BEARINGS

PURPOSE OF BEARING

The basic purpose of bearings is to :

1.      Support the load
2.      Locate the parts in motion
3. Reduce friction

The smallest bearing weighs just a few grams and the largest as much as 70 tonnes. The material
also varies, from conventional bearing steel to ceramics to steel, brass or plastic cages. But no
matter from what material or in which size we make the bearings, precision and quality are always
in focus
Bearings permit relative and controlled motion between two loaded members. From the practical
point of view, a bearing must support an applied load over a given range of speeds for a minimum
specified life. The necessary motion may involve sliding members or rolling elements. They may
use fluid films, boundary films or dry surfaces
 FRICTION

The friction in a rolling bearing is the determining factor where heat generation in the bearing is
concerned and consequently for the operating temperature. The friction depends on the load and on
several other factors, the most important of which are the bearing type and size, the operating speed,
the properties of the lubricant and the quantity of the lubricant
The total resistance to rolling in a bearing is made up of the rolling and sliding friction
 CLASSIFICATION OF BEARINGS

Bearings are classified according to Friction/Lubrication, Motion, shape, Duty, Load, Lubrication,
Manufacture, Application and Elements in motion.
 
Friction - Dry, Semi dry (self lubricating, Boundry and Fluid friction.
 
Motion - Sliding or Rolling.
 
Load - Radial, Axial and Combination.
 
Duty - Heavy or Light.
 
Lubrication - Type of lubrication involved.
 
Manufacturing - Manufacturing process involved. E.g. forming, heat treatment,
Process Finishing and impregenation of lubricant.
 
Application - Instrument, special, self aligning etc.
 
Elements in Motion - Spherical ball, roller, spherical roller etc.
 
 PLAIN BEARINGS

Plain bearings include types in which the primary motion is sliding. They handle radial and
thrust loads, as well as linear motion
These bearings can be classified as :- 
1.      Journal or sleeve bearings.
2.      Spherical or Self-aligning bearings.
3.      Thrust bearings.
4.      Complaint bearings.

JOURNAL BEARINGS : these are most commonly used bearings they consist of rotating journal and
bearing. Cast Bronze and porous Bronze cylindrical bearings are the
simplest and most commonly and widely used bearings. These bearings
may further be divided into two types :

a)      Solid bearing.

b)      Split bearings.

a)      Solid bearing : These bearings are provided with bushings made from anti-friction materials
(cast iron, cast bronze etc.) which are pressed into the bearing or are retained in
place by stop screws.
 PLAIN BEARINGS

b)      Split bearings.:These are made in form of sleeves split axially in two or more parts and held in a
split housing. A split bearing allows a shaft to be inserted in it perpendicular to
its axis thereby simplifying the maintenance in heavy machinery. The bearing
shells are made from steel or cast iron and are lined with anti-friction material
like bronze or babbit. The thickness of the anti-friction lining varies within a
wide range from 0.3 to 6 mm :

following arrangements for lubrication are provided in the sliding contact bearings:

a) Oil pockets :

These are the longitudinal grooves or pockets provided on the internalsurface of bearing at its
split portion. They work as auxiliary reservoir to store oil for supplying during dry running periods,
they also help in providing lubrication all along the length of the bearings.

b) Oil grooves :
 
These are the ciucumfrential grooves provided on the internal surface of the bearing. They are used to
supply oil all around the shaft. An oil supply duct known as oil hole is connected with this groove
to get oil supply from outside.
 PLAIN BEARINGS

3.            SPHERICAL OR SELF ALIGNING BEARING :

 
These bearings are used where bending of the shaft or other mis-aligning factors
cannot be avoided during operation periods. It compensates angular mis-alignment
resulting from errors in mounting, shaft deflections during operation and distortion of the
foundation. It is used in applications requiring extreme accuracy at high speeds.
  The seat of the bearing in the housing is made spherical like a ball which
is free to tilt in the internally spherical housing surface. It is also known as spherical seated
Journal bearing.

4.      THRUST BEARING :

 
Thrust bearings are intended to take axial loads so as to keep the shaft and associated
parts axially located. They are used in horizontal as well as vertical applications and can be
designed for uni-directional or bi-directional thrust loads. The shaft is made with a
collar, or a shoulder which bears against circular single piece or multi part bearing ring which
in turn is supported on the machine base or stationary rigid structure. In these bearings
lubrication is very important as they run without a clearance between the mating parts.
To form an effective layer of the lubricant between the collar and the bearing ring
following types of bearing designs can be used
 
 
 PLAIN BEARINGS
A)      Taper
Land Thrust Bearing :
  In this type of thrust bearing design the load carrying section is made as a radially grooved
ring. The grooves are slightly tapered to facilitate the penetration of oil into the area of
contact. The oil flows along the grooves and the tapered or beveled land into the area of contact.
The taper angle of the lands is very slight, so that a pressure oil film is formed between the
bearing ring and the collar of the shaft and is known as hydrodynamic film.

  (a)          B)Tilting Pad Thrust Bearing :

 
To establish fluid friction reliably and to minimize local overloads on the bearing, which
may arise due to possible shaft mis-alignments, this type of bearing is used. These bearings
are also known as segmental thrust bearings and are used for high speeds where low frictional
losses and a low wear rate is essential. KINGSBURY and MITCHELL thrust bearings
are of this type.
 
The bearing members in this type are the tiltable independent shoes arranged segmentally
around the shaft in the bearing housing and are free to tilt on their pivot points. These shoes
are supported on leveling pads which act as a support to these shoes and also help in removing
the possible local over loading by adjusting themselves according to shaft axis, because of
this an oil film of equal thickness is formed between the collar and each individual shoe
surface, hence distributing load evenly on all thrust pads.
  A tilting pad bearing is essentially a tapered land design but self adjusting type. They embody
a system of rocking levers which are used for alignment and equalization of load on several
shoes. They can be used for unidirectional thrust loads.
 PLAIN BEARINGS

1.      COMPLAINT BEARING :

 
These are fluid lubricated bearings with surfaces that elastically deform equal to or more than the
lubricating film due to fluid pressure induced in the film. Example : A rubber bearing used for water
lubricated propeller shaft (sump-pump) tolerates sand and silt contamination without scoring the
shaft, hard particles elastically deform the rubber bearing surface and roll harmlessly through the
bearing.
 
These bearings have greater load capacity than equivalent rigid surface bearing. They have the
ability to tolerate misalignment, shaft, bending, eccentricities, inadequate lubrication etc., therefore
their associated components can be made less precision. Materials of poisons ratio of 0.5 (rubber)
are found to be ideal for such bearings.

All the above bearings can be of following three types depending upon the method of lubrication
adopted as per the requirement.

1.            Boundary lubricated

2.            Hydro-dynamically lubricated
3. Hydro-statically lubricated
 ADVANTAGES OF A PLAIN BEARING

1.      Less radial space required

2.      Less noise
3.      Better load carrying capacity
4.      Close tolerances not required
5.      Easy installation and maintenance
6.      No damage on increase of speed
7.      Easy storage – needs no special packings
8.      Increased life depending on lubrication.
 MATERIALS FOR PLAIN BEARING
Babbits, Bronze, Copper and its alloys, Aluminium and its alloys.
  Carbon (Graphite), Teflon, Rubber, Plastics.
 
Desirable Properties of Plain Bearing Materials :

  Score Resistance - Ability of material to resist failures caused by cyclic

loads.
Load Capacity - Ability of material to handle maximum amount of
pressure without failing.
  Fatigue Strength - Ability of material to resist oxidation corrosion may take
place due to surrounding atmosphere or the lubricant.
  Corrosion Resisitance Ability of material to resist oxidation. Corrosion may
take place due to surrounding atmosphere or the
lubricant.
  Conformability Ability of material to wear to adjust for the misalignment
of the shaft. Soft materials show good conformability.
  Embeddability Ability of material to absorb foreign particles. Avoids
scoring of shaft and bearing. Soft materials show better
embeddability.
 
 ROLLING ELEMENT BEARINGS

The function of a rolling bearing is to reduce the friction between a fixed and a moving
surface, and to carry a load. Basically, every anti-friction Bearing consists of Four basic
parts. An Outer ring, an Inner ring, Rolling elements and a Cage. The cage keeps the
rolling elements properly spaced out between two rings. Cage may be of Steel, Brass,
Bronze or phenolic composition depending upon the type and application of Bearing.
  Rolling elements can be either Balls, Cylindrical rollers, spherical rollers or
Tapered rollers.

Steels used for bearing components must be capable of being adequately hardened and must
have high fatigue resistance. The structural and diamensional stability of the bearing
components must be satisfactory at the operating temperatures which can be expected.

Ring manufacture
Both the inner and outer rings are usually machined from tube on multispindle automatic
lathes. In this process all surfaces of the rings, including raceways and chamfers, are finish
turned. Certain sizes of rings may be produced by hot or cold forming techniques.

 
 ROLLING ELEMENT BEARINGS

Ring manufacture
After automatic washing and gauging, the rings are transferred to fully automatic furnaces
where they are hardened and tempered to give the correct hardness and strength.
The next stage is grinding, in order to give the rings the right form and dimensions. The first
operation on inner and outer rings is face grinding. Both faces are ground simultaneously to
give the final width.
Then the outside diameter of the inner rings is ground to the final dimension in centreless
grinding machines.
The final machining operations are carried out on parallel lines of grinding and finishing
machines - one for inner and one for outer rings. Inner rings have the bores and raceways
ground, while outer rings have only the raceways ground. This is carried out with form
dressed grinding wheels using plunge grinding techniques.
After honing, the rings are thoroughly washed with a water-based cleaning medium so that
they are perfectly clean before assembly.
 ROLLING ELEMENT BEARINGS
Ball manufacture
The raw material used in the manufacture of balls is a specially formulated grade of steel
wire.
Wire is fed from decoilers into cold heading machines where it is cut into blanks, and then
pressed into balls between hemispherical dies. The flash around the balls produced during
pressing is removed by filing plates in deburring machines.
The balls are then machined in rill-filing machines, equipped with one fixed and one
rotating cast iron rill-plate. Concentric grooves in the plates ensure that the whole ball
surface is machined to the same extent and thus a spherical form is achieved.
After rill-filing, the balls are hardened and tempered in automatic furnaces. The hardened
balls are then ground in ball grinding machines with a fixed rill-plate and a rotating grinding
wheel. This operation brings all the balls in a batch to the same size.
Finish lapping takes place in further ball finishing machines employing cast iron rill-plates
and abrasives, to obtain the correct dimensions, roundness and surface finish .

Cage manufacture

Cages are manufactured from cold rolled steel strip. Presses with progressive or,
alternatively, transfer tools are used to produce cages halves from the strip. The operational
sequence consists of piercing and blanking, forming the ball pockets and piercing the rivet
holes. After surface treatment and cleaning, the cage halves are coated with preservative and
packed for transport to the assembly plant
 ROLLING ELEMENT BEARINGS
Assembly
Finally the rings, balls and cage - which have been manufactured in different locations -
come together for automatic assembly.
Raceway diameters of inner and outer rings are measured separately. By selecting suitable
combinations of ring and ball sizes, the required internal clearance is obtained. Balls are fed
between the rings and spaced equally before the two cage halves are fitted and then riveted
together. Prior to automatic assembly the rings are optically inspected.
After washing, the final inspection sequence starts. This consists of a number of automated
stations which check running accuracy, vibration level, outside and bore diameters, as well
as radial clearance of the bearings.
The bearings are then automatically washed, coated with preservative, greased and fitted
with seals or shields, before being packed according to customer requirements
 ADVANTAGES OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARINGS

 
a)      Low friction – particularly low starting friction.
b)      Ability to support both Radial and Thrust loads.
c)      Accurate performance under changing Load and Speeds.
d)      High load carrying capacity.
e)      Operating ability under extreme conditions of speed and temperature.
f)        Practically no wear in running.
g)      Simple methods of lubrication.
Inherently precise mechanism
 TYPES OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARINGS

Types :- 1) BALL BEARING 2) ROLLER BEARING

  
BALL BEARINGS :Ball bearings may be roughly divided into three categories;
1. Radial 2. angular contact 3.thrust bearings.
 
Radial bearings are designed for applications in which loading is primarily radial with
only low magnitude thrust loads. Angular contact bearings are used where loads are
combined radial and high thrust, and where precise shaft location is required. Thrust
bearings handle only axial loads.
  
1.   SINGLE ROW DEEP GROOVE :
 
This bearing consists of inner and outer rings with deep symmetrical ball race, ways,
separator and complement of ball. This bearing is designed primarily for radial loads
but due to its design features it is capable to carry equal amount of thrust load in either
direction and is capable of operating at high speed too. This bearing has the lowest
frictional losses and therefore, it is the most widely used among all types or bearings .
 TYPES OF BALL BEARINGS
DOUBLE ROW DEEP GROOVE :
 Double row deep groove ball bearing embodied the same design principle as that of the
single row deep groove ball bearings. The bearing has a lower axial displacement than
 
 
it occurs in single row deep groove bearing. These bearings are capable of carrying
substantial thrust loads in either direction and due to double rows of balls they are also
capable of carrying high radial loads too.
 MAGNET TYPE BALL BEARINGS :
 In this type of bearings the inner ring is same to that of deep groove ball bearings but the
track on the outer race has one shoulder. At the deepest position the groove track
merges into cylindrical track and therefore this bearing has a character of separable
outer race. Magneto type bearings may be loaded radially and in one direction axially,
generally they are mounted in pairs and adjusted against each other with a small
amount of end play. Usually these bearings are available in smaller sizes only.

 
 TYPES OF BALL BEARINGS

3. ANGULAR CONTACT BALL BEARINGS :

 These are single row ball bearings but designed in such a way that the central line of
contact between balls and raceways is at an angle. This angle is called a contact angle
and as per manufacturers design these angles vary between 15, 25 and 45 degrees. In
this type of bearings contact angles between balls and tracks have been swung to an
angle between 20 to 40 degrees to the radial plane. These bearings are capable of
carrying higher axial loads than the corresponding deep groove ball bearings but in
one direction only. These bearings are eminiently suitable where heavy thrust loads
are encountered at high speeds. Usually these bearings are mounted in pairs and
adjusted axially against each other so that they may support combination of heavy
radial and thrust loads
4. DOUBLE ROW ANGULAR CONTACT BALL BEARINGS :
 The design of these bearings corresponds in their construction to a pair of single row
angular contact bearings. These bearings are available with no axial play or with
limited amount of axial play. Double row angular contact bearings are characterized
by a high load carrying capacity. They can carry substantial amount of radial load as
well as axial load. These bearings are particularly suitable where rigid axial location
or rotating mechanism is necessary.
 TYPES OF BALL BEARINGS
5.DOUBLE ROW SELF ALIGNING BALL BEARINGS :
 
In this type of bearings the track on the outer race is ground spherical
and its this feature which gives these bearings the properties of self alignment. Due to the
character of self alignment these bearings are not affected by the shaft deflection and
mounting errors and a shaft deflection upto 4 degrees is automatically adjusted without
damaging the bearings. These bearings are chiefly designed for carrying radial loads but at
the same time they are capable to carry small amount of thrust load in both directions. Load
carrying capacity of these bearings are slightly less than that of a single row deep groove
ball bearings of the same dimensions.

  6.THRUST BALL BEARINGS :

THRUST bearings are available mainly in two types, single Thrust bearing and
double thrust bearing. Single thrust bearings consist of two rings and a set of balls in a
retainer. Double thrust bearings consist of one rotating ring in the middle with two ball
tracks, two sets of balls in a retainer and two stationary rings. Tracks of balls are ground in
such a way that the forces between the balls and tracks are parallel to the axis of the shaft.
Single thrust bearings are designed for carrying load in one direction only. Whereas double
thrust can take in both directions. But these bearings can never take any radial loads. On
account of the Centrifugal forces on the balls, these bearings have a limitation on the speed
of outer operation.
 
 
 TYPES OF ROLLER BEARINGS
:
 
1.            CYLINDERICAL ROLLER BEARINGS :
 
In this type of bearings, the rollers and race tracks are essentially cylindrical, however
they may be ground slightly in order to achieve a small degree of flexibility. The rollers
are guided between two lips on either the inner race or the outer race. Other types
provided with either no lip, one lip or two lips, according to function which the bearing
has to perform Ball bearings have point contact on the races whereas all types of
cylindrical roller bearings have a line contact. Due to line contact the cylindrical roller
bearings have a very high radial load carrying capacity as compared to the ball bearings
of the same size. Due to their separable design, the cylindrical roller bearings are more
convenient for mounting than ball bearings.
 
 2.            SELF ALIGNING SPHERICAL ROLLER BEARINGS :
 
This type of bearings consists of spherical outer race and inner race with two tracks, a
cage and complement of spherical shaped rollers. Just like double row self aligning ball
bearings these bearings too are not sensitive to mis alignment and they can adjust
themselves to shaft deflections. Due to principle, sizes and shape of rollers and the
accuracy with which they are guided these bearings have unaxial capacity. The design
of this bearing permits radial load and heavy thrust load in either direction.
 TYPES OF ROLLER BEARINGS
 
1.            TAPER ROLLER BEARINGS :
 Taper roller bearings consists of two main units a cup and a cone. The cup is on the
outer race whereas the cone consists of inner race, the seperator and complement of taper
rollers. The taper rollers are guided by the high load on the inner race. The taper roller
bearings are manufactured with interchangeable cups and the cone on the shaft separately.
These bearings are capable of carrying both the radial and the axial loads and permit fine
adjustment for end play. Greater care is required to ensure the proper alignment of bearings
and maintenance of proper clearance is essential to avoid the bearing failure. Due to the
more development in the design of taper roller bearings, these are also available with two
rows and four rows.
 
4. NEEDLE ROLLER BEARINGS :
These comprise of special form of cylindrical roller bearings in which the rollers are of
a very small diameter and comparatively long length and therefore they have the advantage
of very small difference between the bore and outside diameter. These bearings are
detachable and suitable for carrying only radial loads. Various designs of needle roller
bearings are available depending upon the design of bearing assemblies. Needle roller
bearings may be used either without an inner race or outer race or even without any races
merely using a set of needle rollers. In all these cases the shaft or the housing should be
strictly of same qualities as of the bearing races (hardness, accuracy and finish). Needle
bearings are found applicable where space is restricted and mostly where the units are
oscillating.
 TYPES OF ROLLER BEARINGS

5. SPHERICAL ROLLER THRUST BEARING :

 
This type of bearing is characterized by its high axial load carrying capacity. It can also
absorb considerable radial loads because the direction of contact is inclined to the axis of the
shaft. The track of the housing washer is spherical, and the rolling bodies are barrel shaped.
This makes the bearing self aligning and therefore insensitive to misalignment.
 
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

several factors have to be considered and weighed against each other when selecting
bearing type, so that no general rules can be given. The information given here should
serve to indicate which are the most important of the following points to be considered
when selecting bearing type and thus facilitate an appropriate choice.
most common selection criteria : Loading, Friction, Space requirements, accuracy, Noise
and Cost.
Magnitude of load
The magnitude of the load is the factor which usually determines the size of bearing to be
used. Generally, roller bearings are able to support heavier loads than ball bearings having
the same envelope dimensions and bearings having a full complement of rolling elements
can carry heavier loads than the corresponding caged bearings. Ball bearings are mostly
used where loads are light or moderate; for heavy loads and where shaft diameters are
large, roller bearings are frequently the more appropriate choice.
Direction of load
Radial load
Purely radial loads can be accommodated by cylindrical roller bearings having one ring
without flanges (NU and N types), radial needle roller bearings and the compact aligning
roller bearings CARB™. All other radial bearings can carry some axial load in addition to
radial loads; see "Combined load".
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

Axial load
Thrust ball bearings and four-point contact ball bearing are the most suitable types for light
or moderate loads which are purely axial. Single direction thrust ball bearings can only
accommodate loads acting in one direction; for loads acting in both directions, double
direction bearings are needed. Angular contact thrust ball bearings can support moderate
axial loads at high speeds; the single direction bearings can also accommodate
simultaneously acting radial loads, whilst the double direction bearings are normally used
only for purely axial loads. For moderate and heavy axial loads acting in one direction,
needle roller bearings, single direction cylindrical and taper roller thrust bearings are
suitable, as are spherical roller thrust bearings. Spherical roller thrust bearings can also
accommodate simultaneously acting radial loads. For heavy alternating axial loads, two
cylindrical roller thrust bearings or two spherical roller thrust bearings can be mounted
adjacent to each other.

- the greater the angle, the more suitable the bearing for axial loads. The axial load
carrying capacity of deep groove ball bearings depends on the internal clearance in the
bearing.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING
.
Combined load
A combined load comprises a radial and an axial load acting simultaneously.
The ability of a bearing to carry axial load is determined by the angle of contact
For combined loads, single and double row angular contact ball bearings and single row
taper roller bearings are most commonly used although deep groove ball bearings and
spherical roller bearings are also suitable. In addition, self-aligning ball bearings and
cylindrical roller bearings of the NJ and NUP designs as well as NJ and NU bearings with
HJ angle rings can be used for combined loads where the axial component is small

Single row angular contact ball bearings and taper roller bearings, NJ and NU+HJ type
cylindrical roller bearings and spherical roller thrust bearings can only accommodate
axial loads acting in one direction. For axial loads of alternating direction these bearings
must be combined with a second bearing. For this reason, single row angular contact ball
bearings are available as "universal" bearings for paired mounting and single row taper
roller bearings can be supplied as matched sets comprising two single row bearings.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

When the axial component of combined loads is large, it may be supported

independently from the radial load by a separate bearing. In addition to the thrust
bearings proper, some radial bearings, e.g. deep groove ball bearings or four-point
contact ball bearings are suitable for this task. To make sure that the bearing is only
subjected to the axial load in such cases, the bearing must be mounted with radial
clearance for the outer ring.
Moment of load
When the load acts eccentrically on the bearing, tilting moments will arise. Double row
bearings, e.g. deep groove or angular contact ball bearings, can take up tilting
moments, but paired single row angular contact ball bearings or taper roller bearings
arranged face-to-face, or better still back-to-back, are more suitable, as are slewing
bearings or crossed taper roller bearings
Precision
Bearings with higher precision than Normal are required for arrangements which must
have high running accuracy (e.g. machine tool spindle arrangements) as well as in most
cases where very high speed operation is called for
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

Speed
There is a limit to the speed at which rolling bearings can be operated. Generally it is the
operating temperature which can be permitted with respect to the lubricant being used or to
the material of the bearing components that sets the limit. The speed at which this limiting
bearing temperature is reached depends on the frictional heat generated in the bearing
(including any externally applied heat) and the amount of heat which can be transported
away from the bearing. Bearing type and size, internal design, load, lubrication and cooling
conditions as well as cage design, accuracy and internal clearance all play a part in
determining speed capability.
The highest speeds can be achieved with deep groove ball bearings when loads are purely
radial and with angular contact ball bearings for combined loads. This is particularly true of
the high precision bearings with special cages, especially hybrid bearings with ceramic
balls.
Because of their design, thrust bearings do not permit such high speeds as radial bearings.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

Misalignment
Angular misalignments between shaft and housing occur, for example, when the shaft
bends (flexes) under the operating load, when the bearing seatings in the housing are not
machined at a single setting or when shafts are supported by bearings in separate housings
which are far apart.
The so-called rigid bearings cannot accommodate any misalignment, or can only tolerate
very minor misalignments, unless by force. Self-aligning bearings, i.e. self-aligning ball
bearings, CARB™ bearings, spherical roller bearings and spherical roller thrust bearings,
on the other hand, are suitable for the accommodation of misalignments produced under
operating loads and can also compensate for errors of alignment resulting from machining
or mounting. Values for the permissible misalignments are given in the introductory texts
of the table sections. If the expected misalignment exceeds the permissible values, SKF
should be contacted.
Thrust ball bearings with sphered housing washers and seating washers, Y-bearing units
and alignment needle roller bearings can compensate for initial errors of alignment arising
from machining or mounting
Quiet running
In certain applications, e.g. small electric motors for household appliances or office
machinery, the noise produced in operation is an important factor and can influence bearing
choice. Deep groove ball bearings especially are produced for this type of application
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

Stiffness
The stiffness of a rolling bearing is characterised by the magnitude of the elastic
deformation (resilience) in the bearing under load. Generally this deformation is very small
and can be neglected. In a very few cases, however, e.g. work spindle bearing arrangements
for machine tools or pinion bearing arrangements, stiffness is important.
Because of the contact conditions between rolling elements and raceways, roller bearings
e.g. cylindrical or taper roller bearings, have higher stiffness than ball bearings. Bearing
stiffness can be further enhanced by applying a preload.
Axial displacement
A shaft or other machine component is generally supported in a locating and a non-locating
bearing. Locating bearings provide axial location for the machine component in both
directions. The most suitable bearings for this task are those which can accommodate
combined loads, or can provide axial guidance in combination with a second bearing.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING
Non-locating bearings must permit movement in the axial direction, so that the bearings
are not additionally stressed when, for example, thermal expansion of the shaft takes
place. The most suitable bearings include needle roller bearings and cylindrical roller
bearings which have one ring without flanges of the NU and N designs. Cylindrical roller
bearings of the NJ design and some full complement designs can also be used.
Where the required axial displacement is relatively large and at the same time the shaft
may be misaligned, the CARB™ is the ideal non-locating bearing. All these bearings
permit axial displacement of the rollers with respect to one of the raceways so that both
inner and outer rings can be mounted with interference fits. Values for the permissible
axial displacement within the bearing are given in the relevant product tables.
Mounting and dismounting
Skill and cleanliness when mounting ball and roller bearings are necessary to ensure
correct bearing performance and prevent premature failure.
As precision components, rolling bearings should be handled carefully when mounting. It
is important that the correct method of mounting is chosen and that suitable tools are
used.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

  FRICTION :
 
The starting torque requirement of a bearing is the most critical consideration. Since it
is usually higher than the running torque, starting friction determine the size of the unit.
Rolling element bearings require much lower torque to start under load than the sleeve
bearings, the externally pressurized bearings are an exception as they have zero starting
torque. Starting torque for a given load is high in fluid film bearings as it passes through
the boundary and mixed friction stages of lubrication. If a device is subjected to frequent
starts under significant load, rolling element bearings are a better choice than sleeve
bearings. On the other hand if there is little load at the start and the load is increased with
the speed the conventional oil lubricated sleeve bearing is preferable. Although the
externally pressurized bearings provide the lowest starting friction, they have the
complication of additional equipments.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING

   COST :
 
The most expensive bearing is the bearing which will not do the required job,
regardless of how little its first cost may be.
 
In high production quantities sleeve bearings and bushings even of precision quality
are considerably cheaper than rolling bearings. Medium quantities may not show
difference in price between both types. In limited production with special design,
sliding bearings may be considerably more expensive than rolling bearings.
 
For calculation of a bearing cost different factors affecting the bearing cost have to be
considered like Design Cost, Manufacturing cost, Maintenance cost, Replacement cost
and the most expensive Failure cost.
 SELECTION OF ROLLING ELEMENT BEARING/
DESIGNATION
Available space
For small-diameter shafts all types of ball bearings can be used, the most popular being
deep groove ball bearings; needle roller bearings are also suitable. For large-diameter
shafts, cylindrical, spherical and taper roller bearings are available, as well as deep groove
ball bearings.

Designations:
Basic designations identify the type, the basic design and the size of a bearing.
Supplementary designations identify variants which have a design which differs in some
respect from the basic design, or bearing components.
Supplementary designations may precede the basic designation (prefixes) or follow it
(suffixes). Where several supplementary designations are used to identify a given bearing,
they are always written in a given order, see schematic presentation. The list of
supplementary designations presented here is not exhaustive but includes those most
commonly used.
 BEARING MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING
 
Bearings can be mounted on the shafts by two methods :
(i)      Directly on the shaft.
(ii) By use of Taper sleeves.
  It is necessary to mount the inner race with a press fit to the shaft and the outer race
with a slip fit in the housing.
 
When mounted directly on the shaft, the inner race should be located against shaft
shoulder of proper height. This shoulder should be machined square with the
bearing seat and a shaft fillet should be used. It should be ensured that the
radius of the fillet clears the corner radius of the inner race, this also applied to the
outer race and housing. Creeping will occur when the inner ring is loose on the shaft.
This will result in overheating, excessive wear and contact erosion between the
shaft and the inner race.
  
Small bearings may be pressed on the shafts by applying force evenly on the inner
race with help of a pipe. In case of larger bearings assembly can be simplified
by heating the bearing in the oil bath to a temperature of approximately 200
degrees F, it can then be assembled on the shaft easily. It will grip the shaft firmly
after getting cooled.
 
 BEARING MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING

The use of tapered adapter sleeve on shafts greatly simplifies the mounting of bearings. The
Outer surface of the split sleeve is tapered to match the taper bore of the bearing inner
race. This provides required tight fit between the inner race and the shaft. The adapter
sleeve is slotted to permit easy contraction and is threaded at the small end to fit in a lock
nut. When the sleeve is drawn up tight between the shaft and the bearing, a press fit is
achieved. A lock washer is provided between the lock nut and the inner race to prevent the
lock nut from loosening.
The exact values of the fits required can be seen from the catalogue.
 Free and Held Bearings :
  A variation is temperature will expand or contract the components of the
machine. Due to this condition it is essential that such parts be allowed to expand or
contract without restriction. For this reason, only one bearing on one shaft should be fixed
axially in the housing to prevent axial motion. All other bearings on that same shaft have
adequate clearance in the housing to permit the shaft to elongate or contract without
restriction. It is generally preferred to hold the bearing at the drive end only so that the
alignment of the drive is not disturbed.
 
 DESIGNATION
There are various standards and specifications for bearing designation which helps to
identify a bearing from its number. Generally bearings are designated by a four digit
number which represents its Type, Bore or ID and Outside diameter. Sometime
additional information like special design or constructional detail is also given with
specifications in form of alphabets. For the various dimensions of bearing a standard is
followed by world-wide manufacturers of bearings. The major dimensions are :
 
Bore - For shaft suitability
Outside diameter - For housing suitability
Width or Thickness - Cives idea of Load capacity
 
The last two digits of the specification number if multiplied by 5 gives us the Bearing
ID or suitable shaft size for that bearing.
 
The third digit from right gives an idea of the Load carrying capacity of the bearing.
The thickness of the bearing increases with increase in this number.
 
The first digit shows the type of bearing.
 
     
 
 DESIGNATION

Example : - Bearing No. 6207

 
07 X 5 = 35 mm. Bearing bore/suitable shaft size.
2 = Load capacity code.
6 = Type of bearing.
Bearing types :
 
0                        = Ball Bearing
1                        = Double row Ball Bearing
2                        = Roller Bearing
3                        = Double row Roller Bearing
4                        = Needle Roller Bearing
5                        = Spherical Roller Bearing
6                        = Angular contact Ball Bearing
7                        = Taper Roller Bearing
8                        = Ball Thrust Bearing
9                        = Roller Thrust Bearing
 DESIGNATION

Additional Designation :
 
Z = Bearing with metal shield on one side
ZZ = - do - both sides
N = Bearing with circular groove on OD
NR = - do - with snap ring
RS = Bearing with Rubber seal on one side
RPS = - do - both sides
M = Bearing with Brass cage
K = Bearing with taper bore (Taper 1 : 12)
 CAUSES OF BEARING FAILURES

:
 
* Dirt and other Foreign matter
* Inadequate or Improper lubrication
* Incorrect Machining of shafts and housings
* Incorrect Mounting of bearing
* Vibration
* Electric damage
* Misalignment
 CARE OF BEARINGS
 
`(A) DO’S
 
        DO work with clean tools in clean surrounding
        DO Handle with clean dry hands
        DO Use clean solvents and flushing oils
        Do Use clean lint free rags for wiping
        DO Treat a used bearing as carefully as a new one
        DO Keep bearings wrapped in oil paper when not in use
        DO Protect disassembled bearings from dust and moisture
        DO Install new bearings as removed from packages, without washing.
.Do Select proper bearing for given application
 CARE OF BEARINGS

(B) DON’T’S
 
        DON’T Work dirty, brittle or chipped tools
        DON’T Work in dirty surrounding
        DON’T Use wooden mallet
        DON’T Handle with dirty or moist hands
        DON’T Spin uncleaned bearings
        DON’T Scratch or nick bearing surfaces
        DON’T Remove grease or oil from a new bearing
        DON’T Use cotton waste or dirty rags for cleaning
        DON’T Spin any bearing with compressed air
DON’T Use incorrect lubricant