Spindle Bearing

The manufacturing of metal parts and components is so significant to any economic marketplace, typically, the machine tool industry is utilizing the latest technological advances in manufacturing processes. Here we’d like to talk about machine tool SPINDLE BEARING Most spindles use a combination of angular-contact ball bearings and cylindrical roller bearings. The angular-contact types install at a spindle work end because they handle both axial and radial loads. The other end houses a cylindrical roller bearing which, by design, floats or slips axially to compensate for spindle thermal expansion yet operates with zero radial clearance for rigidity. The basic requirements for spindle: High running accuracy High speed Wide range of speed High rigidity Low temperature rise High reliability Some of the above requirements are in confrontation, so it’s almost impossible for spindle to meet all the above requirements simultaneously. Therefore, the main performance of spindle should be taken into consideration when designing spindle supporting. Bearing types and matched method depend on machine tool different performances.

TBB Track Roller or Cam Follower bearings

TBB Track Roller is a bearing unit composed of machined thick-wall outer ring, needle rollers or cylindrical roller sets, or cage guidance or full complement needle roller, inner ring or bolt and seal. Featuring multiple compact structure, high rotating accuracy, large varieties, broad adaptability and easy installation, it can bear high radial load and certain shock load and is widely used in machine tool, metallurgical, textile and printing machinery, processing lines and etc. Main structures as below chart: Whether you use cam follower bearings for cam followers, or for track, guide, or support rollers, their performance depends largely on the type you select. Important factors include loads, speeds, misalignment, installation, and lubrication. Cam follower bearings are used mainly in three types of applications: following the surface of a cam, supporting linear motion components, or laterally locating components during linear movement. Of these, cam follower applications range from simple two-dimensional cams to complex three-dimensional indexing cams with multiple followers… Click here for more information

Selecting & Applying Cam Follower Bearings

Whether you use cam follower bearings for cam followers, or for track, guide, or support rollers, their performance depends largely on the type you select. Important factors include loads, speeds, misalignment, installation, and lubrication. Cam follower bearings are used mainly in three types of applications: following the surface of a cam, supporting linear motion components, or laterally locating components during linear movement. Of these, cam follower applications range from simple two-dimensional cams to complex three-dimensional indexing cams with multiple followers. Linear motion support applications include platform support rollers and die transfer rollers. Supporting a linear motion component with cam follower bearings reduces sliding friction and track wear. By reducing wear, it also helps maintain precise machine motion. Plus, cam follower bearings guide linear motion components in lateral as well as vertical directions. Basic types Cam follower types include standard stud, heavy stud, and yoke. Both stud types are mounted cantilever-style on a support housing. The heavy stud version is used for heavy loads, shock loading, or applications requiring minimal deflection. Except for the stud diameter and end plate design, standard and heavy stud versions are essentially the same. The yoke version mounts on a pin with a straddle or yoke…

Needle Bearing Types

Needle bearings are roller bearings with rollers that have high length-to diameter ratios. They are used in farm and construction equipment, automotive transmissions, small gasoline engines, gear pumps, small appliance and tool motors, alternators, and aircraft controls. Needle bearings are roller bearings with rollers that have high length-to diameter ratios. They are used in farm and construction equipment, automotive transmissions, small gasoline engines, gear pumps, small appliance and tool motors, alternators, and aircraft controls. Needle bearings are usually lubricated with grease, but oil or oil-mist lubrication is preferred for heavy-duty or high-speed applications. Many light-duty bearings never require relubrication, but high loads or speeds demand it. Compared with other roller bearings, needle bearings have much smaller rollers for a given bore size. They have the highest load capacity for a given radial space of all rolling-element bearings, but their use is limited to bore diameters less than 10 in. All needle bearings are variations of two basic designs. The first, full complement, has a full complement of needles and contains no retainer. The second, caged needle, contains a retainer or cage for roller guidance and spacing. Caged bearings have smaller roller complements and lower load capacities than full-complement bearings. Their…

Needle roller bearings

Most rolling-element bearings are either ball or roller bearings. The roller bearing family consists basically of cylindrical, tapered, spherical, and needle bearings. Needle roller bearings are the smallest and lightest of the roller bearing family. That gives them specific advantages for certain applications, particularly those requiring reduced weight and space. The high roller length-to-diameter ratio helped give the bearings their name as well as their operating characteristics. Essentially, needle roller bearings have: • Higher load capacity than single-row ball or roller bearings of comparable OD.• The ability to handle a larger, more rigid shaft in a given application.• Excellent rolling characteristics within a small cross section.• Generally lower cost, especially for the drawn-cup type compared with machined versions. Needle rollers The most economical type of needle roller bearing is a full-complement of loose needle rollers assembled directly between a hardened and ground shaft and housing. Generally, hardened end washers provide axial location. This type appears in many applications such as those where a hardened and ground gear bore serves as the outer raceway. When application requirements are met and assembly is not difficult, a full complement of rollers forms a bearing of small cross section and high load capacity. It…

Speed Racing Ceramic Bearings

If you are a cyclist looking to make your bike lighter and help you boost your cycling performance, easily make it possible by upgrading to Ceramic/Hybrid Bearings. TBB Ceramic and Hybrid bearings are specially designed for bicycle related applications such as wheel hubs, bottom brackets, and chain tensioner pulleys, etc. They have been proved to reduce riders pedalling watts. We use G5 grade ceramic balls, to meet up to highest cycling requirements and bearing clearance which can meet up to a smooth and durable longer life time. Ceramic Balls have many advantages compared to Steel Balls. Bearing with ceramic balls can increase bearing performance and extend bearing life when used on high speed application or in a chemical, vacuum or high temperature environment. We offers Si3N4/ZrO2 Ceramic balls for use in loose ball wheel systems, such as wheel hubs. Features of Ceramic Balls Much lighter weight (Si3N4 ball only 40% weight of steel ball). Lower torque needed for pedal. Lower thermal expansion, excellent mechanical property at high temperature. Works in low lubrication condition. TBB can provide ceramic balls with dia.: 2.38mm(3/32″), 3.175mm(1/8″), 3.969mm(5/32″), 4.763mm(3/16″), 5.95mm (15/64″), 6.35mm(1/4″), etc.  Ceramic Ball Materials include: Si3N4, ZrO2, Al2O3, SiC, etc. 

Heat Treatment of Bearing Steels

When bearing steels are in their soft (unhardened) state, metallurgists refer to their structure as being in the pearlite state. In order to harden the steel it must be heated to a very high temperature and then cooled very rapidly. When heated in the heat treat furnace to 1,750°F, the structure transforms from pearlite to what is known as austenite. After quenching (very rapid cooling), the structure then transforms from austenite to martensite. Once transformed to martensite, the steel becomes very hard. However, at this point it is not considered “thermally stabilized”. This is because not all of the austenite transforms into martensite during the quenching process. This phenomenon is called “retained “austenite”. If the steel is not thermally stabilized, the retained austenite will over an extended period of time (possibly years) transform into martensite. This transformation is accompanied by an increase in volume that is called metallurgical growth (not to be confused with thermal growth). Metallurgical Growth will cause a change in dimension and form of any steel parts such as bearings’ even at room temperature. While not a problem with low precision commodity type bearings, in high precision (ABEC 5P, 7P, 9P) miniature bearings this lack of dimensional…

The Advantages of Self-Lubricating Bushings

Self-lubricating bushings are used where the bearing must operate without lubricant or with marginal lubricant. Our focus is on ensuring that the bearing gives the best performance and the longest life under various conditions. The working principle of self-lubricating bearings is that, during the initial run-in period of the bearing, there will be a solid lubricating film created by the transfer of a small amount of material from the bearing layer. This film directly contacts the moving parts, protecting and lubricating the mating components and extending the service life of the bearing. Utilizing self-lubricating bushings can provide a number of benefits for end users to be aware of. These include: Elimination of oil holes and grooves – cost for machining oil holes and oil grooves is unnecessary. Self-lubricating eliminates the need for the extra oiling system. Reduction of the machinery running cost – with maintenance free features, the lubricant oil is dramatically reduced; machinery running cost will also be decreased. Maintenance-free operation – self-lubricating bearings solve the problem of oiling operation and oiling devices, also saving bearing maintenance costs. Simplified mechanical design and manufacture – with the above advantages, thin wall thickness, higher load, and excellent wear resistance, mechanical designs can be…

Service Life of Spherical Plain Bearings

In our previous blog entry, we examined static and dynamic load ratings for spherical plain bearings. This week, we continue our look into this bearing segment with some further information on the operating life of spherical plain bearings, and factors which can shorten or extend their use. The service life of a spherical plain bearing operated under mixed or dry friction conditions is determined by the increase in bearing clearance or bearing friction caused by progressive wear of the sliding surfaces, plastic deformation of the sliding material, or fatigue of the sliding surface. Depending on the application, the permissible wear or permissible increase in friction will be different. This means that under the same operating conditions the service life which can be obtained in practice will be different. The service life of a spherical plain bearing is the number of oscillating movements, or the number of operating hours, which the bearing will service before a defined increase in bearing clearance or a defined increase in friction is reached. The effective service life is that life which will be attained by a given spherical plain bearing under actual operating conditions. It is determined by the magnitude and type of load, but also by…

Dynamic and Static Load Ratings for Spherical Plain Bearings

Dynamic and static load ratings for spherical plain bearings are important for understanding the life of a bearing, but what do each specify? Read on to learn more about these important classifications. Dynamic Load Rating for Spherical Plain Bearings Dynamic load rating is used for calculations when the spherical plain bearing is subjected to dynamic stress. It represents the load, constant in magnitude and direction, under which a basic rating service life, expressed as a sliding distance, will be attained for continuous oscillating movement at a defined sliding velocity and at room temperature. This rating presupposes that the load acting on radial and angular spherical plain bearings and on rod ends is purely radial and that the load acting on spherical plain thrust bearings is purely axial and acts centrically. Dynamic stresses occur when tilting, oscillatory or rotational movements are made under load as well as micro-sliding movements under alternating loads, e.g. resulting from vibration, or loads which alternate at high frequency. The various types of dynamic stress often occur in combination. The values of load ratings are always dependent on the definition used. It is therefore not always possible to make direct comparisons with load ratings published by other…