Ball Bearings Industry Information
IQS Newsroom Articles on Ball Bearings
The use of ball bearings is common in many industrial
and commercial settings. These bearings allow for smooth movement of
parts or whole pieces of equipment and without these components one would
be replacing parts often that were worn because of friction. Ball bearing
manufacturers make parts that consist of inner and outer rings, inner
and outer raceways, balls and a ball cage. The inner and outer raceways
are the areas or tracks that the balls follow. The inner raceway is located
on the surface of the inner ring and the outer raceway is located on
the surface of the outer ring. The raceways provide a smooth track and
unstopped motion for the balls.
The smooth motion of ball bearings allows for ease of movement. Ball bearings
reduce the amount of friction between an object, which allows for heavier objects
to be moved more easily. For this reason, ball bearings are commonly used in
assembly lines and as part of a conveyor belt system where they can be used individually
or with a spacer to create a long assembly line. However, ball bearing manufacturers
can also be found in engines or on skate boards and inline skates, and are often
used when rotary motion is needed.
Ball bearings encounter and react to two types of loads. A bearing used
in a rotating bar stool is subject to a thrust load, which comes from the weight
of the person sitting on the stool. Radial load, however, is experienced by a
bearing used as part of a conveyer or pulley system, which gives a bearing a
consistent rotating tension that comes from the belt or pulley. Most ball bearings
are capable of handling both thrust and radial loads. But specific design allows
for certain bearings to handle differing proportions of each load type based
on for what the bearing is used.
Ball bearings are typically made out of steel or ceramic, and may require some
type of lubrication in
order to operate correctly. The most common lubricant for ball bearings is grease.
Recent improvements in lubrication have added long life to ball bearings. This
also cuts down on the need for replacement and maintenance. Although most ball
bearings are sealed and will not require additional grease, some come with a
grease cup and need to occasionally be re-greased. The ball bearing manufacturers
and providers of ball bearings have a wide variety of sizes and dimensions of
bearings to choose from as well as load capacity strength.