IQS Newsroom Articles on Ball Bearings
About Ball Bearings and Ball Bearing Manufacturers, Including: Bearings, Miniature
Bearings, Precision
Ball Bearings, Steel
Ball Bearings and Thrust
Bearings.
The use of ball bearings is common in many industrial
and commercial settings. These bearings allow for smooth movement of
parts or whole pieces of equipment and without these components one would
be replacing parts often that were worn because of friction. Ball bearing
manufacturers make parts that consist of inner and outer rings, inner
and outer raceways, balls and a ball cage. The inner and outer raceways
are the areas or tracks that the balls follow. The inner raceway is located
on the surface of the inner ring and the outer raceway is located on
the surface of the outer ring. The raceways provide a smooth track and
unstopped motion for the balls.
The smooth motion of ball bearings allows for ease of movement. Ball
bearings reduce the amount of friction between an object, which allows
for heavier objects to be moved more easily. For this reason, ball bearings
are commonly used in assembly lines and as part of a conveyor belt system
where they can be used individually or with a spacer to create a long
assembly line. However, ball bearing manufacturers can also be found
in engines or on skate boards and inline skates, and are often used when
rotary motion is needed.
Ball bearings encounter and react to two types of loads. A bearing used
in a rotating bar stool is subject to a thrust load, which comes from
the weight of the person sitting on the stool. Radial load, however,
is experienced by a bearing used as part of a conveyer or pulley system,
which gives a bearing a consistent rotating tension that comes from the
belt or pulley. Most ball bearings are capable of handling both thrust
and radial loads. But specific design allows for certain bearings to
handle differing proportions of each load type based on for what the
bearing is used.
Ball bearings are typically made out of steel or ceramic, and may require
some type of lubrication
in order to operate correctly. The most common lubricant for ball bearings
is grease. Recent improvements in lubrication have added long life to
ball bearings. This also cuts down on the need for replacement and maintenance.
Although most ball bearings are sealed and will not require additional
grease, some come with a grease cup and need to occasionally be re-greased.
The ball bearing manufacturers and providers of ball bearings have a
wide variety of sizes and dimensions of bearings to choose from as well
as load capacity strength.
Types of Ball Bearings
-
are a type of radial bearing that are designed so that the contact angle
between the races and the balls is created when the bearing is in use.
- describe many types of bearings used for automotive purposes.
- are also sometimes called precision bearings; these
bearings are rated on a scale from 1 to 9 based on precision standards.
- are components that are used in between moving parts.
- are made of steel rings and ceramic balls (instead of
steel).
-
have one race shoulder turned and ground away to facilitate an assembly
with a greater number of balls. Can also be a non-separable ball bearing
with one side of the raceway removed from either or both rings to assist
manufacturing assembly; normally the outer ring is counterbored.
-
are a type of radial bearing that have a cage assembly, which separates
the balls and is used for radial and axial loads.
-
move objects that need only be moved in one direction and possibly back
to an original position. (Linear
Bearings)
- allow for more balls to be loaded into
the bearing using the filling notches.
-
are a smaller bearing, typically under 10mm bores. A single row style
of bearing capable of handling smaller torque loads.
- are composed of materials that are subjected to
severe stress reversals.
- move in both directions and can handle large
loads. The most widely used and recognizable ball bearing.
- can handle higher load capacities than standard ball
bearings. These consist of cylindrical rollers as the motion component
of the bearing.
- consist of two rows of balls and a spherical
raceway in the outer ring. These bearings are known for limited problems
with misalignment.
- are used for inline skates
and skateboards. These
utilize balls as the motion component for the bearing.
- are
made of steel materials.
-
are designed to handle just thrust and minimum amounts of it, such as
in the case of a Lazy Susan or Barstool.
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Ball Bearings Terms
- Where
the bearing is mounted; it is an imaginary line that runs through the
center of the shaft.
Ball Cage - Device used to space the
balls. The cage partly surrounds the balls and moves with them.
- Container that
holds the balls in place.
- The smallest dimension
when referring to the separator, inner ring or outer ring of a ball bearing.
- A mechanical component
that is intended to support two or more parts, which maneuver in differing
directions.
- Inner ring of tapered
roller bearing.
- Formed by a
line drawn between the areas of ball and ring contact and a line perpendicular
to the bearing axis.
- A load placed
on a bearing that is in motion.
- A breakdown of the
bearing, when used constantly for loading purposes.
- The amount of internal
clearance in a bearing. This can also refer to shaft and housing size
and how they relate to the bore or outside diameter.
- Bearing that
is able to move in one or two directions.
- The innermost part
of a bearing, which fits on a shaft and contains the external raceway
for the rolling elements. Occasionally the shaft is immobile and the housing
rotates.
- A nut used in tandem
with a lock washer to hold a bearing in place on a shaft.
- A usually oil based
liquid, which provides cooling, reduces friction and resists contamination
and corrosion for ball bearings and related components.
- Separates
similar surfaces by use of a magnetic field.
- Portion of the
bearing that contains the internal raceway for the balls.
- The ball or roller
path cut in the inner and outer ring in which the balls or rollers move.
Sometimes referred to as a guide path.
- A soft synthetic rubber
washer with a steel core fixed in the outer ring (in the seal groove)
in contact with the inner ring to retain lubricant and keep out contamination.
(Hydraulic Seals)
- A thin metal plate or
washer used to pack or pre-load a bearing.
- Used to separate or
space bearings on the same or different rows in areas where multiple ball
bearings are used, such as in assembly lines.
- A load exerted
on a bearing not in motion.
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