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Types and uses of bearings

Types and uses of bearings

Apr 15,2022

Types and uses of bearings

Bearing is an important part of mechanical equipment. Its main function is to support the mechanical rotating body to reduce the mechanical load friction coefficient of the equipment in the transmission process.

Bearings are divided into radial bearings and thrust bearings according to the bearing direction or nominal contact angle.


The type of rolling element is divided into ball bearing and roller bearing.


It can be divided into self-aligning bearing and non-self-aligning bearing (rigid bearing) according to whether it can be self-aligning.


According to the number of columns of the rolling element, it is divided into single row bearing, double-row bearing, and multi-row bearing.


According to whether the components can be separated, they are divided into the separable bearing and nonseparable bearing.


In addition, there are classifications according to structural shape and size.

1、 Angular contact ball bearing


There are contact angles between the ferrule and the ball. The standard contact angles are 15 °, 30 °, and 40 °. The larger the contact angle, the greater the axial load capacity. The smaller the contact angle, the more conducive to high-speed rotation. The single row bearing can bear radial load and unidirectional axial load. Structurally, two single row angular contact ball bearings combined on the back share the inner ring and outer ring, which can bear radial load and bidirectional axial load.


Main purpose:

Single row: machine tool spindle, high-frequency motor, gas turbine, centrifugal separator, small car front wheel, differential pinion shaft.

Double row: oil pump, roots blower, air compressor, various transmissions, fuel injection pump, printing machinery.


2、 Self-aligning ball bearing


Double row steel balls, the outer ring raceway is of inner spherical surface type, so it can automatically adjust the misalignment of the axis caused by the deflection or non-concentricity of the shaft or shell. The tapered hole bearing can be conveniently installed on the shaft through the use of fasteners, mainly bearing radial load.


Main uses woodworking machinery, textile machinery transmission shaft, vertical self-aligning bearing with seat.


3、Spherical roller bearing


This kind of bearing is equipped with spherical rollers between the outer ring of the spherical raceway and the inner ring of the double raceway. The different internal structure, it is divided into four types: R, Rh, RHA, and Sr. because the arc center of the outer ring raceway is consistent with the center of the bearing and has centering performance, it can automatically adjust the axis misalignment caused by the deflection or non-concentricity of the shaft or outer shell, and can bear radial load and bidirectional axial load.


Main applications: paper machinery, speed reducer, railway vehicle axle, rolling mill gearbox seat, rolling mill roller track, crusher, vibrating screen, printing machinery, woodworking machinery, various industrial speed reducers, vertical self-aligning bearing with seat.


4、 Thrust self-aligning roller bearing


In this kind of bearing, the spherical rollers are arranged obliquely. Because the raceway surface of the race is spherical and has centering performance, the shaft can be allowed to have several inclinations. The axial load capacity is very large. It can bear several radial loads while bearing axial loads. Oil lubrication is generally used in use.


Main applications: paper machinery, speed reducer, railway vehicle axle, rolling mill gearbox seat, rolling mill roller track, crusher, vibrating screen, printing machinery, woodworking machinery, various industrial speed reducers, vertical self-aligning bearing with seat.


5、 Tapered roller bearing


This type of bearing is equipped with round platform-shaped rollers, which are guided by the large retaining edge of the inner ring. In design, the apex of the conical surfaces of the inner ring raceway surface, the outer ring raceway surface, and the roller rolling surface intersect at a point on the bearing centerline. The single-row bearing can bear radial load and one-way axial load, and the double row bearing can bear radial load and two-way axial load. It is suitable for bearing heavy loads and impact loads.


Main uses: Automobile: front wheel, rear wheel, transmission, differential, pinion shaft. Machine tool spindle, construction machinery, large agricultural machinery, railway vehicle gear reducer, rolling mill roll neck, and reducer.


6、 Deep groove ball bearing


Structurally, each ring of deep groove ball bearing has a continuous groove raceway with a cross-section of about one-third of the circumference of the equatorial circle of the ball. Deep groove ball bearing is mainly used to bear radial load and certain axial load.


When the radial clearance of the bearing increases, it has the property of angular contact ball bearing and can bear the alternating axial load in two directions. Compared with other types of bearings of the same size, this kind of bearing has a small friction coefficient, high limit speed, and high precision. It is the preferred bearing type for user selection.


Main uses automobile, tractor, machine tool, motor, water pump, agricultural machinery, textile machinery, etc.


7、 Thrust ball bearing


It is composed of washer shaped raceway ring with the raceway, ball, and cage components. The raceway ring matched with the shaft is called the shaft ring, and the raceway ring matched with the shell is called the seat ring. The two-way bearing matches the middle ring with the secret shaft. The one-way bearing can bear a one-way axial load and the two-way bearing can bear a two-way axial load (neither can bear a radial load).


Main uses automobile steering pin, machine tool spindle.


8、 Thrust roller bearing


Thrust roller bearings are used to bear the combined load in the meridional direction of the shaft with the main axial load, but the meridional load shall not exceed 55% of the axial load. Compared with other thrust roller bearings, this kind of bearing has a lower friction coefficient, higher speed, and self-aligning ability. The roller of 29000 bearings is an asymmetric spherical roller, which can reduce the relative sliding between the rod and the raceway in the work. In addition, the roller is long, large in diameter, large in number, and large in load capacity. It is usually lubricated with oil, and grease can be used for individual low-speed situations.


Main uses a hydraulic generator, crane, and hook.


9、 Cylindrical roller bearing


The roller of a cylindrical roller bearing is usually guided by two retaining edges of a bearing ring. The cage roller and the guide ring form an assembly, which can be separated from another bearing ring. It belongs to the separable bearing.


This kind of bearing is easy to install and disassemble, especially when the inner and outer rings are required to be interference fit with the shaft and shell. Such bearings are generally only used to bear radial loads, and only single-row bearings with retaining edges on both inner and outer rings can bear small steady axial loads or large intermittent axial loads.


Main uses a large motor, machine tool spindle, axle box, diesel engine crankshaft, automobile, supporting transformer box, etc.


10、 Four-point contact ball bearing


It can bear radial load and two-way axial load. A single bearing can replace the angular contact ball bearing with a front combination or back combination. It is suitable for bearing pure axial load or synthetic load with large axial load components. This kind of bearing can form a contact angle when bearing axial load in any direction. Therefore, the ferrule and the ball are always in contact at two sides and three-knife points on any contact line.


Main uses aircraft jet engine, gas turbine.


11、 Thrust cylindrical roller bearing


It is composed of washer shaped raceway ring (shaft ring, seat ring), cylindrical roller, and cage assembly. The cylindrical roller is processed by a convex surface, so the pressure distribution between the roller and the raceway surface is uniform, which can bear unidirectional axial load, with large axial load capacity and strong axial rigidity.


Main uses: oil drilling rig, iron, and steel machinery.


12、 Thrust needle roller bearing


The release bearing is composed of a raceway ring, a needle roller, and a cage assembly, and can be arbitrarily combined with a thin raceway ring processed by stamping or a thick raceway ring processed by cutting. Nonseparable bearing is an integral bearing composed of precision stamped raceway ring, needle roller, and cage components, which can bear unidirectional axial load. This kind of bearing occupies a small space and is conducive to the compact design of machinery. Most of them only use needle roller and cage components, and the installation surface of the shaft and shell is used as a raceway surface.


Main application: speed change device of an automobile, cultivator, machine tool, etc.


13、 Thrust tapered roller bearing


This type of bearing is equipped with round platform-shaped rollers (the big end is spherical), which are accurately guided by the retaining edge of the raceway ring (shaft ring and seat ring). In design, the apex of the raceway surface of the shaft ring and seat ring and the conical surface of the roller rolling surface intersect at a point on the bearing centerline. The one-way bearing can bear a one-way axial load and the two-way bearing can bear a two-way axial load.


One way: crane hook, oil drilling rig swivel.


Two ways: roll neck of rolling mill.


14、 Outer spherical ball bearing with seat


Outer spherical ball bearing with seat is composed of outer spherical ball bearing with a seal on both sides and cast (or steel plate stamping) bearing seat. The internal structure of the outer spherical ball bearing is the same as that of the deep groove ball bearing, but the inner ring of the bearing is wider than the outer ring. The outer ring has a truncated spherical outer surface, which can be self-aligning when matched with the concave spherical surface of the bearing seat.


The Main uses are mining, metallurgy, agriculture, chemical industry, textile, printing, dyeing Conveying machinery, etc.