Thrust ball bearings are an essential component for supporting machine movement. Made of steel, these bearings typically support both heavy axial loads and light loads with ease.
There are numerous kinds of thrust bearings available, such as thrust ball bearing, cylindrical thrust roller bearings, and tapered roller thrust bearings.
Material
Thrust ball bearings are an innovative type of bearing designed to withstand axial loads. Axial loads refers to any load which runs perpendicular to the axis of rotation and cannot be accommodated by standard radial deep groove ball bearings.
Material used for thrust ball bearings varies based on application; in most cases stainless steel is utilized.
These types of bearings are engineered to withstand extreme temperatures while offering high-speed performance, while also reducing friction and increasing longevity.
They’re easy to install and operate, making them the ideal solution for many different applications.
Stainless steel thrust ball bearings are frequently utilized in equipment that must operate at high speeds, while still surviving harsh environments and being simple to maintain and clean.
Design
Thrust ball bearings are special ball bearings designed to withstand high axial loads and are commonly found in applications such as turbines and pumps.
A typical thrust ball bearing comprises of a shaft washer, housing washer and cage which houses precision balls. The shaft washer is intended to withstand axial loads while the housing washer helps distribute any potential radial forces away from the ball bearing.
Based on their design, some thrust ball bearings feature aligning seat washers which can be fixed beneath the housing washer to compensate for mounting errors or shaft misalignments.
Thrust ball bearings typically feature outer rings made of chrome steel; when additional load capacity is necessary, other materials like 440c stainless steel may also be utilized; all can be customized to meet client specifications.
Lubrication
Lubrication is an integral component of thrust ball bearing design and operation, helping ensure proper alignment, reduced friction and enhanced performance.
Grease is the go-to lubricant for thrust ball bearings, consisting of base oil, thickener and additives.
Finding an appropriate lubricant is key to any application, and consistency plays an important role. Grease should flow and disperse evenly within bearings for best performance.
A quality lubricant should prevent friction, reduce wear and tear, decrease corrosion and enhance abrasion resistance to prolong bearing service life. Additionally, it should ensure long service life for bearings.
Temperature
Temperature of thrust ball bearings depends on their material components such as rings and balls, retainer (cage), closures and any closures as well as any closures and lubricants used. Chrome steel bearings typically tolerate loads up to 120degC continuous and 150degC intermittent. On the other hand, 440 grade stainless steel can withstand loads up to 250degC continuous and 300degC intermittent.
Thrust ball bearing temperatures may appear 10-15-25 degrees lower than the actual operating temperatures due to build-up on their housings.
Utilizing measuring devices, such as thermocouples or resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), to record bearing temperatures is an easy and quick way to evaluate its performance. Unfortunately, they’re not very precise: for instance, dark carbon steel surfaces typically exhibit much lower emissivities compared to bright stainless steel or aluminum surfaces; additionally if an incorrect setting for an RTD’s emissivity setting may make its measurement less sensitive to actual temperatures.
