How to Thrust Ball Bearings Work

Thrust bearings are a popular type of bearing. They are designed to work with heavy loads and are often used in industrial equipment. While their design has evolved over the years, they remain essentially the same. They play a vital role in the heavy-duty industry. If you're curious about how they work, you've come to the right place.

Roller-thrust bearings

Roller-thrust bearings work by putting a thrust load on a part. This force is applied to the bearing and puts stress on the rollers. As the bearing is turned, the force is applied in a different direction. The thrust load is a force applied at an angle to the bearing.

Thrust bearings come in several designs. It is important to select the proper size for the application. The incorrect size will prevent the bearing from working. In addition, it will cause excessive vibration and loads. There are different sizes available in both standard and metric units. Once you know what you need, it is easier to determine what size roller-thrust bearings are right for your needs.

The most common use for thrust bearings is in car transmissions. The angled teeth of a helical gear generate a high thrust load. This type of bearing is designed to handle varying diameters and surface-speeds throughout the contact zone.

Magnetic thrust bearings

Magnetic thrust bearings support loads through magnetic levitation. They use two types of magnets, permanent magnets and electromagnets, to create force in a specific direction. Permanent magnets are suitable for light loads, while electromagnets are used for moderate and heavy loads. Magnetic bearings are maintenance-free and have very low friction. However, when choosing a magnetic bearing, it is important to match the geometry of the bearing with its housing allocation.

Magnetic bearings are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, including electrical power generation, petroleum refinement, machine tool operation, natural gas handling, and uranium enrichment. They are also used in Zippe-type centrifuges and turbomolecular pumps. Magnetic bearings have many advantages over traditional ball bearings, including low friction and low operating temperatures.

Active magnetic thrust bearings are especially suited to applications involving high axial forces. They also feature highly efficient permanent magnet bias and linearized control. The active magnetic thrust bearing employs two concentric ring poles to create two annular axial air gaps. The permanent magnet within the stator creates a bias flux that travels in two paths: one to the rotor and one to the stator.

Hydrodynamic bearings

Hydrodynamic thrust ball bearings use fluid film technology and consist of a rotating journal inside a sleeve or bore. The journal is filled with a film of lubricant that is variable in thickness and shape. The prime design goal of this type of bearing is to increase the load-carrying capacity at the desired speed. The film thickness must be sufficient to prevent interaction with the mating surfaces and the surface roughness must be taken into account in the design process.

Hydrodynamic bearings have two major types. The first type is the single-row design. The other type is the three-row arrangement. This design allows the ball to move up to three times faster than a standard bearing.