ladle and tundish to enable continuous steel pouring in the continuous casting process. After each pouring cycle, the ladle turret slowly rotates 180° to return the ladle, and the bearing must withstand up to several hundred tons of molten steel weight and intense heat radiation.
Continuous Casting Production Lines: Supports smooth rotation and precise positioning of the ladle throughout the entire casting cycle.
520-Ton and Larger Ladle Turrets: For example, ultra-large slewing bearings with a diameter of 5.44 meters have been successfully applied to the largest domestic ladle turrets.
Given the extremely high load capacity and reliability of ladle turret slewing bearings, the technology can also be extended to:
Bucket wheel excavators
Wheeled cranes
Marine cranes
Port cranes
Stacker reclaimers
