Close-up of a wire-race bearing

Wire race bearings - reliable bearing solutions for unique bearing applications

Special applications require special bearing solutions. This applies to both the installation situation and the use in harsh environments. Space-saving and lightweight bearing solutions are also increasingly in demand from an ecological point of view. Wire race bearings from Rothe Erde are compact bearing designs, which are ideally suited to applications where absolute reliability is required even under the most extreme conditions due to their high resistance to external influences.

The versatile wire race bearing design is used for simultaneous transmission of axial and radial loads and tilting moments.

Our products

Technical drawing of a single-row wire-race ball bearing

Typical applications: Medical technology, military engineering, scanners, nuclear engineering.

Single-row wire race ball bearing

Single-row wire race ball bearings are used when the bearing needs to be both compact and light weight with entry level pricing.
Technical drawing of a double-row wire-race roller bearing in silver

Typical applications: Medical technology, military engineering, scanners, nuclear engineering, antennae & telescopes.

Double-row wire race bearing

Double-row wire race bearings have two raceways set 90° from one another. This raceway configuration is used when the bearing raceway experiences heavy static and needs to meet specific requirements such as compact geometry combined with a light weight. These slewing rings are used for the transmission of axial and radial loads with tilting moments. Load capacity and efficiency of the double-row wire race bearings represent the link between a single-row wire race bearing and triple-row wire race bearing.
Technical drawing of a three-row wire-race roller bearing in silver.

Typical applications: Military engineering, antennae & telescopes.

Triple-row wire roller bearing

riple-row wire race bearings are ideal for applications where there is high demand on both the static and dynamic capacity. The bearing is designed to absorb axial and radial loads with tilting moments across three separate raceways. This prevents influence between the raceways, creating a stable and rigid solution.

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What are wire race bearings?

Aluminium housings are used for wire race bearings to decrease weight in comparison to conventional steel solutions.  Raceway capacity is achieved through a unique solution that incorporates hardened wires, cages, and rolling elements. Since aluminum cannot be hardened, hardened race wires made of non-corrosive material are inserted into the bearing rings on which the rolling elements are rolling. Due to the unique design of these bearings, they offer many advantages:

  • Light weight, due to use of aluminum

  • Low frictional torque even under irregular load conditions

  • Low noise – at low or high speeds

  • Highly resistant to vibrations and shocks

  • Ease of maintenance

  • Higher corrosion protection

Reduced cost to repair rather than bearing replacement

Wire race bearings are individually designed and set standards in terms of reliability, load capacity and cost-effectiveness. They are designed according to the special requirements. Each bearing is specially designed and dimensioned for specific applications. Our wire race bearing system thus permits a wide range of designs and material combinations. As a renowned wire race bearing manufacturer, Rothe Erde offers designs for special applications and supplies a tailored solution for almost any requirement. Our products are characterized by their maximum safety, precision and robustness.

Your benefits at a glance

A middle-aged gentleman works on a wire-race bearing

Convincing all-round service

Personalized service is provided from design, to manufacturing, and through after-sales service.
Testing a wind turbine in the modern Erwitte factory

State-of-the-art testing facilities

Bearings are extensively tested under operating conditions.
Young man in the research and development centre

Technology and innovation leader

The latest technologies and innovations are used for the design and production of our products.
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Strong and reliable partner

Over the past decades, hundreds of projects have been successfully completed for the defense and medical industries.

Thanks to our decades of experience, the world's leading manufacturers in medical and defense technology rely on our wire race bearings. In addition to the load-bearing capacity and reliability of our products, our customers particularly appreciate our flexibility in developing individual solutions designed to meet the specific requirements of their project.

Marc Peternell
Key-Account Manager Special Applications

In which applications are wire race bearings used?

The wire race bearing design is particularly suitable for applications requiring a lightweight, durable and easy-to-maintain bearing solution with low frictional torque and that require corrosion protection. Typical applications include:

  • Medical devices

  • Optical devices

  • Active protection systems

  • Radar antennas

  • Turret bearings in a weapon turret

  • Periscope bearings in submarines

As a wire race bearing manufacturer with more than 160 years experience, Rothe Erde is able to offer a customized solution for every application.

We are able to integrate parts of the adjacent construction into the bearing. This eliminates interfaces and thus time-consuming and costly alignment and assembly work. Our customers benefit from our know-how, our decades of experience, and our high vertical range of manufacture.

Bernd Voß
Head of Engineering OTC & Special Applications

Wire-race bearings from Rothe Erde

Person holds a wire race bearing
Wire-race bearing close-up, silver
Wire-race bearing close-up

How are wire race bearings manufactured?

How are wire race bearings manufactured?

Production of the wire-race bearing

The wire race bearing is a design consisting of bearing rings (with or without gear cutting), race wires and rolling elements, as well as seals. The sealing system protects against fluids and other contaminates from outside the bearing migrating into the raceway causing damage or corrosion, for example, the excess air pressure of the NBC protection system of military vehicles on the inside.

In the manufacturing process, the bearing rings are first rolled then machined. Aluminum is predominantly used as the ring material, but depending on the application requirements, steel, stainless steel and non-ferrous metals can be utilized. The bearing rings are then turned, drilled, and if required, gears will be cut. The raceway wires are manufactured simultaneously to the mechanical processing.

This is followed by a test assembly, during which the rolling elements (rollers or balls, depending if it is a wire race roller bearing or a wire race ball bearing) and raceway wires are inserted and the trouble-free operation is checked. Once the bearing is confirmed to have met all of the functional requirements, it will be disassembled for any required coatings. Various processes such as anodizing, plating, and painting are available.

Assembling wire-race bearings by hand

During the final assembly the frictional torques and raceway clearances are set in accordance with the requirements.

Wire race bearings are designed as a bolt on solution, eliminating the need for additional seal housings and gear component: The wire race bearing is ready to be mounted immediately upon receipt at the assembly location.

Rothe Erde manufactures wire race slewing bearings in Germany, UK, USA, India and Japan for worldwide markets. Are you looking for a reliable wire race bearing manufacturer? Please reach out to our Rothe Erde team with any questions or project requirements that you may have.