Composed of rolling elements maintaining separation between the inner and outer rings of a bearing, ball bearings allow for smooth, high-speed motion and reduced friction.
Able to sustain both radial and axial loads, they can be developed for many different applications, load types, and speeds.
Ball bearings are usually made of stainless steel, ceramic, or chrome steel, but material and overall design can vary widely depending on the specific job at hand. Flanges, cages, and multiple bearing rows can also be included to allow for higher performance in order to meet specific application needs.
Ball Bearings Types and Applications
When choosing a ball bearing for a specific application, various factors must be taken into account — including speed, load conditions, size availability, and accessibility requirements. At Emerson Bearing, we offer customers a range of ball bearings, including the following popular types:
Miniature/instrumentation
These are designed to provide reliable, high performance within small envelope dimensions for moderate radial and thrust loads at low operating torque. Miniature/instrumentation ball bearings come in sizes ranging from 1 mm/0.0400 inch inside diameter to 26 mm/0.8750 inch outside diameter. These bearings are offered in various ABEC classes, in either chrome or stainless steel. Both metric and inch styles are available.
Deep groove radial
These are used for heavy radial loads and relatively low bidirectional thrust loads. Typically employed in high-speed precision applications, deep groove radial ball bearings can be designed with enhanced metal shields or rubber seals. Multiple internal clearances, tolerance grades, and cage designs are offered to suit specific applications’ running precision and speed.
Angular contact
Single-row angular contact bearings can sustain axial, radial, and combined loads, provided the axial load is unidirectional. Designs with larger contact angles can take higher axial loads, while smaller contact-angle designs allow for high-speed operations. The bore diameter can vary from 10 mm to170 mm, and polyamide, steel, or bronze cages/retainers are available.
Ball thrust
Ideal for applications in which axial loads must be supported at high speeds, these bearings can be designed to handle axial load in both directions. Ball thrust ball bearings feature bearing rings with raceway grooves for the balls. Bore dimensions range from 10 mm to 560 mm.
Control bearings
Highly compact and able to sustain high radial loads, these are offered in both open and sealed (PTFE) designs. Cadmium plating is also available for all external surfaces except the bore. Our control bearings are certified for general commercial use, barring the airframe and aircraft industries.
Mast guide
Mast guide ball bearings have thick cross sections on the outer race, which perform as a wheel or tire — allowing the bearings to sustain occasional thrust loads and high radial loads. Several profiles are available. These bearings are typically employed in fork carriages.
V-groove bearings and wire straighteners
These bearings have angular grooves that, while typically set at 90°, can be designed in various angles and contours for different applications. These grooves can be provided on most ball bearings per customer specifications. V-groove bearings and wire straighteners are offered in inch and metric styles.