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WhatstheDifferenceBetweenBearings?
MachineDesign
CarlosGonzalez
Wed,2015082614:46

Bearingsareusedtohelpreducefriction.Metaluponmetalcontactproduceslargeamountsoffriction.The
frictionaddstowearandtearofthemetal,producinggrindingthatslowlydegradesthemetal.Bearings
reducefrictionbyhavingthetwosurfacesrollovereachother,reducingtheamountoffrictionproduced.
Theyconsistofasmoothmetalballorrollerthatrollsagainstasmoothinnerandoutermetalsurface.The
rollersorballstaketheload,allowingthedevicetospin.

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SimulationTable'sBearingsSupportHighLoads

Theloadacteduponabearingiseitheraradialorthrustload.Dependingonthelocationofthebearingin
themechanism,itcanseeallofaradialorthrustloadoracombinationofboth.Forexample,thebearingin
thewheelofyourcarsupportsaradialandathrustload.Theweightofthecaronthebearingproducesa
radialloadwhilethethrustloadisproducedasthecarturnsacorner.Herewewillexaminesometypesof
commonbearings.

BallBearings

Ballbearingsaremostcommontypeofbearingandcanhandlebothradialandthrustloads.Ballbearings
arealsoknownasdeepgroovesingleroworConradbearings.Theinnerringistypicallyfastenedtothe
rotatingshaftandthegrooveontheouterdiameterprovidesacircularballraceway.Theouterringis
mountedontothebearinghousing.Theballbearingsarehousedinaraceandwhentheloadisapplied,itis
transmittedfromtheouterracetotheballandfromtheballtotheinnerrace.Theracewaygrooveshave
typicalcurvatureradiiof51.5%to53%oftheballdiameter.Smallercurvatureracewayscancausehigh
rollingfrictionduetothetightconformityoftheballsandraceways.Highercurvatureracewayscanshorten
fatiguelifefromincreasedstressinthesmallerballracecontractarea.
 The
contactpointsbetweentheballandtheouterraceisverysmallduetothesphericalshapeofthebearing.
Thisalsohelpstheballspinverysmoothly.Sincethecontactpointissosmall,thebearingcanbecome
overloadedataspecificpointcausingtheballbearingtobecomedeformed.Thiswillruinthebearing.Ball
bearingsaretypicallyusedinapplicationswheretheloadisrelativelysmall.
StraightRollerBearings

Straightrollerorcylindricalbearingsrunincylindricalracewaysandhavelowfriction,highradialload
capacity,andhighspeedcapability.Rollerbearingsarecylindershapedbearingswherethepointofcontact
betweenthebearingandtheraceisalineratherthanapoint.Loadisdistributedoveralargerareaand
allowsthebearingtohandleagreaterload.Tominimizeitstendencytoskew,therollerslengthisnotmuch
greaterthanthediameteroftheroller.
Theirusualdesignisfreetofloataxially,andtheyhaverollerguidingflangesonbothsidesofoneringand
noneontheotherside.Thisallowsforthebearingtoexpandduetothermalactivitywhenusedin
combinationwithaballbearingsfixedlocationattheoppositeend.Athrustloadcanbesupportedinone
directionifaguidingflangeisaddedononeoftheopposingringsside.Asecondflangecanbeaddedfor
twodirectionalthrustcapacity.

TaperedRollerBearings
 Ina
taperedrollerbearing,theringsandtherollersaretaperedintheshapeoftruncatedconesto
simultaneouslysupportaxialandradialloads.Theratiooftheloadsdependsontheangleoftheaxes
betweentherollerandbearing.Thegreatertheangleisthegreateraxialloadcanbesupported.Thecontact
angleformosttaperedrollerbearingsrangeisbetween10to16degrees.Forhigherthrustloadcapacity,a
30degreecontactangleisused.
SphericalRollerBearings

Sphericalrollerbearingstypicallyconsistoftworowsofbarrelshapedrollersrunningintworaceways.One
isontheinnerringandtheotherisonacontinuoussphericalsurfacegroundontheinnerdiameterofthe
outerring.Thisallowsthebearingtooperatewithsomemisalignment.Sphericalrollershavebarrelprofiles
thatcloselymatchtheracewaysprofiles,hencemakingthemrobustandhavingahighloadcapacity.They
aremountedinpairsinsidethebearinghousingandarefacedinoppositedirections.Thisisdonesothatthe
loadcanbesupportedineitherdirection.

Needle
RollerBearings

Needlerollerbearingsuseelongatedcylindricalrollingelementswithsmalldiameters.Theyareusedin
applicationswhereradialspaceislimited.Thediametertolengthratiofortheneedlesvariesbetween1to
2.5and1to10.Duetotheirsmallsize,theycannotbeguidedaccuratelyandgeneratehighamountsof
friction.Theyareusedatlowspeedsandoscillatingmotionsasaresult.Cagesmaybeusedtohelpguidethe
needlesandimproveretention.
 Thrust
Bearings

Designedtohandlehighthrustloads,rollerthrustbearingsaretypicallyfoundingearsetsusedforcar
transmissionsbetweengearsorbetweenthehousingandrotatingshafts.Theangledteethfoundinhelical
gearsusedincartransmissionsproduceahighthrustloadthatissupportedbytherollerthrustbearings.
Rollerthrustbearingsslidewithinarollerracecontacttohandlethesurfacespeedvariationthatcomesas
aresultofthevaryingdiameteracrossthecontactzone.
 Ball
thrustbearingsarecomprisedoftwogroovedplateswithasetofballsbetweenthem.Theballracecontacts
haveaslidingactionthatisincreasedathighspeedsbythecentrifugalforceontheballs.Cylindricalroller
thrustbearingsarelimitedtoabout20%ofthespeedofitsradialbearingcounterpartandballthrust
bearingsarelimitedto30%ofthespeedoftheircounterpart.

AllimagesrepurposedfromtheUniversityofCambridge.

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