How are spherical bearings manufactured? 3

[jhyder]

Don't ask me why, but today at work I started wondering how the heck a spherical bearing is manufactured? I started digging around on the internet, but so far I haven't come up with any info. I also searched through all of my college text books, but still didn't find any info. So my question is this...how the heck do they make them? I can't figure out how you would get the sphere inside the race without damaging something!

I hope someone can shed some light on this, because it's one of those things that's going to drive me nuts until I find the answer.

 

[CRG]

Install bearings in outer race with all ball stacked to one side. Slip the inner race in place. Then install the cage that keeps the balls space evenly around the races. I have never assembled a ball bearing; however, this is how I think they are assembled.

 

[MintJulep]

I'm thinking that the ball is positioned inside a clearance hole in the blank for the holder and the holder is cold formed around the ball to the final shape.

Can't find anything to confirm this however.

 

[Kenneth]

MintJulip is correct. See Figure 4 on page 4 at

http://www.nhbb.com/assets/pdfs/catalog/AstroEng.pdf

for an example...

 

[MikeHalloran]

CRG is correct about the assembly of "Conrad type" ball bearings. Higher capacity ball bearings with more balls are made with 'filling grooves', or with split races held together by mating parts. Both are uncommon.

However, the original question was about "spherical rod end bearings"; surely some are made as MintJulep conjectured and Kenneth confirmed. Some are made without coldforming, and have a slot arranged so that the truncated ball can be inserted crossways and then reoriented. Some are made with multipiece housings joined by cold forming. And some are clearly made by injecting the plastic liner in a molten state.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[rorschach]

Depending on the size, it is possible that the inner and outer races might be elastically deformed to allow insertion of the inner race into the outer by pressing them in while oriented at 90 degrees to each other.

 

[fwc]

Due to manufacturing variation, the outer rings, inner rings and the rolling elements of bearings are measured and matched before they are assembled. The accuracy is in microns.
Therefore, it is not advisable for a general user to know the method of bearing assembly/disassembly as he might end up mix-matching the components.

 

[MikeHalloran]

It's "not advisable for a general user to know" how to put a bearing together?

You think _we_ are 'general users'?



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[fwc]

Mike,

You think _we_ are 'general users'?

Of course not!

Please bear in mind that anyone can access this website.

 

[franzh]

Lesson learned when we were undertaking a feasibility study on CV joint rebuilding in the early 80's. The machined grooves accepted any of the balls in the cage, and most cages were able to be tilted enough to get all of the balls in. The reman CV joint survived for a while, but ultimately, when it broke, it broke "good". We only researched bearings and races that passed the visual deformity, corrosion, pitting test, and with all balls measured for consistency. No attempt was made to keep the balls in the same slot.
Franz

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[franzh]

That one didnt come out like I planned. What I was trying to say was these joints were precision machined and simply swapping the balls around put undue stresses on the cage and singular balls, leading to rapid failure. All in all, CRG, for never have seen an assembly is correct.
Also, I didnt see anything about a sepherical rod end, only sepherical bearing, like the common ball bearing. BTW, that was an excellent link for the sepherical rod end.
Franz

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[diskullman]

If you are asking about the single spherical bearing or spherical ball bushing, many times the outer race is cracked, so the inner ball can be pressed inside.