A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.
The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this by using at least three races to contain the balls and transmit the loads through the balls.
Classification of rolling bearings
Rolling bearings divide into two main classifications: ball bearings and roller bearings. Ball bearings are classified according to their bearing ring configurations: deep groove type and angular contact type. Roller bearings on the other hand are classified according to the shapes of the rollers: cylindrical, needle, tapered and spherical. Rolling bearings can be further classified according to the direction in which the load is applied; radial bearings carry radial loads and thrust bearings carry axial loads.
Other classifications
1) Number of rolling rows (single, double, or 4-row).
2) Separable and non-separable, in which either the inner ring or the outer ring can be detached.
3) There are also bearings designed for special purpose, such as Automotive and other applications.
The most common type of bearing, deep groove ball bearings are widely used in a variety of fields. Deep groove ball bearings include shield bearings and sealed bearings with grease enabling easier usage. Deep groove ball bearings also include bearings with a locating snap-ring to…
Thrust bearings are classified in accordance to the rolling elements they contain and generally the allowable rotational speed is very low. Thrust ball bearing with single row is called as single direction Thrust ball bearing and can take axial load in one direction, whereas Thrust…
Spherical roller bearings are equipped with an outer ring with a spherical raceway surface and an inner ring which holds two rows of barrel shaped rolling elements, spherical roller bearings are able to adjust center alignment to handle inclination of the axle or shaft. There…
Cylindrical roller bearings are used for rollers for rolling elements, and therefore has a high load capacity. The rollers are guided by the ribs of the inner or outer ring. The inner and outer rings can be separated to facilitate assembly, and both can be…
Angular contact ball bearings unite point of contact of the inner ring, ball and the outer ring runs at a certain angle (contact angle) in the radial direction. Bearings are generally designed with three contact angles. Angular contact ball bearings can support an axial load,…
A needle roller bearing is a special type of roller bearing which uses long, thin cylindrical rollers resembling needles. Ordinary roller bearings' rollers are only slightly longer than their diameter, but needle bearings typically have rollers that are at least four times longer than their…
Tapper roller bearings are designed such that the outer ring, inner ring and the rollers have tapered surfaces whose apexes converge at a common point on the bearing axis. Tapper rollers are available in metric as well as inch dimension most commonly called as metric…