BEARINGS

BEARINGS:
•Bearing is a machine element which supports another
moving machine element (Journal). It permits a relative
motion between the contact surfaces of the members,
while carrying the load.
•Due to the relative motion between the contact surfaces,
a certain amount of power is wasted in overcoming
frictional resistance and if the rubbing surfaces are in
direct contact, there will be rapid wear.
•In order to reduce frictional resistance and wear and in
some cases to carry away the heat generated, a layer of
fluid (known as lubricant) may be provided. The lubricant
used to separate the journal and bearing is usually a
mineral oil refined from petroleum, vegetable oils, silicon
oils, greases etc.,
3-ROLLING CONTACT
BEARINGS

• Rolling Contact Bearings:
(Antifriction):
• Rolling contact bearings are also
called Antifriction bearings or simply
ball bearings. Rolling elements, such
as balls or rollers, are introduced
between the surfaces that are in
relative motion. In this type of bearing,
sliding friction is replaced by rolling
friction
Applications:
• Machine tool spindles; Automobile front
and rear axles; Gear boxes; Small size
electric motors; Rope sheaves, crane hooks
• Sliding Contact (Journal) Bearings):
(Friction):
• Sliding contact bearings also called
plain bearings, journal bearings or
sleeve bearings. In this case, the
surface of the shaft slides over the
surface of the bush resulting in friction
and wear.
• In order to reduce the friction, these
two surfaces are separated by a film of
lubricating oil.
Applications:
• Crankshaft bearings in petrol and diesel engines;
Centrifugal pumps; Large size electric motors;
Steam and gas turbines; Concrete mixers, rope
conveyors and marine installations.
• The most important criterion to classify the bearings is the type of
friction between the shaft and the bearing surface. Depending up
on the type of friction, bearings are classified

1. Classification based on Relative Motion:

1. Sliding contact Bearing (Journal bearing): (Friction)
2. Rolling contact Bearing (Ball and Roller): (Antifriction)
2. Classifications based on Direction of Load: (a) Radial, (b) Thrust
TYPES OF ROLLING CONTACT BEARINGS
• Deep Groove Ball Bearing: The most frequently used bearing is the deep
groove ball bearing. It is found in almost all kinds of products in general
mechanical engineering. Due to relatively large size of the balls, deep groove
ball bearing has high load carrying capacity, takes loads in the radial as well as
axial direction. Due to point contact between the balls and races, frictional loss
and the resultant temperature rise is less in this bearing. The maximum
permissible speed of the shaft depends upon the temperature rise of the bearing.
Therefore, deep groove ball bearing gives excellent performance, especially in
high speed applications and generates less noise due to point contact. Deep
groove ball bearings are available with bore diameters from a few millimetres to
400 millimetres.
• Cylindrical Roller Bearing: When maximum load carrying capacity is required
in a given space, the point contact in ball bearing is replaced by the line contact
of roller bearing. A cylindrical roller bearing consists of relatively short rollers
that are positioned and guided by the cage.
• Angular Contact Bearing: In angular contact bearing, the grooves in inner
and outer races are so shaped that the line of reaction at the contact between
balls and races makes an angle with the axis of the bearing. This reaction has
two components—radial and axial. Therefore, angular contact bearing can take
radial and thrust loads.
• The self-aligning ball bearing: consists of two rows of balls, which roll on a
common spherical surface in the outer race. In this case, the assembly of the
shaft, the inner race and the balls with cage can freely roll and adjust itself to
the angular misalignment of the shaft. They are used in agricultural machinery,
ventilators, and railway axle-boxes.
• Taper Roller Bearing: The taper roller bearing consists of rolling elements in
the form of a frustum of cone.
• Thrust Ball Bearing: A thrust ball bearing consists of a row of balls running
between two rings—the shaft ring and the housing ring. Thrust ball bearing
carries thrust load in only one direction and cannot carry any radial load.
PRINCIPLE OF SELF-ALIGNING BEARING
SELECTION OF BEARING-TYPE
(i) For low and medium radial loads, ball bearings are used, whereas for heavy
loads and large shaft diameters, roller bearings are selected.

(ii) Self-aligning ball bearings and spherical roller bearings are used in
applications where a misalignment between the axes of the shaft and housing is
likely to exist.

(iii) Thrust ball bearings are used for medium thrust loads whereas for heavy
thrust loads, cylindrical roller thrust bearings are recommended. Double acting
thrust bearings can carry the thrust load in either direction.

(iv) Deep groove ball bearings (almost all applications) angular contact
bearings and spherical roller bearings are suitable in applications where the load
acting on the bearing consists of two components—radial and thrust.

(v) For high speed applications, deep groove ball bearings, angular contact
bearings and cylindrical roller bearings are recommended.

(vi) Rigidity controls the selection of bearings in certain applications like machine
tool spindles. Double row cylindrical roller bearings or taper roller bearings are
used under these conditions.
STRIBECK’S EQUATION: (Static load carrying capacity of a
bearing)
EQUIVALENT BEARING LOAD:
•The equivalent dynamic load is defined as the constant radial load
in radial bearings (or thrust load in thrust bearings), which if
applied to the bearing would give same life as that which the
bearing will attain under actual condition of forces.

P = XVFr + YFa
where,
P = equivalent dynamic load (N)
F = radial load (N)
r

F = axial or thrust load (N)

a

V = race-rotation factor (Outer or Inner)

X and Y are radial and thrust factors

If V=1, P = XFr + YFa

DYNAMIC LOAD CARRYING
CAPACITY:
•The life of a ball bearing is limited by the fatigue
failure at the surfaces of balls and races. The
dynamic load carrying capacity of the bearing is,
therefore, based on the fatigue life of the bearing.
The life of an individual ball bearing is defined as
the number of revolutions (or hours of service at
some given constant speed), which the bearing runs
before the first evidence of fatigue crack in balls or
races.
•The rating life of a group of apparently identical
ball bearings is defined as the number of revolutions
that 90% of the bearings will complete or exceed
before the first evidence of fatigue crack.

•The dynamic load carrying capacity of a bearing is

defined as the radial load in radial bearings (or
thrust load in thrust bearings) that can be carried
for a minimum life of one million revolutions. The
minimum life in this definition is the L10 life, which
90% of the bearings will reach or exceed before
fatigue failure.
•The dynamic load carrying capacity is based on the
assumption that the inner race is rotating while the
outer race is stationary.
The usual life rating for industrial applications is called “L-10” life. Simply put the L-10 life
is the number of hours in service that 90% of bearings will survive. Or, conversely,
10% of bearings will have failed in the L-10 number of service hours.
• While selecting a ball bearing from the manufacturer’s catalogue,
very often a term ‘series’ of the bearing is used.
Example 15.5 A transmission shaft rotating at
720 rpm and transmitting power from the pulley P to the
spur gear G is shown in Fig. 15.8(a). The belt tensions and
the gear tooth forces are as follows: P1 = 498 N, P2 = 166
N, Pt = 497 N, Pr = 181 N. The weight of the pulley is 100
N. The diameter of the shaft at bearings B1 and B2 is 10
mm and 20 mm respectively. The load factor is 2.5 and the
expected life for 90% of the bearings is 8000 h. Select Considering the forces in the vertical plane and taking
singlerow deep groove ball bearings at B1 and B2. moments of forces about the bearing B1, we have
Pr(100) + W(400) - Rv2(250) = 0
Or 181(100) + 100(400) - Rv2(250) = 0
: Rv2 = 232.4 N
Example 15.6: A shaft transmitting 50 kW at 125 rpm from the gear G1 to the gear G2 and
mounted on two single-row deep groove ball bearings B1 and B2 is shown in Fig. 15.9(a). The
gear tooth forces are Pt1 = 15915 N, Pr1 = 5793 N, Pt2 = 9549 N, Pr2 = 3476 N. The
diameter of the shaft at bearings B1 and B2 is 75 mm. The load factor is 1.4 and the expected
life for 90% of the bearings is 10000 h. Select suitable ball bearings.
15.17 BEARING FAILURE—CAUSES AND REMEDIES
Abrasive Wear: Abrasive wear occurs when the bearing is made to operate in an environment
contaminated with dust, foreign particles, rust or spatter. Remedies against this type of wear are
provision of oil seals, increasing surface hardness and use of high viscosity oils. The thick
lubricating film developed by these oils allows fine particles to pass without scratching.

Corrosive Wear: The corrosion of the surfaces of bearing parts is caused by the entry of water
or moisture in the bearing. It is also caused due to corrosive elements present in the Extreme
Pressure (EP) additives that are added in the lubricating oils. These elements attack the surfaces
of the bearing, resulting in fi ne wear uniformly distributed over the entire surface. Remedies
against this type of wear are, providing complete enclosure for the bearing free from external
contamination, selecting proper additives and replacing the lubricating oil at regular intervals.

Pitting: Pitting is the main cause of the failure of antifriction bearings. Pitting is a surface fatigue
failure which occurs when the load on the bearing part exceeds the surface endurance strength
of the material. This type of failure is characterised by pits, which continue to grow resulting in
complete destruction of the bearing surfaces. Pitting depends upon the magnitude of Hertz’
contact stress and the number of stress cycles. The surface endurance strength can be improved
by increasing the surface hardness.

Scoring: Excessive surface pressure, high surface speed and inadequate supply of lubricant
result in breakdown of the lubricant film. This results in excessive frictional heat and overheating
at the contacting surfaces. Scoring is a stick-slip phenomenon, in which alternate welding and
shearing takes place rapidly at high spots. Here, the rate of wear is faster. Scoring can be
avoided by selecting the parameters, such as surface speed, surface pressure and the fl ow of
lubricant in such a way that the resulting temperature at the contacting surfaces is within
15.1/599/RCB: A ball bearing with a dynamic load capacity of 22.8 kN is
subjected to a radial load of 10 kN. Calculate (i) the expected life in million
revolutions that 90% of the bearings will reach; (ii) the corresponding life in hours,
if the shaft is rotating at 1450 rpm; and (iii) the life that 50% of the bearings will
complete or exceed before fatigue failure.
[(i) 11.85 (ii) 136.23 (iii) 681.17]
15.3/599 /RCB: A ball bearing is subjected to a radial force of 2500 N and an
axial force of 1000 N. The dynamic load carrying capacity of the bearing is 7350
N. The values of X and Y factors are 0.56 and 1.6 respectively. The shaft is
rotating at 720 rpm. Calculate the life of the bearing. [340.42 h]
15.4/599 /RCB: A ball bearing operates on the
following work cycle:
The dynamic load capacity of the bearing is
16.6 kN. Calculate
(i) the average speed of rotation;
(ii) the equivalent radial load; and
(iii) the bearing life.
[(i) 1116 rpm (ii) 6271.57 N (iii) 276.94 h]
15.5/599 /RCB: The radial load acting on a ball bearing is 2500 N for the first
five revolutions and reduces to 1500 N for the next ten revolutions. The load
variation then repeats itself. The expected life of the bearing is 20 million
revolutions. Determine the dynamic load carrying capacity of the bearing.
[5303.43 N]