The combination of two railway wheels and an axle is usually called a wheelset, which rotates and is supported by bearings called axleboxes, journals or wheelset bearings.

These bearings are mounted in the axlebox or supported by special adapters, which are directly or spring-connected to the running gear, designed as bogies in most cases.
The axlebox is one of the most critical safety subsystems in railway vehicles.

The axlebox bearing consists of a railway bearing housing and rolling bearings and is a safety-relevant component of railway vehicles. FAG axlebox bearing housings are made of cast material and designed according to customer specifications.

All railway bearing housings are FEM-calculated, stress-optimized and designed according to specified limit values.
The rolling bearings used in axlebox bearing applications are FAG WJ/WJP cylindrical roller bearings, complete FAG cylindrical roller bearing units and FAG TAROL tapered roller bearing units.

TAROL and FAG cylindrical roller bearing units are ready-to-install units, lubricated and sealed at the factory. FAG TAROL S tapered roller bearings are in X-life quality, with integrated seals, low friction torque and are particularly suitable for long-term operation.

All FAG axlebox bearings are designed for high mileage and long maintenance intervals. Lubrication and sealing depend on the application and actual climatic conditions.

The bearings are manufactured to the specifications of EN12080. Performance tests are carried out in accordance with EN12082 to ensure that the axlebox bearings are suitable for their intended use. The product range is supplemented by mechatronic components for condition monitoring.

Locomotive axlebox bearings have special features for specific applications and are characterized by their particularly high load ratings.

For safety reasons, bearings for high-speed transport applications are made of steel with specific requirements for material purity. These bearings are equipped with non-contact seals that enable them to operate at low temperatures and are also lubricated with special high-speed greases.

Trains used for local passenger transport have to brake every few minutes, which poses a particular challenge for the grease. In contrast, bearings used for long-distance passenger transport are designed for higher speeds. The low-floor design of some trams means that bogies cannot be used, so low-floor axles with separate bearing supports are used instead.

Plug-in hub units, proven bearing supports in numerous applications The low-floor design of some trams means that bogies cannot be used, so low-floor axles with separate bearing supports are used instead.

FAG plug-in hub units have proven their worth in numerous applications. FAG tapered roller bearing pairs are set at the factory so that the bearing supports are play-free after installation and offer good running characteristics, long service life and long maintenance intervals.