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Angular Contact Ball Bearings: Techtips
Angular Contact Ball Bearings: Techtips
REPLACEMENT of
TechTips
Angular Contact Ball Bearings
T
The matter of selecting replacement
angular contact ball bearings for
pumps and compressors presents
most equipment users with a
dilemma. There is a tremendous
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Three Key Steps to Identify for the Changeout
1. Is there a chronic problem with premature failure in the
application?
If there are frequent failures, an analysis should be done to
determine the root cause of the failures and the corrective action to
be taken. Corrective action might include a change in fitting practice,
lubrication or clearance. In an extreme case, the change might
involve a different bearing size, contact angle or mounting arrange-
ment. NTN Engineering can provide assistance with failure analysis
amount of confusion surrounding and bearing (re)selection.
T H E U S B C O M M U N I C A T O R 23
T E C H T I P S
designated with the suffix “C,” “A” and “B” respectively. Since 30˚ is Synthetic cages such as those molded from nylon, teflon,
the normal contact angle, “A” is generally not shown in the part polyamide and phenolic have formed bars which promote lubricity in
number. the bearing. They are light thus causing less internal drag. However,
As the contact angle increases, so does the capability of the synthetic cages are highly susceptible to damage from contamina-
bearing to handle thrust load. So, for heavy axial loads, we usually tion, particularly spall debris. When a synthetic cage starts to fail, for
use bearings with a 40˚ contact angle (for example, 7318B). The whatever reason, the progression of the failure is usually very rapid.
downside is that as the contact angle increases, the radial capacity For this reason, many petrochemical facilities have banned synthetic
decreases. cages because a catastrophic failure has the potential to cause a fire.
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When two angular contact ball bearings are paired together, The method of cage guidance (known as piloting) is also important.
regardless of their other features, they must be flush ground, denoted The cage pilots off either the balls or the lands of one of the rings.
by the suffix “G” (for example 7318BG). There is sliding friction in both cases, which causes heat. Ball piloting
involves some additional drag on the ball compliment. Ring guidance
OFFSET provides more rigidity and accuracy as a result of improved stiffness,
reduced deformation and better control of the individual ball speed
during operation. These benefits are amplified further under vibrating
conditions.
Precision:
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No discussion on precision is relevant without also reviewing
OFFSET FLUSH GROUND tolerance and accuracy.
Illustration courtesy NTN Bearing Corpoartion of Canada Ltd.
Bearing accuracy refers to three aspects: external dimensional
Manufacturing tolerances would allow for the rings to be of accuracy, machining accuracy and running accuracy.
different widths and the ball tracks to be offset. If two bearings are Dimensional Accuracy is a measure of the error in the bearing’s
paired without being flush ground, there is no guarantee that the external dimensions, bore diameter (d), outside diameter (D) and
correct axial clearance will be achieved. Flush grinding ensures the bearing width (B). The difference between an actual bearing
side faces of the rings are the same width and are parallel. Thus, flush dimension and the nominal or target value is called the dimensional
ground bearings can be paired in any arrangement with the assur- deviation. The most commonly used measures are the single plane
ance that the correct axial clearance remains in the pair. mean bore and outer diameter deviations (Δdmp and ΔDmp
When bearings are not paired, (i.e., mounted at opposite ends of a respectively), and the inner and outer ring width deviations (ΔBs and
shaft) flush grinding is not as important since the tolerance between ΔCs). These are governed by standardized tolerances. Dimensional
shaft shoulders is far greater than the width tolerance of the bearings. accuracy is important for determining shaft and housing fits, for
Many bearing manufacturers have rationalized their inventory by example.
carrying only flush ground bearings. Machining Accuracy measures the variation in the above dimen-
sions when a series of measurements is taken on a single bearing
Cages:
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Cage Materials: Variation refers to the difference between the largest and smallest
Cages are available in steel, brass, and a number of synthetic measurements in a series, while mean variation refers to the average
materials like polyamide, nylon, teflon and phenolic. Each has its difference between consecutive measurements. Machining accuracy
advantages and disadvantages. reflects the precision of the manufacturing process and is an
Steel has the advantage of being strong as well as economical. important consideration when recommending tolerances for shafts
Also, is it unaffected by lubricants or temperature. However, it does and housings.
not have any self-lubricating properties and it has a higher frictional Running Accuracy (or runout) is a measure of the degree of
characteristic compared to brass or synthetics. Also, it will corrode if concentricity (for radial runout) and “squareness” (for bore and O.D.
exposed to water or other corrosive substances. with side) of the bearing ring. Inner and outer ring radial runout are
Brass, either machined or pressed is the most popular material. It the measures most often used. A bearing with a high degree of radial
is a natural bearing material and as such is best suited to high speed runout, for example, will produce greater vibration and heat,
applications. It has superior strength and resists corrosion. However, especially at high speeds.
it is relatively expensive and it is affected by ammonia. Note that if
ISO/AFBMA/JIS Tolerance Classes
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24 T H E U S B C O M M U N I C A T O R
Allowable error limitations for the three areas of bearing accuracy fatigue life is not serious.
have been internationally standardized for many years as tolerance In the majority of applications we don’t
classes. Each tolerance class specifies a group of limits for all the need a preload so we use a clearance pair. The
measures of accuracy (varying in proportion to the bearing size). For question is, how much clearance?
the ISO, JIS and DIN standards, normal accuracy bearings are It depends on the configuration of the
identified as class 0, with accuracy progressively improving with bearings.
decreasing class number from there on. The AFBMA tolerance class The tandem arrangement is used where
numbering is reversed. That is, accuracy increases with increasing there is a heavy thrust load in one direction Load
Center
class number. The most recognized standards are compared in the only. There is usually one or more angular
following table (note that each column represents a set of equivalent contact ball bearings mounted somewhere on
classes). This table is a comparison of precision classes for the the shaft facing the opposite way.
various standards in use. The face to face arrangement is slightly
We are more concerned with the precision of angular contact ball forgiving of misalignment. This does not mean
bearings than any other type. This is because they are often used in it will accommodate misalignment. It is
high speed applications where vibration and radial runout are critical. considered “hot running.” Consider the effect
on clearance in the pair if the shaft gets hot. Face to face (DB)
Standard Tolerance Class Bearing Type The inner rings will tend to separate resulting arrangement.
in a reduction in axial clearance and LOADING
JIS B 1514 Class 0 Class 6 Class 5 Class 4 Class 2 All types of the pair. Thus the bearings run hotter.
Class 6x The back to back arrangement is
ISO 492 Normal Class 6 Class 5 Class 4 Class 2 Radial bearings used when shaft rigidity is important.
class 6x Here, the bearing load centers are far
ISO 199 Normal Class 6 Class 5 Class 4 - Thrust ball bearings apart (like standing with your feet
class spread wide) which gives the shaft
ISO 578 Class 4 Class 3 Class 0 Class 00 Tapered roller bearings stability and rigidity. Rigidity is
(inch type) important but the downside is this
DIN 620 P0 P6 P5 P4 P3 All types arrangement is intolerant of misalign- Load Center
ANSI/AFBMA ABEC-1 ABEC-3 ABEC-5 ABEC-7 ABEC-7 Radial bearings except ment. Where the shaft is long or there
Std. 20 RBEC-1 RBEC-3 RBEC-5 tapered roller bearings are heavy radial loads that cause
bending or mis-alignment, a back to
back pair can have problems. This
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T H E U S B C O M M U N I C A T O R 25