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HOME > LEARNING RESOURCES > WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN... > WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEARINGS?

WhatstheDifferenceBetweenBearings?
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CarlosGonzalez|MachineDesign Aug26,2015

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Downloadthisarticlein.PDFformat ByStephenMraz
Thisfiletypeincludeshighresolutiongraphicsandschematicswhenapplicable.

Bearingsareusedtohelpreducefriction.Metaluponmetalcontactproduceslarge
amountsoffriction.Thefrictionaddstowearandtearofthemetal,producinggrinding
thatslowlydegradesthemetal.Bearingsreducefrictionbyhavingthetwosurfacesroll
overeachother,reducingtheamountoffrictionproduced.Theyconsistofasmooth
metalballorrollerthatrollsagainstasmoothinnerandoutermetalsurface.Therollers
orballstaketheload,allowingthedevicetospin.

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TheDifferenceBetween...
Theloadacteduponabearingiseitheraradialorthrustload.Dependingonthelocation
ofthebearinginthemechanism,itcanseeallofaradialorthrustloadoracombination BeamDiagrams?
ofboth.Forexample,thebearinginthewheelofyourcarsupportsaradialandathrust ByCarlosGonzalez
load.Theweightofthecaronthebearingproducesaradialloadwhilethethrustloadis
producedasthecarturnsacorner.Herewewillexaminesometypesofcommon
bearings.

BallBearings

Ballbearingsaremostcommontypeofbearingandcanhandlebothradialandthrust
loads.BallbearingsarealsoknownasdeepgroovesingleroworConradbearings.The
innerringistypicallyfastenedtotherotatingshaftandthegrooveontheouterdiameter
providesacircularballraceway.Theouterringismountedontothebearinghousing.The
ballbearingsarehousedinaraceandwhentheloadisapplied,itistransmittedfromthe
outerracetotheballandfromtheballtotheinnerrace.Theracewaygrooveshave
typicalcurvatureradiiof51.5%to53%oftheballdiameter.Smallercurvatureraceways
cancausehighrollingfrictionduetothetightconformityoftheballsandraceways.
Highercurvatureracewayscanshortenfatiguelifefromincreasedstressinthesmaller
ballracecontractarea.
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3DPrintingTipsandTechniques:
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ByJeffKerns

1.Ballbearings,alsoknownasConradbearings,aretypicallyusedinsmallloadapplications.

Thecontactpointsbetweentheballandtheouterraceisverysmallduetothespherical
shapeofthebearing.Thisalsohelpstheballspinverysmoothly.Sincethecontactpointis
sosmall,thebearingcanbecomeoverloadedataspecificpointcausingtheballbearingto
becomedeformed.Thiswillruinthebearing.Ballbearingsaretypicallyusedin ReadNow
applicationswheretheloadisrelativelysmall.

2.Thetableabovelistssomegeneraltypesofballbearingsandtheirtypicalloadcapabilities.

StraightRollerBearings

Straightrollerorcylindricalbearingsrunincylindricalracewaysandhavelowfriction,
highradialloadcapacity,andhighspeedcapability.Rollerbearingsarecylindershaped
bearingswherethepointofcontactbetweenthebearingandtheraceisalineratherthan
apoint.Loadisdistributedoveralargerareaandallowsthebearingtohandleagreater
load.Tominimizeitstendencytoskew,therollerslengthisnotmuchgreaterthanthe
diameteroftheroller.
3.Straightorcylindricalrollerbearingscanbefoundinapplicationslikeconveyorbeltrollers,whichare
requiredtoholdheavyradialloads.

Theirusualdesignisfreetofloataxially,andtheyhaverollerguidingflangesonboth
sidesofoneringandnoneontheotherside.Thisallowsforthebearingtoexpanddueto
thermalactivitywhenusedincombinationwithaballbearingsfixedlocationatthe
oppositeend.Athrustloadcanbesupportedinonedirectionifaguidingflangeisadded
ononeoftheopposingringsside.Asecondflangecanbeaddedfortwodirectional
thrustcapacity.

TaperedRollerBearings
4.Taperedrollerbearingsaredesignedtowithstandaradialandthrustload,andcanbefoundincarhubsdue
totheamountofradialandthrustloadstheycancarry.

Inataperedrollerbearing,theringsandtherollersaretaperedintheshapeoftruncated
conestosimultaneouslysupportaxialandradialloads.Theratiooftheloadsdependson
theangleoftheaxesbetweentherollerandbearing.Thegreatertheangleisthegreater
axialloadcanbesupported.Thecontactangleformosttaperedrollerbearingsrangeis
between10to16degrees.Forhigherthrustloadcapacity,a30degreecontactangleis
used.
5.Taperedbearingsaremountedpairssincetheyhandleradialloadsbetterthanasinglerowoftapered
bearings.Forheavydutyapplications,twoorfourrowsoftaperedrollersarecombinedinasingleunitinlarge
bearings.

SphericalRollerBearings

Sphericalrollerbearingstypicallyconsistoftworowsofbarrelshapedrollersrunningin
tworaceways.Oneisontheinnerringandtheotherisonacontinuoussphericalsurface
groundontheinnerdiameteroftheouterring.Thisallowsthebearingtooperatewith
somemisalignment.Sphericalrollershavebarrelprofilesthatcloselymatchtheraceways
profiles,hencemakingthemrobustandhavingahighloadcapacity.Theyaremounted
inpairsinsidethebearinghousingandarefacedinoppositedirections.Thisisdoneso
thattheloadcanbesupportedineitherdirection.
6.Sphericalrollerbearingsareusedincarhubsandcansupportlargeradialandthrustloads.

NeedleRollerBearings

Needlerollerbearingsuseelongatedcylindricalrollingelementswithsmalldiameters.
Theyareusedinapplicationswhereradialspaceislimited.Thediametertolengthratio
fortheneedlesvariesbetween1to2.5and1to10.Duetotheirsmallsize,theycannotbe
guidedaccuratelyandgeneratehighamountsoffriction.Theyareusedatlowspeeds
andoscillatingmotionsasaresult.Cagesmaybeusedtohelpguidetheneedlesand
improveretention.
7.Needlerollerbearingsareusedindesignsthathaveheavyspacerestrictions.

ThrustBearings

Designedtohandlehighthrustloads,rollerthrustbearingsaretypicallyfoundin
gearsetsusedforcartransmissionsbetweengearsorbetweenthehousingandrotating
shafts.Theangledteethfoundinhelicalgearsusedincartransmissionsproduceahigh
thrustloadthatissupportedbytherollerthrustbearings.Rollerthrustbearingsslide
withinarollerracecontacttohandlethesurfacespeedvariationthatcomesasaresultof
thevaryingdiameteracrossthecontactzone.
8.Ballthrustbearingsaredesignedtohandlealmostexclusivelythrustloadsinlowspeed,lowweight
applications.Anexampleofitsusewouldbeinbarstoolswheretheyareusedtosupporttheseat.

Ballthrustbearingsarecomprisedoftwogroovedplateswithasetofballsbetweenthem.
Theballracecontactshaveaslidingactionthatisincreasedathighspeedsbythe
centrifugalforceontheballs.Cylindricalrollerthrustbearingsarelimitedtoabout20%
ofthespeedofitsradialbearingcounterpartandballthrustbearingsarelimitedto30%
ofthespeedoftheircounterpart.

AllimagesrepurposedfromtheUniversityofCambridge.

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onSep1,2015
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Thanksforshare.Ilikeit

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onSep23,2015
Vandy320

Veryhelpful

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onOct1,2015
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sogoodexplicationthanksforshare

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onFeb19,2016
user629182
 Thanksforcrispdrawingswithdetailednames.Commonuseslike"taperrollerbearingsare
usedinthewheelbearingsofmostcars"mightbeincludednexttime.

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