Structural modeling of crossed roller wire race bearings: analytical submodel for the roller-wire-ring set

Since wire bearings were patented in 1936, they have been used in applications where weight saving is a key aspect. Nevertheless, little work can be found in literature regarding their structural behaviour. In order to predict how a wire bearing reacts under load, the most feasible way is to model and analyse it via Finite Elements (FE). However, the great amount of elements needed to properly model the complex contact configuration among rollers, wires and raceways, make this approach unaffordable. In this sense, this manuscript develops an analytical submodel that represents the structural behaviour of the roller-wire-ring set, in order to include it later in a global FE model to account for ring flexibility and boundary conditions. This way, the computationally intensive FE modelling of these complex zones can be substituted by the analytical model developed in this work, and a much manageable global FE model can be used to predict the structural response of the bearing. This analytical model has demonstrated a good agreement with local FE models of the roller-wire-ring set.