The use of ball bearings is common in many industrial and commercial settings. These bearings allow for smooth movement of parts or whole pieces of equipment and without these components one would be replacing parts often that were worn because of friction. Ball bearing manufacturers make parts that consist of inner and outer rings, inner and outer raceways, balls and a ball cage. The inner and outer raceways are the areas or tracks that the balls follow. The inner raceway is located on the surface of the inner ring and the outer raceway is located on the surface of the outer ring. The raceways provide a smooth track and unstopped motion for the balls.
The smooth motion of ball bearings allows for ease of movement. Ball bearings reduce the amount of friction between an object, which allows for heavier objects to be moved more easily. For this reason, ball bearings are commonly used in assembly lines and as part of a conveyor belt system where they can be used individually or with a spacer to create a long assembly line. However, ball bearing manufacturers can also be found in engines or on skate boards and inline skates, and are often used when rotary motion is needed.
Ball bearings encounter and react to two types of loads. A bearing used in a rotating bar stool is subject to a thrust load, which comes from the weight of the person sitting on the stool. Radial load, however, is experienced by a bearing used as part of a conveyer or pulley system, which gives a bearing a consistent rotating tension that comes from the belt or pulley. Most ball bearings are capable of handling both thrust and radial loads. But specific design allows for certain bearings to handle differing proportions of each load type based on for what the bearing is used.
Ball bearings are typically made out of steel or ceramic, and may require some type of lubrication in order to operate correctly. The most common lubricant for ball bearings is grease. Recent improvements in lubrication have added long life to ball bearings. This also cuts down on the need for replacement and maintenance. Although most ball bearings are sealed and will not require additional grease, some come with a grease cup and need to occasionally be re-greased. The ball bearing manufacturers and providers of ball bearings have a wide variety of sizes and dimensions of bearings to choose from as well as load capacity strength.
