UNIT 5: BEARING

5.1 DEFINITION
As a support/supporting parts which allows relative motion between two parts.

5.2 FUNCTIONS
There are three main functions;

a) Reduce friction
b) Carry load
c) Guide for moving parts

5.3 TYPES OF BEARINGS

i. Ball bearing
ii. Roller bearing
iii. Needle bearing
iv. Tapered bearing
v. Spherical bearing
vi. Thrust bearing
vii. Fluid/hydrostatic bearing

5.4 ROLLER ELEMENTS

5.5 BEARING COMPONENTS
5.6 DYNAMIC LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY
Definition: radial load (radial bearing) or thrust load (thrust bearing) that can be carried for
a minimum life of one millions revolutions.

Life of bearing;

a) Individual ball bearing: the number of revolutions (or hours of service at some given
constant speed) which the bearing runs before the first evidence of fatigue crack in
ball or races.
b) Group of bearing: the number of revolutions that 90% of the bearings will
complete/exceed before the first evidence of fatigue crack

There are many terms used for this rating life;

a) Minimum life
b) Catalogue life
c) L10 life
d) B10 life

Bearing life, L10 = ( )³

Where;

L10 = rating life (in million revolutions)

C = dynamic load capacity (N)

p = 3 for ball bearings

p= for roller bearings

Bearing rating life (hours), L10 =

Where;

L10 h = Bearing rating life (hours)

n = rotational speed (rpm)

5.7 EQUIVALENT BEARING LOAD

Definition: constant radial load (radial bearing) or trust load (thrust bearing) which if applied
to the bearing would give same life as that which the bearing will attain under actual
condition of forces.

P = XVFr + YFa
Where;

P=equivalent dynamic load (N)

Fr = radial load (N)

Fa = axial load (N)

V= race rotation factor

X and Y = radial and thrust factor (given by manufacturer)

5.8 Axial, radial and combined load

Exercise (design of machine elements)