The availability of high-strength shaft materials, in combination with bearings with high carrying capacity, allows use of slimmer shafts. However, the modulus of elasticity remains the same, so seat design for bearings and gears must be given close attention.

Bearings used to support main spindles on machine tools must be capable of higher speed and greater rigidity. This is true in that any main spindle that turns together with a tool or work piece mounted onto it is one of the critical machine tool components that directly affects machining efficiency and accuracy of the machine tool; and, the bearings that support the main spindle are the most critical machine elements on the machine tool.

This article takes a look at alternative-material, non-metal bearings, and it turns out the first bearings of that type - wood, in this case, were the norm - not an alternative.

American Bearing Manufacturers Association (ABMA) Standard 9 and ISO 281 give equations for calculating the basic dynamic radial load rating for ball bearings. These equations are based on a number of assumptions, many of which are not valid for thin-section bearings. (Thin-section bearings are described in ABMA standard 26.2.) Nevertheless, many thin-section bearing catalogs report load ratings based on these equations. Kaydon has developed a new method for calculating the dynamic radial load rating for thin-section ball bearings. The new method uses the contact stress and the number of stress-cycles-per-revolution to calculate the capacity. The new numbers are based on five years of actual test results. These equations can also be used to calculate the dynamic radial load rating for four-point contact ball bearings, which are not covered in ABMA standard 9 or ISO 281.

Based on simulation methods and calculation tools developed by the Schaeffler Group and presented in the first part of this paper, three approaches regarding increased efficiency based on rolling bearings are presented.

Many power transmission components require a certain level of customization for each individual project. The big bearing market is no exception. Construction, mining, steel, marine and wind applications aren’t exactly areas where customers buy bearings in bulk.

When your $100 “Rolex” falls apart on your wrist, well, what did you expect? But when bogus bearings find their way into safety-sensitive applications, lives are at stake.

The Bearing Specialists Association explains the role of bearings in ensuring the efficient operation of machinery.

In an industrial application, equipment uptime is vital for on-time performance and profitability. The rotating members of industrial machines are subject to the highest degree of wear and are more susceptible to failure than non-moving parts. Bearing surfaces are the most critical and often the most expensive portion of the rotary assembly; it is imperative to protect these components. The primary protector of these components is the industrial seal.

Nitinol 60 (60NiTi), an intermetallic nickel-titanium alloy containing 60 wt % nickel and 40 wt % titanium, is shown to be a promising material for oil-lubricated, rolling and sliding contact applications such as bearings and gears.