SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF BALL BEARING MATERIALS

Steel is commonly used for both the rolling component and the rings in roller bearings and ball bearings. Other properties, such as higher corrosion resistance, porosity, cost savings, seizure resistance, lightweight materials, and high durability, are required in various industrial applications.

FEIKEN Bearing, being Malaysia’s preferred bearing supplier, knows everything about obtaining the correct bearing components and materials for your machine.

1.0 Carbon Steel

Carbon steel, sometimes known as ‘commercial grade,’ is not stainless steel and contains up to 2.1 percent carbon by weight. The stronger the bearing, the higher the carbon concentration. However, it becomes less ductile, has a lower melting point, and is unable to handle big loads or at fast speeds as a result of this. Carbon steel bearings have several advantages, including being the cheapest bearing material and being extremely hard. Carbon bearings are typically found in rolling drawers, locks, bicycles, roller skates, and shopping carts.

2.0 Chrome Steel

Chrome steel bearings are another sort of steel bearing, and they are one of the most popular types of bearing components and materials because of their low cost, high hardness, and lower working volume. A chrome steel bearing, contrary to its name, has a low chromium content in the steel compound. The advantages of employing a chrome steel bearing include high hardness, high load capacity, low decibel, affordable cost, and broad accessibility. It does, however, require lubrication and is not corrosion or chemical resistant. It has a wide range of industry applications as one of the most regularly supplied bearings. Vibrating motor systems, food processing equipment, and linear motion components are just a few examples.

3.0 Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is the last steel material utilised to make industry-ready bearings. The carbon content is lower than carbon steel bearings, while the chromium content is higher than chrome steel bearings.  Most other bearing types are less effective, accurate, robust, durable, corrosion resistant, chemical resistant, softer, and temperature adaptable than stainless steel bearings. The only disadvantages would be the heavier content, lubrication requirements, and greater expenses. The stainless steel bearing may now be utilised in a variety of industrial applications, including temperature-sensitive ones. Food processing, manufacturing, metal plating, instrumentation, extreme humidity, and highly chemical regions are just a few examples.

4.0 Ceramic

Ceramic bearings are made using two ceramic rings and a fluorine resin retainer to make a very non-corrosive and durable bearing. Due to the non-magnetic requirements of the machinery, this material was chosen above stainless steel and its variations. A ceramic ball bearing has a high hardness, is anti-corrosive, robust, lightweight, high-temperature resistant, low density, and requires little maintenance because it does not require oil. Ceramic ball bearings are frequently used in aeroplanes, dental equipment, and food processing facilities.

5.0 Polymer

Because of their lightweight properties, numerous non-metallic materials are employed to make ball and roller bearings. The following plastics and polymers are utilised in the bearing industry:

• Nitrile Rubber
• Nylon Silicone
• Nitrate
• Phenolic
• Teflon (PTFE)

Polymer plastic bearings have large temperature ranges and inherently low friction qualities, which means they don’t require lubrication. Other advantages of polymer plastic bearings include corrosion, chemical, and rust resistance, as well as a lightweight, high-strength body that may be employed in a variety of industrial machinery. Electrical switch gears, water turbines, ship propeller shafts, home appliances, filming gear, instruments, textiles, factory floor applications, and more all require polymer plastic bearings.

6.0 Hybrid

Finally, hybrid bearings are created according to industry standards. They offer electrical insulation by using steel rings with strong radial and axial strength, as well as bearing quality silicone nitrate for the rolling parts. Hybrid bearings offer superior wear resistance, a wide range of industry application situations, faster speeds than most, and non-conductive components for temperature increases or RCF. The hybrid bearing components and materials are used in high-level research and scientific machinery such as cryogenic chambers, aeronautical engineering, and medical equipment.

Pros

Tapered roller bearings have numerous advantages. To begin with, the roller is tapered and inclined between the cups and cones, it can readily withstand a wide range of directional loads. It outperforms spherical, cylindrical, and needle roller bearings in the capacity to withstand combined heavy thrust and radial stresses. Without modification, most conventionally installed tapered roller bearings can withstand pure radial, pure axial, and any combination of those two types of stress conditions.

Because the shape of the tapered roller bearing provides real rolling motion of the roller between the raceways, the rollers are unlikely to skid or slide when unloaded. Other roller bearings feature low load requirements to ensure that the roller rolls rather than slides between the raceways. Skidding or sliding is dangerous because it sweeps lubricant away from the surfaces, causing wear and early failure.

Tapered roller bearings can withstand large loads. These capabilities greatly surpass the restrictions of ball bearings and compete with equivalent spherical roller bearing capacities.

Cons

However, it is necessary to keep in mind that tapered roller bearings have a few drawbacks. Tapered roller bearings are prone to dynamic misalignment. Spherical roller bearings tolerate dynamic misalignment significantly better due to raceway and roller geometry. Tapered roller bearings have static misalignment constraints as well, although in some cases, the bearing housings can be built so that the bearing can appropriately self-align.

Another issue is the limitation of speed. Although tapered roller bearings may run at high speeds, ball bearings can outperform tapered roller bearings and emit less heat at higher speeds. Many tapered roller bearings come as mounted units, such as pillow blocks, flanges, guided flanges, and take-up units. These mounted devices are frequently pre-lubricated and come with a selection of seals to suit a wide range of applications. These mounted units’ cones are particularly designed for rapid bearing-to-shaft assembly by setscrew, tapered adapter, eccentric locking, or clamp-style attachments.

Tapered roller bearings are also often available in unitized forms, which allow for misaligned expansion. Tapered roller bearing assemblies installed within a housing with a spherical outer diameter or rib are examples of unitized arrangements. These components are then put together in a flange or pillow block. The unitized bearing assembly swivels relative to the anchored bearing housing, comparable to a ball-and-socket joint. Common designs allow for a static angular misalignment of up to 4°. These unitized assemblies can also be expanded to prevent preload from thermal shaft growth or contraction.

Tapered roller bearings are widely used in a variety of applications. Tapered roller bearings are used in gearboxes and gear sets, particularly those that employ helical gears, because of their improved performance with multi-directional loads. Fans subjected to strong axial pressures, agricultural equipment, mining and aggregate machinery, aggressive machines used with wood goods, forest and paper products, and typical industrial applications all require mounted tapered roller bearings.

Advantages:

Minimize operation’s noise level. Because of the greater quality of balls, optimum surfaces, and cage stability, deep groove ball bearings are quieter in operation. They function flawlessly.

Lower friction offers low operational energy costs. Surfaces, waviness, and roundness are optimised to reduce bearing friction. Longer life is carried out to reduce friction.

Improved sealing enables more effective pollution protection. Deep groove ball bearings with seals on both sides are greased with a high-quality grease that is lubricated for lifetime and can withstand high speeds. They are quite effective at sealing and keeping pollutants out.

Reduced lubricant loss results in longer bearing life. Deep groove ball bearings loaded with special greases for specific applications and operating conditions.