What are Bearings?

Bearings are those components which are highly engineered; that enable a machine to run at very high speed and carry high amount of loads easily and efficiently.

Bearings should be capable to provide maximum accuracy, consistency and toughness along with efficiency to revolve at high speed with negligible sound and tremor.

Bearings are highly used in products like automobiles, computers, airplanes, tools for construction, machines, DVD players, ceiling fans and refrigerators. Hence, we can say that it is due to bearing which makes device weave, rotate or run.

Types of Bearings:

1. Ball Bearings:

Ball bearings are perhaps the most known and widely used bearings. They are the most ordinary type of bearing available in the market. These types of bearings are largely seen in washing machines, skateboards, PC hard drivers etc. They are able to take radial and thrust loads.

2. Roller Bearings:

Roller bearing is used in the devices like conveyer belt roller to carry intense radial loads. The roller bearings are generally in cylindrical shape, which makes internal and external race a line rather than a point. This makes the bearing to spread the load in a larger area to carry heavy and large amount of loads. But this bearing is not capable enough to carry thrust loads at any particular degree.

3. Thrust Ball Bearings:

Thrust ball bearings are generally used in the devices with comparatively lower speed which do not require much accuracy. They are not able to carry radial loads are thus are found mostly in turning tables or platforms and farming equipments.

4. Roller Thrust Bearings:

Roller thrust bearings are designed specially to carry heavy and huge thrust loads. They are generally used gear sets like car transmission between housing and the rotating shafts and gear sprockets. The spiral gear contains angled-teeth play important role in transmission which helps in carrying high thrust loads.

5. Taper Roller Bearings:

Taper Roller bearings are drafted in such a way that it can carry large amount of thrust and radial loads. These are capable to manage constant and shock loads. This type of bearings is generally used in cars wheel hubs, where they are fixed in pairs placed in reverse direction giving them capabilities to thrust load in mutual direction. There is a cutaway in the taper roller designed with the angular mounting giving proficiency to bear dual load.

For smooth and low friction movement between two or more than two surfaces bearings are majorly used in various applications. The movements of bearings are divided into two parts that can be either rotary or linear. Linear has a movement of surface moving along with another where else; rotary has a shaft rotating with a circular mount. Almost all bearings are lubricated for its smooth functioning using grease majorly as bearing are basically anti-friction devices and different bearings have different anti friction characteristics. Bearing classification is done on the basis of their movement, functionality, application and load capacity.