Selecting appropriate shaft and housing tightness fits are critical in optimizing a single row  radial ball bearing’s performance and life. A bearing can only perform to its full capacity when it is correctly fitted on the shaft and in the housing. Improper fits can lead to undesirable operating conditions and early failure.

Below are some of the common considerations bearing users should consider:

Direction, type, and magnitude of loads

Based on the actual applied axial and radial loads an equivalent radial load is calculated. Generally, tighter fits are required as the load increases. Further, rings subjected to circumferential loading should have tight fits. For rings subjected to only point loading, a loose fit may be used.

Inner or outer ring rotation

Typically, the ring that is rotating requires an interference fit, and the non-rotating ring would have a slightly loose fit.

The size and type of bearing specified

Thin type and miniature bearings are very sensitive to interference fits due to loss of radial play. Bearings with heavier cross sections generally require tighter fits.

Material and manufacturing tolerances of mating components.

Fit tolerances are based on cast iron or steel housings and shafts. For alloys such as aluminum (with a different modulus of elasticity), a tighter fit is required to achieve rigid seating.

Operating temperature

With tight fits and a temperature differential between the inner and outer ring, the radial internal clearance in the bearing is reduced. This must be taken into consideration when selecting the internal clearance. Additionally, if the materials used for the housing or shaft are dissimilar, they will have different coefficients of thermal expansion than the bearing rings. This must be taken into consideration to achieve rigid seating.

Running accuracy required

In order to achieve high running accuracy, the same high standard of accuracy and surface quality expected in the bearing must be applied to the shaft and housing as well. In addition, with miniature and thin type bearings irregularities on the shaft or in the housing are transferred to the relatively thin walled bearing rings.

Want to learn more about radial ball bearings and the factors that can extend or shorten their operating lives? Try AST’s new calculator.

If you need assistance with understanding radial ball bearings fits, our team of bearing experts are standing by to provide engineering consulting and design.

Angular Contact Ball Bearings are used in a variety of applications and equipments yet these bearings are exclusively designed and developed for carrying high radial and axial load capacities for a long time.

There are three types of Angular Contact Ball Bearings, single row bearings, double row bearings and four point contact ball bearings.

Besides the difference in their design and structure, they also have different applications and properties.

Single row bearings are used to deliver high thrust in one direction while the double row bearings come with high thrust capacity in both directions.Design Attributes of Angular Contact Ball BearingsAngular Contact Ball Bearings consist of an inner ring, outer ring, balls and the cage that holds those balls at a specific angle.

Because of the specific angle and geometry of both rings and their shoulders, Angular Contact Ball Bearings deliver high axial load capacity.

There are many additional design attributes and options available that are applied on demand based on the application and requirement.

If you wish to have some basic idea about roller bearing vs. ball bearing you are perhaps in the right place. Though we must have certainly come across roller bearing and ball bearing, we may not be aware of the main differences between the two.

When you look at them, superficially you may not be able to find much difference. However in spite of similar looks they have different uses. Over the next few lines, we will try and find out the major differences between the two.

How Do Bearings Work

The mechanics of bearing are the same. They come with a ball which is set within an external or internal ring. When this happens, it allows the force to be applied to the ball. This is often referred to as loading. Loading can be of two types, radial loading and thrust loading.

When you choose radial load, it means that the bearing will roll or rotate when it is under tension. On the other hand, when you use a thrust load, it will be subject to force depending on the angle at which the thrust is being given. Bearings have been around for centuries and are used for rolling, pulling and other such functions.

Basic Difference between Ball Bearings and Roller Bearings

Ball bearings are used for smaller jobs such as for rotating wheels and hard drives and other day to day applications. However, the problem with ball bearings is that they cannot withstand pressure and they could either become deformed or break.

However, when the load is light and within manageable limits then can handle both radial and thrust functions. That is the main reason why they are popular with engineers. The main job of a ball bearing is to transfer the weight and ensure that is gets moved to the inner raceway from the outer raceway. This ensures that the object spins smoothly.

On the other hand, when we talk about roller bearings we are looking at something which will be able to handle heavy loads. They are usually housed in a cylinder. Hence, they are in a much better to distribute load to a much larger area even when heavyweights are carried by them.

It is the type of use which would differentiate between the ball bearing and roller bearings. Both have their unique uses and properties, and it is the end use which matters the most.

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Deep Groove Ball Bearing is a common type of bearings and it is used in several industries from heavy machinery to high precision apparatus.

This type of bearings consists of four elements that include inner ring, outer ring, cage that holds balls and ball bearings.

Because of the flat surface on outer ring and inner ring, Deep Groove Ball Bearings provides a larger area of contact that delivers high performance and high load capacity.

Although Deep Groove Ball Bearings come in hundreds of models and sizes with different design and even different material used in inner ring, outer ring and the cage but basically they are categorized in 4 main sections.Types of Deep Groove Ball BearingsBased on different designs, structures and ultimately applications, there are mainly 4 types of Deep Groove Ball Bearings.

Let’s see what these deep groove ball bearings do and what the core difference between them is.Single Row Deep Groove Ball BearingsIn this particular type of Deep Groove Ball Bearings, the cage is made of pressed steel that gives it high load capacity and flexibility at the same time.

This is one of the most widely used types of Deep Groove Ball Bearings.

Single row deep groove ball bearings are the most widely used roller bearing type in the world due to their versatility and overall performance. They are characterized by having deep raceway grooves in which the inner and outer rings have circular arcs of slightly larger radius than that of the balls. They also have non-separable rings. Their straightforward basic design has many advantages:

• Excellent for high speeds
• ·         Good radial load capacity
• ·         Acceptable axial load capacity in both directions
• ·         Have low torque capacity at startup and running speeds
• ·         Can operate with low noise
• ·         Require little maintenance

As flexible as the performance is, the configurations of single row ball bearings is also as versatile. These bearings often have steel shields or rubber seals installed on one or both sides and are pre-lubricated with grease. Also, snap rings are sometimes used on the outside edge. While many different retainers are available, pressed steel cages are most commonly used. Even tapered bores are available upon special order.

Single row deep groove ball bearings come in three numerical series representing the size and load capacity of each. They are:

• 6000 Series - Extra Light Ball Bearings– Ideal for limited space applications
• 6200 Series - Light Series Ball Bearings– Balanced between space and load capacity
• 6300 Series - Medium Series Ball Bearings– Ideal for heavier load capacity applications

If you need help in selecting the best products for your particular application, please remember that design engineering and application assistance are available from AST as part of our value-added services designed to make your job easier.

Get more information visit: usbearingsandbelts

Allowing for great versatility and flexibility, bearings are used in every industry that involves motion.

That is to say, virtually every kind of machinery or equipment — everything from household appliances and automobile parts to aerospace and defense equipment — makes use of bearings or is made with equipment containing bearings.

There are two primary types of bearings: roller bearings and ball bearings.Cylinders Roller bearings use cylinders to maintain separation between moving parts.

Ball bearings, on the other hand, utilize balls to separate the shifting pieces.

Both roller bearings and ball bearings are designed to reduce rotational friction while supporting axial and radial loads.

Ball bearings operate at higher speeds than roller bearings and can handle moderate radial and axial loads.

Because of their high performance and precision, Radial Ball Bearings are used in many industries and precision apparatus.

Radial Ball Bearings are consist of an outer ring, inner ring, high precision rolling balls and a cage that hold those balls at right spot.

The deep groove design of the rings enables these bearings to operate on high speed with high precision.Design Attributes of Radial Ball Bearings Radial Ball Bearings are designed and developed to work in contaminated environment for a long time and because of their structure and material used, they are one of the most durable ball bearings available in the market.

Popular ball bearings makers like Timken also provide an extra coating for corrosion resistance on some model depending on the requirements and their applications.

Radial Ball Bearings are either made open or with special seals that keep the lubrication in and contaminations like dust and water out of the apparatus.There are many design variations of Radial Ball Bearings.

This design attribute helps mounting process in some cases.