What is the sealing method for angular contact ball bearings?

In high-precision and high-speed applications such as machine tool spindles, angular contact ball bearings play a crucial role in providing support and transmission. However, most angular contact ball bearings used in machine tool spindles feature an outer ring with a locking groove, creating an annular recess that is difficult to seal directly. As a result, these bearings cannot be lubricated with grease as easily as those used in other equipment. To ensure reliable lubrication during high-speed operation, many machine tool manufacturers resort to auxiliary lubrication systems, such as oil-air lubrication or oil mist lubrication. However, these auxiliary systems not only increase manufacturing costs but also complicate the machine tool structure, leading to higher maintenance requirements.

1.Optimized Sealing Performance with a New Seal Ring Design

To address the lubrication and sealing challenges of angular contact ball bearings, an innovative sealing method has been developed: a specially designed seal ring with a groove embedded within the bearing. The key features of this design include:

I: Optimized Groove Design:

The groove in the new seal ring is slightly shallower than that of a standard seal ring, allowing it to precisely fit the bearing's outer ring flange and effectively fill the gap left by the locking groove.

II: Dual Sealing Function: 

This seal ring effectively prevents grease leakage from both sides of the bearing, ensuring stable lubrication. At the same time, it blocks external contaminants such as dust, coolant, and metal particles from entering the bearing, thereby extending its service life.

III: Reduced Maintenance Requirements: 

The presence of the seal ring enables angular contact ball bearings to better retain lubrication grease, minimizing the need for frequent lubrication replenishment. This reduction in maintenance workload enhances machine tool efficiency and lowers operating costs.

IV: Lower Friction Loss:

Compared to traditional auxiliary lubrication systems, the sealed bearing design eliminates the need for additional oil supply mechanisms, reducing oil-air disturbance within the bearing and unnecessary friction losses. This contributes to improved operational stability and machining precision.

2.Applications and Future Prospects

This new sealing method is particularly well-suited for high-precision and high-speed applications, such as CNC machine tool spindles, precision grinding machines, aerospace equipment, and semiconductor manufacturing machinery. In these fields, bearing sealing performance directly impacts machining accuracy and equipment stability. By adopting an efficient sealing solution, manufacturers can significantly extend bearing service life, reduce maintenance costs, and improve overall machining quality.

In the future, as the demand for high-performance bearings in the machine tool industry continues to grow, this innovative sealing method is expected to see wider adoption. Additionally, it may be integrated with ceramic ball bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings to further enhance the performance of angular contact ball bearings in machine tool spindles.

For more information, feel free to contact QIBR