Track runner bearings, which are rolling bearings having a particularly thick-walled outer ring, can accommodate heavy as well as shock loads. They are ready-to-mount units and are intended for all types of cam drives, tracks, conveyor systems etc.

Track runner bearings are based on ball bearings, needle roller bearings as well as cylindrical roller bearings. Because of the wide variety of designs they are suitable for the most diverse operating conditions. Rails of the type used for SKF linear guides can serve as tracks for the bearings.

The SKF range of track runner bearings comprises:

· Cam rollers

Cam rollers are ball bearings which have a particularly thick-walled outer ring. They are ready-to-mount pre-greased units and are used for all types of cam drives, conveyor systems etc. They are available in a narrow design (fig. 1) and a wide design (fig. 2) with crowned runner surface.

The wide rollers are also available with a flat runner surface. Cam rollers with crowned runner surfaces should always be used where angular misalignments with respect to the track may be expected and edge stresses should be kept to a minimum.


· Support rollers

Support rollers are basically needle or cylindrical roller bearings with a thick-walled outer ring. The outside surface of the outer ring is crowned which serves to prevent edge stresses if the roller runs in a tilted or inclined position. They are ready-to-mount units which are filled with grease and are suitable for all types of cam drives, tracks and conveyor systems etc.

SKF support rollers are available:


– Without axial guidance (fig. 3).

– With axial guidance (fig. 4).

The support rollers without axial guidance are supplied in a non-sealed (open) design and a sealed version. Five series of support roller with axial guidance are available. Four of the series have the same dimensions, differing only in their internal design.


· Cam followers

SKF cam followers are essentially needle or cylindrical roller bearings with a thick-walled outer ring. The outside (runner) surface of the outer ring is crowned which serves to prevent edge stresses if the cam follower runs in a tilted or inclined position. Cam followers are ready-to-mount units which are filled with grease. They are suitable for all types of cam drives, tracks and conveyor systems etc.

Instead of an inner ring cam followers have a solid stud (pin) which is threaded so that the cam follower can be quickly and easily attached to appropriate machine components by means of a hexagonal nut.

Axial guidance for the outer ring is provided by an integral flange at the head of the stud and a side washer pressed on to the stud, or by the roller complement.

SKF cam followers are available in three different designs which have the same dimensions and differ only in their internal design. Generally, the cam followers have a concentric seating on the stud (fig. 5), but some are also available with an eccentric collar which is shrunk on to the stud (fig. 6).

Cam followers with eccentric collar enable an optimum interaction with the cam to be obtained and also allow less stringent manufacturing tolerances to be used for the associated components.