Ball Bearings Information

Description

Ball bearings are used to provide smooth, low friction motion in rotary applications.
Ball bearings are able to provide high performance and long lifetime in order to
transfer the load from the balls to the inner races. The balls have minimal contact
with the inner and outer races due to their spherical shape and this allows them to
spin smoothly.

A disadvantage of ball bearings is that the balls can become "flattened" over time
with too much pressure on the outer races leading to eventual failure. Therefore it is
very important that the load ratings and other parameters are monitored regularly.

Thrust bearing. Image Credit: Wikipedia

Parts

Ball bearings are composed of four main parts: two rings (or races) the rolling
elements (the balls), and the ball separator (retainer).

Radial ball bearings and angular contact bearings have an inner and outer ring.
Radial ball bearings and angular contact bearings are designed to support loads
perpendicular to the axis of rotation, referred to as radial loads. The outer
race mounts into a housing and is stationary. This part also aids in the transfer of
the radial load from the bearing to the housing. The inner race mounts onto a
rotating shaft and supports and guides the shaft during rotation.

Image Credit: Bright Hub Engineering

The rolling elements carry the load and distribute it throughout the raceways. The
rolling elements rotate around the inner race, but not at the same speed as the
rotation of the inner race.

The separator acts as a barrier between the balls preventing them from bumping
into each other. Thurst bearings are designed to support loads parallel to the axis of
ratation, referred to as axial loads. Thrust ball bearings have two rings of equal size.

Types

Ball bearing types include:

Radial ball bearings - Radial ball bearings are designed to carry both radial and
(light) axial (thrust) loads, while thrust ball bearings are designed for pure thrust
loads only.

How It's Made - Ball Bearings Video Credit: NTN Bearing Corporation via YouTube

Deep groove - Radial, or deep groove bearings, can take radial and axial loads to
varying degrees but are used when the primary load is in the radial direction. They
consist of an inner ring, an outer ring, balls and sometimes a cage to contain and

separate the balls.

Angular contact - Angular contact ball bearings are designed such that a contact
angle between the races and the balls is formed when the bearing is in use. The
major design characteristic of this type of ball bearing is that one or both or the ring
races have one shoulder higher than the other. In order for these bearings to
function properly, they must be assembled with a thrust load. This loading (or
preload) creates a line of contact (or contact angle) between the inner race, the ball
and the outer race. The preload can be built into the bearing or created when the
bearing is inserted into an assembly. The contact angle varies from 15 to 40 and
is measured relative to a line running perpendicular to the bearing axis. Angular
contact bearings are one-directional thrust bearings that can withstand heavy thrust
loads and moderate radial loads.

Thrust ball bearings - Thrust ball bearings are designed for pure thrust loads. These
bearings can handle little or no radial loads. The rolling element can be a ball,
needle, or roller. Slewing ring or turntable bearings can accommodate axial, radial
and moment loads. They are not mounted in a housing or on a shaft, but instead are
mounted directly to a seating surface. The inner and outer rings are supplied with
mounting holes. The inner ring, outer ring, or both may have integral gears. These
bearings are referred to as tabletop bearings, turntable bearings, and slewing rings.

Specifications

Dimensions

Important dimensions to consider when specifying bearings include:

Bore - The bearing industry uses a standard number system for bearings with metric
diameter bores. For bore sizes 04 and up multiply by 5 to obtain the bore in
millimeters. If the bore is a hex this refers to the dimension across the flats. If the
bore is tapered this refers to the smaller diameter.
Outside diameter - The outside diameter of the bearing includes the housing if a
housed unit, but excludes the flange if a flanged bearing. The outer ring width is the
overall width of the outside of the bearing.
Overall width - The overall width of the bearing or bearing assembly includes the
locking collar, if present.

Operating Specifications

Important operating specifications to consider when searching for bearings include

rated speed, dynamic axial or thrust load, and dynamic radial load.

The rated speed for a bearing running with grease lubrication is lower than a
bearing with oil lubrication.
The dynamic axial or thrust load is the calculated constant axial load, which a group
of identical bearings with stationary outer rings can theoretically endure for a rating
life of 1 million revolutions of the inner ring.
The dynamic radial load is the calculated constant radial load, which a group of
identical bearings with stationary outer rings can theoretically endure for a rating
life of 1 million revolutions of the inner ring.
Bearing Load, Fatigue, and Lifespan

Optimum bearing life is obtained when the balls and raceways have absolute
minimal surface contact supplemented with proper lubrication. Loads for ball
bearings are subject to static or dynamics loads, as well as axial or radial loads. This
means four variables need to be accounted for to determine working loads for a
bearing. Ball bearings can handle substantially more radial and dynamic loads than
axial and static loads. The first sign of non-elastic deformation will be flattened
spots on the balls, which will hinder rotation.

Calculated life of a bearing is based on its load, operating speeds, and

environmental factors. Industry standards typically require that 90% of bearings are
still serviceable after 1 million rotations, and 50% of bearings still be serviceable
after 5 million rotations. This is known as bearing fatigue life. An underestimate (for
safety) of a bearing's lifespan, as well as the applicable variables to calculate
such, is offered with Engineer's Edge online ball bearing fatigue life calculator.

It can also be accomplished with the following formula:

Where:

Bearing Life in hours

Extended Basic Dynamic Load Rating in Pounds or Newtons
Dynamic Load Rating Adjustment Factor for Number of Adjacently Mounted
Bearings
Life Adjustment Factor for Reliability
Life Adjustment Factor for Ball Bearing Material
Life Adjustment Factor for Application Conditions
Operating Speed (rpm)
Equivalent Radial Load on Bearing in Pounds or Newtons

Materials

Special materials and plating options to consider for ball bearings include stainless
steel, plastic, ceramic balls, ceramic races, and platings. Ball bearings are made
of largely through-hardened materials with a minimum Rockwell rating of 58 Rc.
440C stainless steel and SAE 52100 steel are the most common materials for
raceway and ball designs, but these alloys are not suitable for operating or friction
temperatures above 350 F. Forms of molybdenum steels are excellent for
temperature resistance even over 1000 F.

The shields and seals of a bearing do not carry a radial load and only light axial
loads, if any. Metal shields are usually of the same material as the bearing
raceways, but other common bearing face materials and their attributes are as
follows:

Table credit: Bearing Specialist Associates

Stamped steel is the most common retainer material; stamped or machined bronze
or brass and plastic (such as nylon) are also commonly available. These materials
feature good temperature resistance in high-speed applications. Plastic retainers
have a higher speed capability and are limited by temperatures, but plastic
retainers for high-speed applications made of phenolic materials (270 F), PTFE
(450 F), or polyimide (500 F) are available.

Applications

Special applications for bearings include airframe or aircraft control, aerospace,

agriculture, automotive, ball screw support, instrument or miniature, medical or
dental, military, pump, spindle or super precision, and sporting and consumer
goods.

Airframe /
Aircraft
Control

Aircraft Control and Airframe Bearings are specially

designed to meet the demands of aircraft control and
aerospace applications. They can be of ball, roller, or
needle roller construction. Most aircraft control and
airframe bearings are manufactured to U.S. government
military (MIL-SPEC) standards.

Aerospace

Bearings designed for aerospace applications such as jet

engines and helicopters.

Agriculture

Bearings designed for agriculture equipment and

environments.

Automotive

Bearings specially designed for the automotive industry.

Ball Screw
Support

These bearings are specially designed for use in ball screw

or lead screw applications. Most ball screw support
bearings are angular contact bearings with a steep contact
angle, such as 60, and are available in duplex, triplex and
quadruplex configurations. Other designs include bearings
containing separate thrust and radial roller bearings in a
single assembly. Cartridge designs are also available that
include a housing, seals, and bearings.

Instrument
/ Miniature

Instrument and miniature bearings are small deep groove or

angular contact bearings. They are used in applications

requiring very small bearings, such as dental drills and

computer disk drives.
Medical
/Dental

Bearings specially designed for medical or dental

equipment.

Military

Bearings manufactured in accordance with the U.S.

Government standards as dictated by the appropriate
military specifications.

Pump

These bearings are designed for the conditions found in

pumps, including high loads, poor or degraded lubrication,
and high operating temperatures.

Spindle /
Super
Precision

These are high precision bearings intended for use in

machine tool spindles.

Sporting
and
Consumer
Goods

Bearings specially designed for the sporting and consumer

goods market. Products in the sector include inline skates,
skateboards, and fishing reels.

The simple design of ball bearings makes them ideal for many weight bearing
applications. Specific applications include hard drives, roller skates, rotary
actuators, and rail cars just to name a few. Ball bearings come in different sizes, are
inexpensive, and require little to no maintenance.

Standards

Quality radial ball bearings are subject to standards, which indicate their precision
and efficiency. Bearing quality is rated by ABEC (Annular Bearing Engineers'
Committee). These ratings classify different accuracy and tolerance ranges for ball
bearings. The higher the ABEC number the tighter the bearing tolerances. Very
high-speed applications will see the greatest benefit from a more precise bearing.

A manufacturer does not have to follow these industrial guidelines. North American
radial ball bearings are under edict of the ABEC scale, while other ball bearings
adhere to ISO 492 or its regional equivalent (DIN, KS, etc.) There are five accepted
levels of the ABEC/ISO 492 scale and the level is not related to the size of the

bearing. Boca Bearings Inc. has a tolerance chart on the dimensional variances
acceptable for each ABEC/ISO standard, organized by bearing dimension.

Some manufacturers may quote an ABEC rating not listed above. This is an
inaccuracy; there are only five ABEC ratings.

Ball bearings can be manufactured and tested using standards developed by a

diverse range of societies and associations. ANSI -American National Standards
Institute, AFBMA - Anti-friction Bearing Manufacturers Association specifies other
standards and ISO - International Organization for Standardization also specify
standards.

MIL-STD-206 - Friction torque testing for bearings.

ABMA-STD-9 - Load ratings and fatigue life for ball bearings.

ASTM D3336 - Standard testing method for life of lubricating greases in ball
bearings at elevated temperatures.

References

Types of Bearing - Ball Bearing

Bearings 101

Selecting a bearing

Ball Bearing Overview

Image Credits:

ABT Bearing | Igus | Mechanical Design Forum

Read user Insights about Ball Bearings

Related Products & Services

Aerospace Bearings
Aerospace bearings are designed to meet the rigorous demands of aircraft control
and aerospace applications.
Angular Contact Bearings
Angular contact bearings are designed so that a contact angle between the races
and the balls is formed when the bearing is in use.
Insert Bearings
Insert bearings and wide inner ring bearings mount to shafts via setscrews or
locking collars.
Miniature Bearings and Instrument Bearings
Miniature bearings and instrument bearings carry moderate radial and thrust loads
at low operating torque while providing high performance in a small envelope
design. These types of bearings are single row ball bearings available in up to 1 1/8"
outer diameter (OD) sizes
Needle Roller Bearings

Needle roller bearings are a type of radial roller bearing with rollers whose length
are at least four times their diameter. These bearings are valued for their high load
capacity and low sectional height.
Roller Bearings
Roller bearings are used in rotary applications to replace sliding movement with low
friction, rolling motion. The principal types of roller bearings are cylindrical,
spherical, and tapered.
Thin-section Bearings
Thin-section bearings have small cross-sections with respect to their diameter.
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Angular Contact Ball Bearing

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Bearing Type:Other
Special Application:Other
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mounted ball bearings, nylon ball bearing, plastic ball bearing, rmb bearings

catalog, steel ball bearings, 1/2 inch ball bearings, 3/8 inch bearing, 5/8 inch
bearing
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