Bearings

Introduction
• A bearing is a machine element which support another moving
machine element (known as journal). It permits a relative motion
between the contact surfaces of the members, while carrying the load.
• Due to the relative motion between the contact surfaces, a certain
amount of power is wasted in overcoming frictional resistance and if
the rubbing surfaces are in direct contact, there will be rapid wear.
• To reduce frictional resistance and wear and in some cases to carry
away the heat generated, a layer of fluid (known as lubricant) may be
provided.
• The lubricant used to separate the journal and bearing is usually a
mineral oil refined from petroleum, but vegetable oils, silicon oils,
greases etc., may be used.
 Classification of Bearings
1. Depending upon the direction of load to be supported.
a) Radial bearings, and (b) Thrust bearings.
2. Depending upon the nature of contact.
(a) Sliding contact bearings, and (b) Rolling contact bearings.
 Antifriction/Rolling Contact Bearing
• In rolling contact bearings, the contact between the
bearing surfaces is rolling instead of sliding as in
sliding contact bearings.
• The ordinary sliding bearing starts from rest with
practically metal-to-metal contact and has a high
coefficient of friction. It is an outstanding advantage of
a rolling contact bearing over a sliding bearing that it
has a low starting friction.
• Due to this low friction offered by rolling contact
bearings, these are called antifriction bearings.
 Types of Rolling Contact Bearings
1. Ball bearings; and 2. Roller bearings.
Rolling Contact Bearing

(Cage)
 Ball Bearing
• Radial Ball Bearing (When radial load is severe)
(a) Angular contact bearing (b) Self aligning
Thrust Ball Bearings
 The thrust ball bearings are
used for carrying thrust loads
exclusively and at speeds
below 2000 r.p.m.

 At high speeds, centrifugal

force causes the balls to be
forced out of the races.

 Therefore at high speeds, it is

recommended that angular
contact ball bearings should be
used in place of thrust ball
bearings.
Roller Bearing

Angle of taper is 25o

• Needle bearings are very useful where radial
space is limited. They may be used without
separators and races.
 Selection of Bearing type
 For low and medium radial loads, ball bearings are used,
 for heavy loads and large shaft diameters, roller bearings are selected.
 Self-aligning ball bearings and spherical roller bearings are used in
applications where a misalignment between the axes of shaft and housing
is likely to exist.
 Thrust ball bearings are used for medium thrust loads whereas
 heavy thrust loads, cylindrical roller thrust bearings are recommended.
 Deep groove ball bearings, angular contact bearings and spherical roller
bearings are suitable in applications where the loads acting on the bearing
consists of two components- radial and thrust.
 Rigidity controls the selection of bearing in certain applications like
machine tool spindles. Double row cylindrical roller bearings or taper
roller bearings are used under these conditions. The line of contact of
these bearings, as compared with the point of contact in ball bearings,
improves the rigidity of the system.
 Noise becomes the criterion of selection in applications like household
appliances. Under these circumstances, deep groove ball bearings are
recommended.
 Designations of Ball Bearings
 The bearings are designated by a number. In general, the number
consists of at least three digits. I.e. 6305, 636
 In case of four digits, Nomenclature of bearing as

(5x5=25 mm)
Bearing types
Bearing Series
Static Load Rating or static load carrying capacity (C0)
 The load carried by a non-rotating bearing is called a static load.
 The basic static load rating is defined as the static radial load (in
case of radial ball or roller bearings) or axial load (in case of thrust
ball or roller bearings) which corresponds to a total permanent
deformation of the ball (or roller) and race, at the most heavily
stressed contact, equal to 0.0001 times the ball (or roller) diameter.
 It is given by Stribeck’s equation.
Dynamic load carrying capacity of a bearing (C)
 The dynamic load carrying capacity of a bearing is defined as the
radial load in radial bearings (or thrust load in thrust bearings) that
can be carried for a minimum life of one million revolutions.
 The minimum life in this definition is the L10 life, which 90% of the
bearings will reach or exceed before fatigue failure.
 The dynamic load carrying capacity is based on the assumption that
the inner race is rotating while the outer race is stationary.
 Life of a Bearing
 The life of an individual ball (or roller) bearing may be defined as
the number of revolutions (or hours at some given constant speed)
which the bearing runs before the first evidence of fatigue
develops in the material of one of the rings or any of the rolling
elements.

 The rating life of a group of apparently identical ball or roller

bearings is defined as the number of revolutions (or hours at some
given constant speed) that 90 percent of a group of bearings will
complete or exceed before the first evidence of fatigue develops
(i.e. only 10 per cent of a group of bearings fail due to fatigue).

 The term minimum life is also used to denote the rating life.

 the average life of a bearing is 5 times the rating life

 Dynamic Equivalent Load (W)

W = X . V. Fr + Y . Fa
where,
W = equivalent dynamic load (N)
Fr = radial load (N)
Fa= axial or thrust load (N)
V = race-rotation factor
X and Y are radial and thrust factors respectively and their values are taken from
design Data Book
Load-Life relationship
Selection Process of Anti-friction Bearings
• Step-1 Calculate the radial load and axial loads acting on the bearing and
determine the diameter of the shaft where the bearing is to be fitted.
• Step-2 Select the type of bearing for the given application.
• Step-3 Determine the values of X and Y, the radial and thrust factors, from the
DHB. The values of X and Y for different types of bearings are given in DHB.
• Step-4 Calculate the equivalent dynamic load from the equation
W = X . V. Fr + Y . Fa
• Step-5 Make a decision about the expected bearing life and express the life L in
million revolutions.
• Step-6 Calculate the dynamic load capacity from the equation
C = W (L1/3)
• Step-7 Check whether the selected bearing of light series has the required
dynamic capacity. If not, select the bearing of the next series and go back to Step
3 and continue.
 Equivalent Dynamic Load for Rolling Contact
Bearings under Variable Loads
Consider a rolling contact bearing subjected to variable loads W1,
W2, W3 etc. for successive n1, n2, n3 etc. number of revolutions
respectively. If the bearing is operated at the constant load W1,
then its life is given by
for equivalent load

From equation (i) and (ii)

and also
 Reliability (Probability of survival)
• The reliability (R) is defined as the ratio of the number of bearings which
have successfully completed L million revolutions to the total number of
bearings under test.
According to Wiebull, the relation between the bearing life and the
reliability is given as
 Design Problem

A taper roller bearing has a dynamic load capacity of 20 kN. The desired life for 90%
of the bearings is 6000 hrs and the speed is 200 rpm. Calculate the equivalent radial
load that the bearing can sustain.
 Design Problem
A single deep groove ball bearing No.6202 is subjected to an axial thrust of 1000 N and a
radial load at 2200 N. Find the expected life that 50% of the bearings will complete under
this condition.
 Design Problem
Design a single-row deep groove ball bearing for a radial load of 4000 N
and an axial load of 5000 N, operating at a speed of 1600 rpm for an
average life of 5 years at 10 hours per day. Assume uniform and steady
load.
 Design Problem
A transmission shaft rotating at 720 rpm and transmitting power from the pulley P to
the spur gear G is shown in fig. The belt tensions and the gear tooth forces are as follows: P 1 =
498 N, P2 = 166 N, Pt = 497 N and Pr = 181 N. The weight of the pulley is 100 N. The diameter
of the shaft at bearings B1 and B2 is 10 mm and 20 mm respectively. The load factor is 2.5 and
the expected life for 90% of the bearing life is 8000 hrs. Select single row deep grove ball
bearings at B1 and B2.
Table 16.3 Value of factors V, X and Y
Table 16.9(b) Deep groove Ball Bearings