Bearings are crucial components in mechanical equipment. Their main function is to support the rotating parts of machinery and reduce the friction coefficient of mechanical loads during transmission.
Bearings are classified according to the direction of load or nominal contact angle as: radial bearings, thrust bearings.
They are also classified according to the type of rolling element as: ball bearings, roller bearings.
According to whether they can be self-aligned, they are divided into self-aligning bearings and non-self-aligning (rigid) bearings.
According to the number of rows of rolling elements, they are divided into single-row bearings, double-row bearings, and multi-row bearings.
According to whether the components can be separated, they are divided into separable and non-separable bearings.
In addition, there is also classification based on structural shape and size.
This article mainly shares the characteristics, differences and corresponding uses of 14 common bearings.
Angular Contact Ball Bearing
There is a contact angle between the inner ring and the ball, with standard angles of 15°, 30°, and 40°. The larger the contact angle, the greater the axial load capacity. A smaller contact angle is more advantageous for high-speed rotation. Single-row bearings can withstand radial loads and unidirectional axial loads. Structurally, two single-row angular contact ball bearings are combined back-to-back to share an inner and outer ring, capable of withstanding radial loads and bidirectional axial loads.
Angular contact ball bearings
Main applications:
Single row: machine tool spindles, high frequency motors, steam turbines, centrifugal separators, small car front wheels, differential small gear shafts.
Double row: oil pumps, Roots blowers, air compressors, various types of transmissions, fuel injection pumps and printing machinery.
Self-aligning ball bearings
Double row steel balls, with the outer ring raceway designed as a spherical shape, which allows for automatic adjustment of shaft misalignment caused by bending or eccentricity of the shaft or housing. The tapered bore bearing can be easily mounted on the shaft using fasteners and mainly withstands radial loads.
Self-aligning ball bearings
Main applications: Transmission shafts for woodworking machinery and textile machinery, self-aligning shaft bearings with vertical seats.
Spherical roller bearings
This type of bearing has spherical rollers between the outer ring with a spherical raceway and the double inner rings. According to their internal structure, they are divided into four types: R, RH, RHA, and SR. Due to the fact that the center of curvature of the outer ring raceway coincides with the bearing center, it has self-aligning performance. Therefore, it can automatically adjust for shaft or housing deflection or eccentricity caused by axial misalignment and can withstand radial loads and bidirectional axial loads.
Spherical roller bearings
Main applications: papermaking machinery, reduction gears, railway vehicle axles, rolling mill gearboxes, rolling mill roll necks, crushers, vibrating screens, printing machinery, woodworking machinery, various industrial reducers and vertical pillow block spherical roller bearings.
Thrust Spherical Roller Bearings
In this type of bearing, the spherical rollers are arranged in a tilted manner. Due to the fact that the seat ring raceway surface is spherical, it has self-aligning properties and can allow for some inclination of the shaft. It has a very large axial load capacity and can also withstand several radial loads while bearing axial loads. Generally, oil lubrication is used during operation.
Thrust self-aligning roller bearings
Main applications: hydraulic generators, vertical electric motors, ship propeller shafts, reduction gears for rolling screws used in rolling mills, tower cranes, coal mills, extruders and forming machines.
Tapered roller bearings
This type of bearing is equipped with tapered rollers, which are guided by the large end face of the inner ring. The design ensures that the vertices of each cone surface of the inner raceway, outer raceway and rolling element rolling surface intersect at a point on the bearing centerline. Single-row bearings can withstand radial loads and unidirectional axial loads, while double-row bearings can withstand radial loads and bidirectional axial loads. They are suitable for heavy and impact loads.
Tapered roller bearings
Main uses: Automobiles - front and rear wheels, transmission, differential small gear shaft. Machine tool spindle, construction machinery, large agricultural machinery, railway vehicle gear reduction device, rolling mill roll neck and reduction device.
Deep groove ball bearings
In terms of structure, each raceway of the deep groove ball bearing has a continuous groove-shaped rolling element with a cross-sectional area approximately one-third of the equatorial circumference of the ball. Deep groove ball bearings are mainly used to withstand radial loads and can also withstand certain axial loads.
When the radial clearance of the bearing increases, it has properties similar to angular contact ball bearings and can withstand axial loads alternating in two directions. Compared with other types of bearings with the same size, this type of bearing has low friction coefficient, high limit speed, and high precision. It is the preferred type of bearing for users when selecting.
Deep groove ball bearings
Main applications: automobiles, tractors, machine tools, motors, water pumps, agricultural machinery, textile machinery and so on.
Thrust ball bearings
Consisting of a washer-like raceway ring with rolling elements and a cage assembly, the raceway ring that matches the shaft is called the shaft ring, and the raceway ring that matches the housing is called the seat ring. The middle ring of a bidirectional bearing is matched with a secret axis, while a unidirectional bearing can withstand unidirectional axial loads and a bidirectional bearing can withstand bidirectional axial loads (neither can withstand radial loads).
Thrust ball bearings
Main uses: Automotive steering pins, machine tool spindles.
Thrust cylindrical roller bearings
Thrust cylindrical roller bearings are used to bear mainly axial loads on shafts, with combined radial loads, but the axial load should not exceed 55% of the axial load. Compared with other thrust cylindrical roller bearings, this type of bearing has a lower friction coefficient, higher speed and self-aligning ability. The rollers of the 29000 series bearing are non-symmetric spherical rollers, which can reduce relative sliding between the rod and the raceway during operation. The rollers are long and have a large diameter with many rollers for high load capacity. Usually oil lubrication is used, while grease lubrication can be used in some low-speed situations.
Thrust Roller Bearing
Main Usage: Hydraulic generators, cranes and hooks.
Cylindrical Roller Bearings
The rollers of cylindrical roller bearings are usually guided by two retaining edges on a bearing sleeve, and the cage rollers and guide sleeve ring form an assembly that can be separated from another bearing sleeve, belonging to separable bearings.
This type of bearing is easy to install and disassemble, especially when it is required that the inner and outer rings are interference fit with the shaft and housing. This type of bearing is generally only used to withstand radial loads. Only single-row bearings with retaining edges on both inner and outer rings can withstand small constant axial loads or large intermittent axial loads.
Main applications: Large electric motors, machine tool spindles, axle boxes for railway rolling stock, crankshafts for diesel engines, automobiles, and gearboxes for tower cranes.
Four-point contact ball bearings
They can withstand radial and bidirectional axial loads. A single bearing can replace the angular contact ball bearings in a front or back combination, suitable for pure axial loads or composite loads with larger axial load components. This type of bearing can form a contact angle when subjected to any direction of axial load, so the inner and outer rings always have two three-point contacts on either side of any contact line.
Four-point contact ball bearings
Main applications: Jet engines for aircraft, gas turbines.
Thrust cylindrical roller bearings
Consists of a washer-shaped raceway ring (shaft ring, seat ring), cylindrical rollers and cage assembly. The cylindrical rollers are processed with convex surfaces, so the pressure distribution between the rollers and the raceway surface is uniform. It can withstand unidirectional axial loads, has a high axial load capacity, and strong axial rigidity.
Thrust cylindrical roller bearings
Main applications: Petroleum drilling rigs, iron and steel machinery
Thrust needle roller bearing
The separable type bearing consists of a raceway ring, needle rollers and a cage assembly, which can be combined with thin-walled raceway rings processed by stamping or thick-walled raceway rings processed by cutting. The non-separable type bearing is an integral type bearing composed of precision-stamped raceway rings, needle rollers and cage assemblies, which can withstand unidirectional axial loads. This type of bearing occupies small space and is conducive to compact mechanical design. Most of them only use needle roller and cage assemblies, using the installation surface of the shaft and housing as the raceway surface.
Thrust needle roller bearing
Main use: Variable speed devices for automobiles, tillage machines, machine tools, etc.
Thrust Tapered Roller Bearings
This type of bearing is equipped with tapered rollers (with the large end being a sphere), which are accurately guided by the raceway rings (shaft ring, seat ring). The design ensures that the vertices of each conical surface of the raceway surfaces and rolling surfaces of the shaft ring, seat ring, and rollers intersect at a point on the centerline of the bearing. One-way bearings can withstand one-way axial loads, while two-way bearings can withstand two-way axial loads.
Thrust Tapered Roller Bearings
Main Applications:
Uni-directional: Crane hooks, rotary rings for oil drilling machines.
Bi-directional: Roll necks of rolling mills.
Spherical Bearing with Housing
The spherical bearing with housing consists of two sealed outer spherical bearings and a cast (or steel plate stamped) bearing housing. The internal structure of the outer spherical bearing is the same as that of a deep groove ball bearing, but the inner ring of this type of bearing is wider than the outer ring, and the outer ring has a truncated ball-shaped outer surface that can automatically adjust to match the concave ball surface of the bearing housing.
About Dongchun motor - professional electric motor manufacturer
Dongchun Motor has grown to be one of China's premier electric motor manufacturers, combining innovative engineering with top-tier manufacturing techniques. With a relentless commitment to quality, our motors are built to stand the test of time, delivering optimal performance across a range of applications. Beyond our expert craftsmanship, we understand the intricate relationship between motors and bearings. This is why we've taken the time to share insights about 14 types of bearings, ensuring our customers make informed decisions tailored to their specific needs
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