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Housed Bearing Units
Housed Bearing Units: Types, Industrial Applications & Benefits
Housed bearing units, also known as bearing units or mounted bearings, combine a rolling element bearing with a pre-engineered housing to create a ready-to-install assembly. Designed to simplify installation, reduce alignment issues, and speed up maintenance, housed bearing units are widely used across manufacturing, material handling, and processing industries. This page explains what housed bearing units are, the products included in this category, where they're used, and the benefits they offer over standalone bearings.
What Are Housed Bearing Units?
A housed bearing unit consists of a bearing insert (typically a ball or roller bearing) mounted inside a cast iron, pressed steel, thermoplastic, or stainless steel housing. The housing supports and positions the bearing, allowing it to be bolted directly onto a machine frame or structure without the need for precision boring or separate alignment of the shaft and housing. Most housed units also include integrated sealing to protect against contamination and pre-set internal clearance, making them straightforward to install, maintain, and replace.
Products Included in the Housed Bearing Unit Category
Our housed bearing unit range covers three core product types, each suited to different mounting arrangements and operating demands:
Plummer Block (Pillow Block) Housings & Units
Provide robust, stable support for rotating shafts. Their split-housing design allows the bearing to be inspected and replaced without dismantling surrounding machinery, making them well suited to mining equipment, heavy industrial machinery, and processing plants.
Flanged Housings & Units
Feature a bearing mounted inside a flanged housing that bolts directly onto a machine surface, offering strong shaft support with precise alignment. These units work well where space is limited or a vertical mounting is needed, and are common in conveyor systems, food processing equipment and packaging or automation systems.
Take-Up Housings & Units
Built for applications where belt or chain tension needs regular adjustment. They allow controlled linear movement while keeping the shaft accurately aligned, and are widely used in conveyor systems, agricultural machinery, and material handling equipment.
Industrial Uses for Housed Bearing Units
The ease of installation and robust design of housed bearing units make them a practical choice across many industries, including:
- Conveyor systems – supporting rollers and drive shafts in material handling and logistics
- Agricultural machinery – harvesters, balers, and irrigation equipment operating in dusty or wet conditions
- Food and beverage processing – washdown-safe units on mixers, conveyors, and packaging lines
- Mining and quarrying – heavy-duty units on crushers, screens, and conveyor systems
- Water and wastewater treatment – pumps, agitators, and clarifiers
- Timber and paper processing – sawmill equipment and paper handling machinery
- Power transmission – supporting shafts, pulleys, and sprockets in general industrial drives
- HVAC and fan systems – supporting shafts in large fans and blowers
- Textile manufacturing – supporting rollers and shafts across production lines
Pillow Block, Flanged & Take-Up Units: Key Differences
Feature
Pillow Block Housing Units
Flanged Housing Units
Take-Up Housing Units
Mounting style
Bolted to a flat, parallel surface with the shaft running horizontally through the centre
Bolted through a flange face, often vertically or against a machine wall
Sits within an adjustable frame or track rather than a fixed bolt pattern
Primary function
Supports and aligns a rotating shaft
Supports a shaft where space is limited or mounting must be vertical/angled
Allows the bearing to slide to adjust belt or chain tension
Housing design
Often split for easy inspection and bearing replacement
Compact, one-piece housing bolted directly to the machine surface
Mounted in a sliding carriage or slotted frame
Adjustability
Fixed position once installed
Fixed position once installed
Designed for regular repositioning to maintain tension
Typical applications
Mining equipment, heavy industrial machinery, processing plants
Conveyor systems, food processing, agricultural machinery, packaging and automation systems
Conveyor systems, agricultural machinery, material handling equipment
Best suited to
General-purpose shaft support in open, accessible locations
Installations with restricted space or non-horizontal mounting surfaces
| Systems using belts or chains that require periodic tension correction |
Benefits of Housed Bearing Units
Choosing the Right Housed Bearing Unit
Selecting the correct housed bearing unit depends on factors such as mounting configuration, load type and magnitude, shaft size, operating environment, and the level of sealing or corrosion resistance required. Our team can help you identify the right housed bearing unit for your specific application, contact us to discuss your requirements.
How Can Bearing Depot Help?
Seek Product Support
Looking for more information about our products or have any questions? Submit our contact form and one of our specialists will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Alternatively, you can:
Call us at
01952 676925
Email us at
sales@bearingdepot.co.uk