However, roller bearings transmit loads using cylinder rolling elements, rather than balls, to maintain the separation between moving parts of the bearing.These versatile bearings can contain single or multiple rows of rolling elements; multiple rows can significantly improve radial load capacity. Also, the use of different roller shapes can further reduce friction and support both radial and axial loads.While roller bearings can handle higher loads than conventional ball bearings, their applications are generally limited to low-speed operations. Many types of roller bearings are self-aligning, and are easily able to overcome misalignment and mounting issues — cutting down on maintenance, repair, and labor needs.
Axial bearings, or thrust bearings, are designed to withstand force in the same direction as the shaft. This is called an axial load, or thrust load. In some applications, ceramic bearings, a type of radial bearing, are used to withstand high rotational speeds. The rolling elements are ceramic, which is significantly lighter than steel. This reduces the centrifugal force within ceramic bearings at high speeds.