In the world of heavy-duty machinery and engineered parts, bearings are a component whose importance should never be overlooked

Bearings are responsible for the movement, and therefore functionality, of machinery. In order to ensure that operation is as smooth as possible, you want to make sure that the bearings you have selected for your machine are suitable. Otherwise this could lead to unwanted friction and wear & tear.

What are the different types of bearings available?

There are different bearing designs that are suited for different applications. In this article we will be covering some classifications of bearings, followed by their different applications and features that are important to be aware of before choosing the right bearing for your machine and equipment needs.

Plain bearings

These types of bearings operate on the basis of sliding friction and are commonly used for rotational and linear applications.

Plain bearings will always need some form of lubricant in order to reduce friction and whilst this can be gaseous or liquid form, most plain bearings utilise oil as a lubricant. Once the lubricant is pumped into the space in-between the bearing and the load surface, a thin film forms which separates the surfaces, thus reducing chances of wear & tear through friction. This specific type of plain bearing is known as a fluid bearing.

The function of a plain bearing is defined by the material that they are constructed from. Materials used for plain bearings can include:

Metal-polymer: allows for easy customisation to match customer specifications e.g., grooves, holes, stamped shapes etc.

Fiber reinforced composite: high-strength and stability from wound glass fibers providing the durability that is needed to support high-bearing loads; ideal for corrosive environments

Metal: improves durability of bearings whilst allowing for lower operating costs; allows for flexibility in design including thin-walled, thick-walled, cylindrical, flanged etc.

Engineered plastic: this material provides the best friction and wear resistance and does not require lubrication, minimising maintenance times and costs.

Plain bearings have a high-load capacity and reduced noise due to the absence of moving parts. Plain bearings offer also offer compensation for misalignment of machine parts and can dampen vibrations which means reduced noise during operation of machinery. Plain bearings are also the cheapest of the lot, with a low initial and overall cost.

Roller bearings

These bearings are made out of 2 rings with rolling elements placed in-between; a cage is used to keep the rolling elements at an equal distance from each other to avoid disruption.  We supply a variety of roller bearings at Jaytrac, such as:

Spherical roller bearings: these bearings are commonly used for radial and axial loads, this can include conveyors for heavy-duty machinery, gear boxes and even bridges and cranes.

Needle roller bearings: these are ideal bearings to use when there is a not a lot of space available as they are quite compact; they can operate at very high speeds which finds them commonly being used in gear boxes and air craft control equipment.

Tapered bearings: these bearings are designed to handle radial and axial loads simultaneously so can easily help with directional loading and can support heavy thrust movement.

Ball bearings

Ball bearings are similar to roller bearings in the sense that they both having moving parts but there are differences between them that should be acknowledged. For example, ball bearings are better suited for high-speed applications.

Ball bearings have a smaller contact area and higher point loads due to their design which helps them to accommodate misalignment. Some common uses of ball bearings include:

Transmissions: Within the transmission, ball bearings facilitate smooth gear transitions

Electric motors: these benefit from the high-speeds of ball bearings without risk of heat generation

Drive Systems: providing low friction and high precision, contributing to the smooth operation of machinery

Ball bearings are manufactured in a variety of models, differentiated by the number of rolling lows and separation or lack thereof between the rings. The two main categories that ball bearings can be separated into include groove ball bearings and angular ball bearings. The former is better suited for very high-speed applications involving radial and axial loads in both directions, whereas the latter is better suited for applications involving high-precision and load capacity

We like to think that by the end of this article you feel like you know more about bearings than you probably did before. However, we will never say no to more questions.

We are proud to be suppliers of bearings for some of the biggest names in the industry of machine manufacturers, such as Caterpillar, Komatsu and Volvo. We can offer you some of the top bearing brands in the business, like Timken, SKF and FAG to name a few. If you are interested in finding out more about our range, or about any of our other products, get in touch on our contact page where you can leave us a message and a member of team will get back to you as soon as possible.