QIBR thin-section bearings are used in military vehicle steering systems 

- Improve the stability of vehicle steering systems and increase the service life of military vehicles

Customer introduction: 

The customer is a well-known Brazil company focused on the research, development, and production of military vehicle steering systems, The company is committed to promoting the stable and efficient development of vehicle steering systems. The company has a strong technical foundation and rich market experience in the field of vehicle steering systems, and its products are in a leading position in the industry.

a) Challenges（Problems that exist and why they are not solved）

Traditional bearings are difficult to meet the current requirements of military vehicle steering systems for bearing reliability and durability. Due to the low separation height of the outer jacket, it is easy to deform after heat treatment, which increases the difficulty and cost of manufacturing. In addition, it is difficult to purchase forgings and the processing technology requirements are high, resulting in a long production cycle. Finally, the material needs to be heat treated and then cold treated, which increases the manufacturing steps and time cost.

b) Solution (How QIBR Solves the Problem)

QIBR addresses the aforementioned challenges by employing advanced thin section ball bearing technology, providing a comprehensive solution:

QIBR technicians improved the bearings after understanding the limitations of traditional bearings on military vehicle steering systems. First, the bearing material is selected. The bearing material is 95X18 steel or similar stainless steel (such as 440c), and it is heat treated with at least 60HRC to ensure its hardness and durability. Then the bearing material adopts low-temperature treatment technology, which can effectively control the deformation problem after heat treatment. Improvements are made in bearing design, and the bearing is designed as a split outer ring angular contact bearing with a four-contact point full-fill design without a cage.

The inner ring aperture of the angular contact ball bearing is 412mm, the outer diameter is 436mm, the bearing width is 12mm, the nominal contact angle α=45°, and the weight is controlled within 1.35kg. Ensure that the axial and radial clearances of the bearing are between 0.01-0.02 mm, and the unit width deviation of the inner and outer rings is controlled within -0.1 mm, reaching the accuracy level P5. 

The bearing design is suitable for a speed range of 0-0.5 revolutions per second. The basic rated dynamic radial load of the bearing is not less than 18000 N, the basic rated static radial load is not less than 26000 N, the maximum working axial load is 3900 N, and the maximum working radial load is 3200 N (stability requirement). The maximum short-term axial load is 10200 N, and the maximum short-term radial load is 8300 N (strength requirement) 

c) Results

1. Optimized production process and bearing design
2. Improved manufacturing efficiency and product performance.
3. Reduced product reliability and durability.
4. Improved the stability and safety of military vehicle steering systems.
5. Increased the service life of military vehicles.

Testimonials

QIBR technicians met with our company’s technicians. We raised the problems of the current military vehicle steering system to QIBR technicians, hoping to obtain advanced bearings to replace traditional bearings. We raised the problems of bearing deformation, difficulty in purchasing forgings, and low bearing life. QIBR technicians improved the bearings based on the problems we raised, and strictly controlled the selection of bearing materials, low temperature treatment technology, and bearing accuracy. They produced equal-section bearings suitable for our military vehicle steering system.

QIBR’s high-quality products and attentive service made us complete a pleasant cooperation, and we will continue to choose QIBR’s professional products.