Select the Appropriate Self-aligning Ball Bearing

I. What is a Self-aligning Ball Bearing?

A self-aligning ball bearing is a type of bearing where spherical steel balls are installed in the middle of the outer side of the inner hole and the raceway curved surface of two dovetail guide rails. The diameter of the self-aligning function bearing and the nominal diameter of the bearing housing are in curved surface cooperation, and they have an automatic self-aligning function between them, which can compensate for the non-overlapping of the center lines caused by equipment errors and the deformation of the bottom of the equipment.

II. Two Structures of Self-aligning Ball Bearings

Cylindrical Bore

1. Due to its multi-row bearing steel balls and the curved raceway in the outer ring, the self-aligning ball bearing can automatically self-align.

2. It can tolerate the focus misalignment between the shaft and the bearing housing, and is suitable for working conditions where the shaft has simple flexibility and the pivot is tilted due to non-concentricity.

3. The friction is the lowest among all rolling bearings.

4. Even under high-speed rotation conditions, it still has only a relatively low temperature.

Tapered Bore

1. The self-aligning ball bearing with a tapered bore has the characteristics of a self-aligning ball bearing with a cylindrical bore.

2. Since the side clearance of the bearing can be adjusted, this type of bearing is mostly used on double-supported shafts that are greatly bent under the effect of load and in components where the two bearing seat holes cannot be strictly concentric.

3. It is mainly used to bear axial loads, and can also bear a small amount of radial loads.

4. Generally, it cannot bear pure radial loads. The versatility of this type of bearing is second only to deep groove ball bearings.

5. Its limiting rotational speed is lower than that of deep groove ball bearings under the same conditions, but its load-carrying capacity is higher than that of deep groove ball bearings.

III. Characteristics of Self-aligning Ball Bearings

The outer ring dovetail guide rail is curved and has an automatic self-aligning property.

Even if the inner ring, bearing steel balls and the bearing race are somewhat inclined relative to the outer ring (but the relative deviation between the inner and outer rings should not exceed 3 degrees), it can still rotate; therefore, the bearing is self-aligning and is not affected by the misalignment of the shaft relative to the bearing housing.

It can bear a large axial load and can also bear a certain radial load.

The load-carrying capacity is large. Since the internal structure of the outer spherical bearing is the same as that of the 6200 and 6300 series deep groove ball bearings, the IB housed outer spherical bearing can not only bear axial loads but also large radial loads. Also, the working noise of the bearing is low.

Long service life. The housed outer spherical bearing with a long service life is generally used in harsh working environments such as soil, dust, humidity and high temperature. The lubricating grease inside the bearing will deteriorate in a short time. Therefore, it is necessary to refill the lubricating grease for the housed outer spherical bearing at appropriate time intervals, and replace the deteriorated lubricating grease with fresh lubricating grease. The IB cast iron outer spherical bearing is equipped with a lubricator, which can be relubricated to ensure excellent performance and a long service life in any working environment.

Good sealing performance. The outer spherical bearing has excellent sealing performance. Both sides of the outer spherical bearing are equipped with a combination seal consisting of a high-temperature and oil-resistant silicone rubber seal ring and a steel plate sealing cover. The sealing cover is installed on the diameter of the inner ring of the bearing and rotates together with the inner ring, which can effectively prevent external debris from entering the inside of the bearing and can resist external pressure to protect the bearing. This combination seal composed of the seal ring and the sealing cover can prevent soil, dust and water from entering the inside of the bearing, and at the same time can prevent the lubricating grease inside the bearing from leaking out. This enables the bearing to maintain excellent working performance in harsh working environments and be applied in various fields.

Generally, it cannot bear pure axial loads.

It is suitable for bearings where a considerable amount of shaft deflection or misalignment can occur, and is used in application scenarios such as precision instruments, low-noise motors, automobiles, motorcycles, woodworking machinery, textile machinery drive shafts, mining machinery, electromechanical equipment, plastic machinery, office equipment, medical equipment, fitness and sports equipment, and general machinery.