Bearings

Bearings

Industry, commerce and consumer products contexts all rely on bearings to allow for the reduction of friction between moving parts in a wide variety of products. In industrial contexts, bearings are applied in order to allow for the movement of industrial components relative to each other. Bearings can be found in engines, assembly lines, fans and in a variety of tools such as lathes, saws, drills and routers. In commercial settings, such as in offices, bearings can be found in swivel chairs, in desk drawers and in door hardware. Consumer products like bicycles, automobiles, hand tools, furniture like desks and dressers, exercise equipment and a variety of other products also usually involve the use of bearings. Every product or system that involves the movement of objects relative to each other requires the use of a bearing, and those bearings often involve ball bearings, cylinders, needles or other similarly shaped bearing materials.

Bearings can be made out of many materials, but steel and ceramics are among the most common bearing construction materials. Steel is popular because of its high strength and durability, and ceramic materials are popular because of their corrosion resistance and other favorable physical properties. There are two classifications for bearings: linear and rotary. These classifications are based on the kind of motion that they are designed to facilitate. Linear bearings allow for the movement of their borne objects in a straight line; they are used for pushing and pulling motions, such as the opening and closing of a drawer. A rotary bearing is designed for radial motion, like that of a spinning wheel. Bearings vary widely in terms of their size and shape. Some varieties are small enough to be held in hand, while others can be as large as ten feet in diameter. Bearings this large are used in places like hydroelectric power plants. Bearings have been used for many years, and their low cost ensures that they will continue to be used in the future.