The self-aligning ball bearing has two rows of balls and acommon concave sphered raceway in the outer ring. The bearing isconsequently self-aligning and insensitive to angular misalignmentsof the shaft relative to the housing. It is particularly suitablefor applications where considerable shaft deflections ormisalignment are to be expected. Additionally, the self-aligningball bearing has the lowest friction of all rolling bearings, whichenables it to run cooler even at high speeds.

Self aligning ball bearings are suitable for applications wheremisalignment can arise from errors in mounting or shaft deflection.The steel balls, cage, and inner ring can rotate freely at acertain angle, as it is stated that the bearings have self-aligningfeatures. Accordingly, misalignment of the bearing shaft due to themachining and installation of the shaft and housing will beautomatically adjusted.