EASA B1.1 : MODULE 6.

Bearings

22/03/22
Prepared By: M.Azlan Shafie
 INTRODUCTION

Consider how many things in our life turn or revolve.

Skate wheels, electric motors, car wheels, microwave turntables,

and many more….

The bearing makes many of today's machines a reality.

Without bearings, we would not be able to make precision items on a

massive scale and things would wear out quickly due to excessive
friction.
What is the purpose of a bearing?

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 Purpose of Bearings

Bearings reduce friction.

This is done either by;

 using hard smooth balls or rollers,

 smooth inner and outer surface for the balls to roll against or,

 by introducing a low friction surface between the surfaces.

These balls or rollers "bear" any loads which they may be subjected to
thus allowing the bearing to rotate smoothly.

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 Classification of bearings
• Rolling element bearings fall into two main
classifications:

Ball bearings Roller bearings

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1) Ball bearings are classified according to their
bearing ring configurations:

Deep groove

Angular contact

Thrust types

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2) Roller bearings are classified according to the shape
of the rollers:

Needle bearing

Spherical bearing

Cylindrical bearing

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 Bearing
 
In order to get a good characteristics, bearing are made of:

1. Phosphor Bronze for heat resisting.

2. White metal for general load.

3. Lead Bronze.

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White metal bearing

Lead Bronze bearing

Phosphor
Bronze bearing

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• Rolling bearings can be further classified according to
the direction in which the load is applied;
• Radial bearings carry radial load and thrust bearing
carry axial loads.

Radial bearing Thrust bearing

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 How bearings 'bear' load

Ball bearings are typically capable

of dealing with two kinds of loading
condition;
Wheel rim
radial load
Radial Load
thrust load.
(weight of car)
Depending on the type of Hub

application the bearing is used in, it Tapered roller

bearings
may experience;
radial load only Thrust Load
(Cornering Forces)
thrust load only
combination of both.
A classic example being the car
wheel as shown in the figure.

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There are many type of bearing commonly used on aircraft such as: -

1. Plain Bearing
2. Ball Bearing
Single Row
Double Row
3. Roller Bearing
Taper Roller
Needle roller
Parallel Roller

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Plain Bearing Compress load

Also called journal or sleeve bearings

Used to constrain, guide or reduce friction in rotary or linear applications.
These bearings don't roll like balls or rollers but slide.
They require proper lubrication to reduce friction and consequently wear
Characteristic of Plain Bearing
a. High journal load (radial)
b. Low rotational at low speed
c.  No side thrust

Plain Bearing

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 Ball Bearing good rotation

Ball bearings consist of two hardened metal rings separated by a set number of
perfectly spherical steel balls spaced equilaterally with a bearing cage.

The balls run along concave grooves set into the rings placed one inside the other.

There are two types of Ball Bearings:

a. Single row b. Double Row

1. Low journal load 1. Low journal load

2. Medium rotational 2. High rotational
3. No side thrust 3. No side thrust
 

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 Outer race

Cage

Bore

Roller

Inner race

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Roller Bearing Side thrust

There are three type of Roller Bearing:

A. Taper roller

Taper roller bearings have tapered inner and outer ring raceways.
The rollers are arranged in-between and are also tapered
proportionately.
It can carry:
1. Medium Journal (radial)
2. Medium Rotational
3. Side Thrust (sit square)

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 Taper Roller
Bearings
Radial Tapered
Roller Bearing

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B. Needle roller

Needle roller bearings are roller bearings with cylindrical rollers which are thin and long.
As per ISO the dimensions of roller length is 2.5 times the roller diameter or more.
Needle roller can carry;
1. Greater Journal 2. Medium Rotational 3. No Side Thrust
 
C. Parallel Roller

This type of roller are capable of carrying:

1. Medium journal
2. Medium Rotational
3. No side thrust

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Needle Roller Bearings

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 Spherical Bearing

Spherical plain bearings also know as radial spherical plain bearings, radial
spherical bushing, eye bushing, rod end bearing, radial bushing, eye bearing,
axial spherical plain bearings, angular spherical plain bearing, earth movers
bearings.

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Journal load
(Radial)

Axial loads (Thrust)

Shaft

Ball bearing
Point contact normally used for
axial loads(thrust loads),
but will withstand light journal loads

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 Roller bearing
Shaft
Tapered Roller bearing Line contact used for journal loads will
not withstand axial loads

Tapered Roller bearing

Line contact, used for both journal and
axial loads .

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 Basic Inspection Techniques/Practices

1. Before starting an inspection, be certain all plates, access doors, fairings,

and cowling have been opened or removed and the structure cleaned.

2. When opening inspection plates and cowling and before cleaning the
area, take note of any oil or other evidence of fluid leakage.

3. In order to conduct a thorough inspection, a great deal of paperwork

and/or reference information must be accessed and studied before actually
proceeding to the aircraft to conduct the inspection.

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 Bearing Removal and Handling

1. When removing a grooved bearing that has been swaged in place, the lip must
be weakened in order to remove it and press out the old bearing.

2. Care must be taken to ensure the cutter doesn’t damage the housing, and that
the old bearing does not scratch the housing when being pressed out of place.

3. Weakening the sleeve or lip in order to remove the bearing can be done in
several ways; grinding or machining the swaged lip; using a drill press or milling
machine with a hole-saw style cutting tool; or using a hole-saw style portable
cutting tool.

4. Using the portable tool is the preferred method as it provides access to the
component on the aircraft, and more importantly it ensures proper alignment of the
cutter so it does not damage the housing during the cutting process.
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 Bearing Removal

Flying cutter (Portable type)

Bearing swaging type

Bearing swaging tool
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The bearing is ready to be pressed out of the housing using a removal tool. The
proper removal tool should be of a size and design that ensures the cut lip does
not scratch or damage the internal surface of the housing bore when pushing
the bearing out.

Bearing Puller

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 Bearing Cleaning and Inspection

1. The condition of the bearing during service, e.g. by listening to the sound of
the bearing when it is running and measuring the temperature or examining the
lubricant.

2. It is then usually found sufficient if the bearings (rings, cage and rolling
elements) and other parts of the bearing arrangement are thoroughly cleaned
and inspected annually. Where the load is heavy, the frequency of inspection
must be increased, e.g. rolling mill bearings are often inspected when the rolls
are changed.

3. After the bearing components have been cleaned with a suitable solvent
(white spirit, paraffin etc.) they should be oiled or greased immediately to prevent
corrosion.

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Damage

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Bearing Damage

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Bearing Damage

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Bearing Damage

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Defect

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Bearing Defect

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 Bearing Lubrication
Shell Aviation offers a range of aviation greases designed to fill almost every
lubrication need of the aviation.

- AeroShell Grease 5
- Mineral Grease for Aircraft
- Wheel bearing and engine accessory grease
- Microgel thickened, mineral oil base
- Meets MIL-G-3545C
- P/N 08-05455

Combines high load-carrying ability with excellent resistance to water and high
temperatures. It inhibited against corrosion and oxidation, and has a useful
temperature range of -23°C to + 177°C.

Used primarily in aircraft wheel bearings and engine accessories operating at high
speeds and relatively high temperatures.

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 Bearing Installation

Installation

The installation of a bearing or sleeve into a housing bore is a simple operation

when done properly. Alignment of the bearing or sleeve to the housing bore is
critical to prevent a cocking motion during insertion, which can damage or ruin the
bearing or housing. Temperature differential installation is recommended.

Spherical Bearing Installation

Use of an arbor press or hydraulic press is recommended. Under no circumstances

should a hammer or any other type of shock-inducing impact method be used. A
suitable installation tool (shown below) is advised. A guide pin aligns the ball in a
90° position, but all force is applied to the outer race face only. A lead chamfer or
radius on either the bearing or housing is essential.

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 Bearing Installation

Lined Sleeve Bearing Installation

The same general procedure as outlined for spherical bearings should be followed
(below). In the case of fabric lined bores, however, it is mandatory that both the
insertion tool guide pin and the mating shaft have ends free of both burrs and
sharp edges.

A .030 (min.) blended radius or 15° lead is recommended, since it is virtually

impossible to install a sharp edged shaft without inflicting some damage to the
fabric liner. For maximum support of the fabric lined bore, the effective length of
the insertion tool guide pin should exceed the sleeve bearing length.

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 Bearing Storage
The conditions under which bearings and seals are stored can have an adverse
effect on their performance.

Storage conditions
To maximize the service life of bearings, recommends the following basic
housekeeping practices:

Store bearings flat, in a vibration-free, dry area with a cool, steady temperature.
Control and limit the relative humidity of the storage area as follows:
75% at 20 °C (68 °F)
60% at 22 °C (72 °F)
50% at 25 °C (77 °F)

Keep bearings in their original unopened packages until immediately prior to

mounting to prevent the ingress of contaminants and corrosion.

Bearings that are not stored in their original packaging should be well protected
against corrosion and contaminants.

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 Bearing Storage

Shelf life of open bearings

Bearings are coated with a rust-inhibiting compound and suitably packaged

before distribution.

For open bearings, the preservative provides protection against corrosion for
approximately three years, provided the storage conditions are appropriate.

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 Bearing Storage

Shelf life of sealed bearings

The maximum storage interval for sealed SKF bearings is dictated by the
lubricant inside the bearings. Lubricant deteriorates over time as a result of
ageing, condensation, and separation of the oil and thickener.

Therefore, sealed bearings should not be stored for more than three years.

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 Bearing Setting and Adjustment

1. The following recommendations refer only to the adjustment of the internal clearance
for bearing arrangements with angular contact ball bearings or tapered roller bearings.

2. The appropriate value for the clearance to be obtained when mounting, depends on
the bearing size and arrangement and operating conditions such as load and
temperature.

3. Since there is a definite relationship between the radial and axial internal clearance of
angular contact ball bearings and tapered roller bearings, it is sufficient to specify one
value, generally the axial internal clearance.

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 Bearing Setting and Adjustment

One way to check the axial clearance in a bearing arrangement is to use a dial
indicator attached to the hub ( Figure 1 shown below).

When adjusting tapered roller bearings and measuring clearance, the shaft or
housing should be turned through several revolutions in both directions to be
sure that there is proper contact of the roller ends with the guide flange on the
inner ring. Without proper contact, the measured result will not be correct.

Figure 1 - Checking of axial clearance using a dial indicator

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 Bearing Life
• Bearing life L refers to the amount of time any
bearing will perform in a specified operation before
failure.

• The life which 90% of identical bearings subjected to

identical usage applications and environments will
attain before bearing material fails from fatigue

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BEARING LIFE CYCLE

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• Many factors have a profound affect on the actual life
of the bearing. Some of the factors are:
Temperature, lubrication and improper care in mounting,
resulting in:
1. Contamination
2. Misalignment and
3. Deformation
As result of these factors, an estimated 95% of all
failures are classified as premature bearing failures.

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 Bearing Load Zone

• When a bearing is supporting a radial load, the load is distributed through only a
portion of the bearing (approx. 1/3) at any given time. This area supporting the
load is called the bearing load zone.

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