Main bearing

The main bearing supports the rotor and transfers rotor loads to the bed plate. Cast-iron bearing housings may be used to provide stiff supports for bearings and connection to the nacelle bedplate.

Description of Manufacturing Process
Bearing housings are cast. Bearing surfaces and other interfaces are turned or milled flat. Rollers may also be cast and then machined to the required size and finish.

Description of Supply Chain
Main bearings are assembled into the turbine nacelles at the nacelle manufacturing facility. They are either sourced from close by to reduce transport distances or imported from places where cost of manufacture and labour is lower (typically east Asia).

Scottish Opportunity
Relevance to Scottish Supply Chain: Low

Manufacturers are well established and located either close to turbine nacelle factories in Germany, Denmark and Spain, or in east Asia