Angular Contact Ball Bearings

Introduction to angular contact ball bearings

• The angular contact ball bearing is a bearing with a contact angle, and its contact angle determines its ability to withstand axial load. Under normal circumstances, the greater its contact angle, the greater the axial load that it can withstand. This bearing can support higher speeds and axial loads due to its increased contact angle. In addition, the angular contact with the inside and outside circles of the bearing of the ball can have relative displacement on the horizontal axis, which allows it to restrict the shaft or shell in the two directions in the range of the axial gap to avoid the occurrence of the additional axial force. 

• Angular contact ball bearing include inner and outer rings with rolling lanes, allowing for relative displacement along their axis. This bearing type is particularly suitable for the negative load affected by a composite load, that is, radial and axis. The tolerance of the angular of the axial load of the angular contact is increased with the increase of contact angle α. The angle is between the radial plane's contact point line and the bearing axis's vertical line.

• The structure of the angular contact with the ball bearings

• The structure of the angular contact ball bearings includes four main parts: inner ring, outer ring, sphere, and holding frame.

• Inner ring: The inner ring is the inner side of the bearings, which usually cooperates closely with the shaft. It is usually still; that is, it does not rotate with the rotation shaft.

• Outer ring: The outer ring of the angular contact ball bearing is the outer side of the bearing, usually the part of the shaft box or the bearing seat. The outer ring is usually fixed and rolling contact with the inner ring.

• Sphere: The sphere is a rolling element in the bearing, which forms contact points with the inner and outer rings. The sphere's shape and size determine the bearings' performance and load capacity.

• Keeping the shelf: The rack is another important part of the bearing. It keeps the spheres in the correct position to roll freely in the bearings.

• Some angular contact ball bearings with special designs, such as double-row and single-row angular contact ball bearings. The double-row angular contact ball bearings have two inner and two outer rings, while the single-row angular ball bearings have only one inner and one outer ring. These designs enable these bearings to withstand higher loads and higher speeds.

• Classification of angular contact ball bearings

• Angular contact balls can be divided into:

• Single-row angular contact ball bearings: Single-row angular can only withstand axial loads in one direction. When this type of bearing is affected by pure radial load, the rolling load line and radial load are not in the same radial plane and generate internal axial separation force, so it must be installed and used.

• Double-row angular contact ball bearings: The design principle of the double-row angular contact ball bearings is the same as that of the single-row angular contact but only takes up a smaller axial space. Dual-row-angular contact ball bearings can withstand radial-axial loads, act in two directions, and withstand overturning torque. They usually have high rigidity and operating performance in the bearing configuration.

• Four-point contact ball bearings: Four-point contact ball bearings are separate. It can also be said that a set of bearings can withstand the angle of the ball bearings that can withstand bidirectional axial loads. The inner and outer ring rolling roads are peach-type cross-sections. When the load is not carried or pure radial, the steel ball and the sleeve circle appear as four-point contact.

• Materials of angular contact ball bearings

• The main materials of angular contact ball bearings include bearing steel and ceramics.

• Bearing steel is the main material of angle contact with the ball bearings. Specifically, it is mainly GCR15 steel. This steel has high strength, high wear resistance, good high-temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, and it is very suitable for making angular contact ball bearings. In addition, some special use bearings, such as high-temperature bearings, may need to be used in other special materials, such as high-temperature bearing steel.

• In addition to bearing steel, some special applications also use ceramic materials as the main materials for bearing. Ceramic materials have high hardness and strength, good anti-fatigue properties, and excellent abrasion and corrosion resistance. However, this material also has its limitations. For example, its brittleness is large and must be handled cautiously.

• In general, the choice of angular contact ball bearings needs to be determined according to the needs and conditions of the specific application.

• Application of angular contact ball bearings

The angular contact ball bearings can withstand the radial and axial load at the same time. They can be adjusted according to the contact angle so that the axial load is greater or the high-speed rotation performance is better. This bearing type is usually made with high accuracy and is widely used in NC machine tools, flywheels, motors, textile machinery, and other equipment.