The present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing a wind turbine slewing ring bearing having an integral stiffener configured to resist deformation of the bearing under a load. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing components of a slewing ring bearing (e.g., an inner, center, and outer race) using near-net-shape (NNS) ring rolling techniques. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing slewing ring bearing races, via NNS ring rolling, that are not restricted to conventional (e.g., generally square, rectangular, quadrilateral, trapezoid, quadrilateral) cross-sectional profiles that necessitate attachment of a separate, non-integral stiffener (e.g., a non-integral stiffening plate, stiffening ring, or stiffening assembly).

A tripod roller for a constant velocity universal joint includes inner and outer rings separated by a set of rollers. During assembly of the tripod roller the rollers are assembled to one of the inner and outer rings and then the other of the inner and outer rings is moved axially into position. Then, a forming tool is applied to one of the rings, in a direction perpendicular to the roller axis, to create a securing region. The securing region prevents relative axial movement of the two rings during the assembly of the universal joint.

A double row tapered roller bearing includes: an outer ring having an annular shape; an inner ring disposed on an inner circumferential side of the outer ring and having an annular shape; and rollers. The inner ring has an outer circumferential surface facing the outer ring and having two rows of grooves having a bottom surface serving as a raceway surface. The rollers are tapered rollers disposed in the grooves in contact with the raceway surface of the inner ring and are also in contact with the outer ring. At outer circumferential surface of the inner ring, a region adjacent to the groove includes a hardened region extending from the inner peripheral surface of the groove to the region adjacent to the groove, and an unhardened region located at a position farther from the groove than the hardened region and being smaller in hardness than the hardened region.

A double row tapered roller bearing includes: an outer ring having an annular shape; an inner ring disposed on an inner circumferential side of the outer ring and having an annular shape; and rollers. The inner ring has an outer circumferential surface facing the outer ring and having two rows of grooves having a bottom surface serving as a raceway surface. The rollers are tapered rollers disposed in the grooves in contact with the raceway surface of the inner ring and are also in contact with the outer ring. At outer circumferential surface of the inner ring, a region adjacent to the groove includes a hardened region extending from the inner peripheral surface of the groove to the region adjacent to the groove, and an unhardened region located at a position farther from the groove than the hardened region and being smaller in hardness than the hardened region.

A bearing comprising a plurality of rolling elements arranged between an inner and outer raceway thereof. A rolling contact interface is between a first rolling contact surface on at least one rolling element and a second rolling contact surface formed by one of the inner and outer raceways. The first rolling contact surface has a first RMS roughness R.sub.q1 and a first roughness pattern .sub.1, expressed in terms of the Peklenik number . The second rolling contact surface has a second RMS roughness R.sub.q2 and a second roughness pattern .sub.2. To minimize micropitting in the bearing, the rolling contact interface has a surface topography wherein (a) the roughness pattern of the first and second rolling contact surfaces are oriented in the direction of rolling, whereby .sub.13.0 and .sub.210.0; and (b) the first and of the second rolling contact surfaces have substantially equal roughness heights, whereby 0.8R.sub.q1/R.sub.q21.25.