A tracked hydraulic excavator requires about fifty bearings for its basic operation (travel and rotation).Irrespective of its size and its use (earthwork, mining, demolition), it is made up of a crawler track chassis topped with a superstructure including the engine, hydraulic components (pump, motors, cylinders), the driving cab and the attachment (arm, boom, dipper, bucket). 

Travel

The two track sets are each driven by a planetary reducer using 2 angular contact ball bearings or tapered bearings - for supporting the reducer - and 14 needle roller bearings - for planet gears.

► 32 bearings are thus necessary so that the machine can move. 

Swing

The superstructure pivots 360° thanks to a slewing ring of about 1.50 m diameter fixed on the straight truck chassis and a hydraulic motor or a planetary reducer. This includes 12 needle roller bearings for the planet gears and 2 spherical roller bearings for the shaft support.►14 bearings contribute to the swing of the superstructure.

Note that the plain bearings equip the various joints located on the boom, the dipper and the bucket.