Bearing Tri-Roller Swaging and Bearing Anvil Staking: Advantages and Disadvantages

Our near two decade bearing assembly experience has allowed us to develop innovative, high-quality tooling designs that has made Smith Machine and Tool a global leader in manufacturing bearing swaging and staking tooling. When it comes to the action of roller swaging or anvil staking a bearing there are several considerations to take:

When anvil staking is used to replace a bearing, defined and controllable pressure is applied. This force is delivered in order to form the v-groove into the chamfered housing. An anvil staking tool requires less space or clearance to use. Overall, staking tools are cheaper than roller swaging tools. While the advantages seem reasonable, the disadvantages may be deterring. For instance, the high pressure required to install a bearing using this method is very unfavorable due to the component dimensions which increase the risk of altering the bearing outer ring dimensions. This can lead to bearing friction. There is also an increased chance of incomplete contact between the v-groove and housing chamfer with anvil staking a bearing, because anvil staking “mashes” the new bearing into the housing, All these reasons can lead to more inspection failures which is counterproductive to the job at hand. To perform the staking of a bearing would require more time than if you were to swage it.

Bearing roller swaging is not perfect, but it is our professional opinion that it is the better option. For example, more clearance is needed for drill press roller swaging tool operation, but to mitigate this, Smith Machine and Tool’s custom Slim Line tooling was developed. Roller swaging often needs a drill press and therefore requires a more experienced operator to perform the swage. However, our portable tri-wheel roller swaging tool is user-friendly and can be done by hand. Roller swaging tools can be more expensive than staking tools. So, what we like to point out to all our customers is that our tools are made from the best tool steel and have been treated to increase their longevity and hardness. Tri-wheel roller swaging tools are ideal for most bearing installations. Complete contact between the v-groove and the housing chamfer is more likely to be successful because roller swaging will produce a better surface finish as it slides the bearing more precisely into place. Roller swaging a bearing takes much less time to complete than anvil staking.

Whether anvil staking (Type 100) or bearing roller swaging (Type 200) it’s beneficial to weigh the pros and cons of both for any AOG, production, or sub-assembly job. We highly recommend reaching out for your bearing swaging, staking, cutting and proof-load tool needs. Smith Machine and Tool always provides top-tier customer service and 24/7 technical and AOG support. We always keep our website tooling in stock and we have industry best lead times in creating custom tooling. To review our latest projects and read more tips and information on our tooling visit our website. For technical questions, AOG support, and quotes contact our Chief Tool Design Engineer, Sean, at +1-714-726-1249. For all other enquiries contact our office at +1-714-389-8423.