There are a variety of different designs and applications for ball bearings, and their design is specific to their industrial application and load type. Some common designs of ball bearings include:

GGB's Engineered Plastic Polymer bearings provide excellent wear resistance and low friction in both dry and lubricated operating conditions over a wide range of applications. Engineered plastic bearings are made from thermoplastic bearing material processed by injection moulding. This production method enables us to produce unlimited dimensions in accordance to our standard, and also parts with special designs and features.

Ultrasonic monitoring is especially cost-effective when it’s applied together with vibration analysis (some sensors capture both things) and infrared thermography. Airborne and structure-borne ultrasound are gaining traction as good options to detect ‘stress waves’ on rotating machinery. Other methods include the backscatter technique and backwall echo attenuation.

Apart from ECT, there are other techniques such as pulsed eddy currents, remote and near field eddy currents, and saturated low-frequency eddy currents testing, eddy current array, magnetic particle inspection, magnetic flux leakage, and metal magnetic memory. These techniques seem especially fit for nonferrous, conductive materials like tubes, condensers, boilers, and aircraft surfaces.

Bimetal and metal bearings offer excellent corrosion resistance in industrial outdoor applications and in water, marine and offshore environments. GGB offers a broad range of sizes, forms and materials in monometallic and bimetallic bearings.

GGB's Fiber Reinforced Composite products typically consists of a filament-wound, fiberglass-impregnated, epoxy backing with a variety of low-friction wear-resistant bearing linings. These self-lubricating fiber reinforced composite bearings are particularly effective in applications where the relative motion is not sufficient to promote circulation of the oil or grease used with more conventional bearings. GGB Fiber Reinforced Composite bearings are available as bushes, plates, bearing segments and special forms, depending on the particular material type.

The excellent low friction and high wear resistance performance of GGB metal-polymer bearings make them ideal for hundreds of applications in numerous and diverse industries. Depending upon application requirements, metal-polymer composite bearings can be produced in many shapes and sizes.

Whatis bearing

Ball bearings use balls to separate two “races,” or bearing rings, to reduce surface contact and friction across moving planes. The rotation of the balls causes a reduced coefficient of friction when compared with flat surfaces rubbing against each other. Because there is little surface contact between the balls and races, ball bearings typically have a lower load capacity for their size than other rolling-element bearings.

Vibration analysis is one of the most well-known predictive maintenance methods. It can detect misalignments, imbalances, and wear about 3 months before they cause a breakdown. It’s also an opportunity to improve energy consumption, since misaligned water pumps, for example, spend up to 15% more energy. Vibration measurement is also heavily featured in ISO 22096.

Electromagnetic measurement shouldn’t be confused with electrical monitoring. Electromagnetic monitoring measures magnetic field distortions to spot cracks, dents, corrosion, weaknesses, and other defects (e.g. thinning). Perhaps, the most prominent method of electromagnetic condition monitoring is eddy-current testing (ECT), which is used in the petrochemical industry to detect tight cracks.

Thermography studies the heat and radiation patterns in machines. Data analysis does the rest, spotting patterns that indicate failure or degradation. It has a wide array of applications, including detecting misalignment, imbalances, improper lubrication, wear, and stress in mechanical parts. In electrical equipment, it identifies overheating, pipe leaks, and pressure vessel weaknesses.

When it comes to predictive maintenance, two of the biggest “barriers to entry” are the investment it requires and the difficulty in developing algorithms. But the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) brought about a big change in the industry. Condition monitoring sensors and devices are now connected to maintenance platforms, providing real-time data.

Vibration analysis condition monitoring techniques include shock pulse analysis (e.g. for rotating equipment), fast fourier analysis, broadband vibration analysis (e.g. to detect bearing wear), ultrasonic analysis (e.g. to detect leaks), power spectral density, time waveform analysis (e.g. for machines with X-Y probes), and spectrograms.

Types of bearing with diagram

Types ofbearingsand their applications

Ball bearing sizes vary according to their use. The width of the bearing also depends on the application. For example, thin section bearings are used in situations where space is at a premium. The difference between the diameter of the outside and inside races and width is minimized, allowing for compact designs.

Motor circuit analysis, also known as MCA testing, assesses the condition of electric motors. It can be used to analyse the motor’s condition (including rotors, coupling/ belt problems, power quality), electric imbalances, and insulation. More than preventing failures, MCA can be used to cut energy costs and improve equipment efficiency by 10-15%.

Get to know our platform and finally take full control of your operation, ensure compliance with regulations and boost your team’s productivity!

GGB’s TriboU is intended to provide the ​working engineer, who may or may not be a ​user of GGB’s surface engineered solutions, to ​understand and implement basic tribological ​concepts in the design, manufacture and ​use of industrial equipment.

A little over 53% of all accidental domestic fires in the UK are electrical fires. Likewise, electricity is one of the biggest reasons behind injuries and fatalities at work. Preventing electrical failures with close monitoring not only avoids breakdowns but also improves safety. This includes tests to assess resistance, induction, capacitance, pulse response, frequency response, and degradation.

Engineered as a solution to conquer misalignment reduction when high demands are placed on bearings, GGB's UNI, MINI and EXALIGN® self-aligning shaft bearing assemblies offer improved equipment performance under standard bearing assemblies by reducing stress and friction. Offering superior performance in a wide variety of applications, GGB's self-aligning assemblies are available in both standard and custom configurations.

Condition monitoring starts with basic inspections. Small changes, like abnormal heat or pressure, strange sounds, excessive vibration or a different smell, are often signs that something is going haywire. However, condition monitoring techniques vary from the simplest inspections to cutting-edge technology.

3 main types ofbearings

Infrared thermography, in particular, has become a popular method for predictive maintenance and non-destructive testing. A 2013 study found that infrared thermography was extremely effective in improving safety, reducing “dangerous points” – and potential failure causes – by 90%. Overall, thermography reduces risk, prevents failures, and decreases costs and losses.

Bearing definition engineering

This new connectivity is both more affordable and easier to implement than predictive maintenance. Real-time data allows managers to adjust their preventive maintenance plans, while also providing increased reliability. At the same time, AI can process this data to recognise patterns, which is one of the most promising advances for digitally-enabled reliability.

GGB has been putting the world in motion for over 120 years with industry-leading tribological bearings, coatings and assemblies. From Polymer Coatings and Metal-Polymer bearings to Fiber Reinforced Composite bearings and self-aligning shaft bearing assemblies, our solutions are specifically designed to reduce friction and optimize performance and durability.

Oil analysis applies to machine oils, lubricants and fluids. It can detect wear, overheating, and contamination. High levels of iron, for example, often indicate dirt and grit. Spotted on time, this reduces gearbox failures by 50%. Avoiding contamination decreases bearing failure by 75%. Another Canadian study suggested the return on investment for oil analysis is 20:1.

Types ofbearingspdf

GGB tribological solutions move the industrial world one step closer to the future. Our products are used in tens of thousands of critical applications every day—around the planet. Our goal is to provide reliable, maintenance-free surface solutions for almost any application—no matter where those demands take our products.

Tribology is the science of wear, friction and lubrication, and encompasses how interacting surfaces and other tribo-elements behave in relative motion in natural and artificial systems. This includes bearing design and lubrication.

It makes sense, however, to talk about real-time condition monitoring even without a predictive maintenance programme. There are dozens of condition monitoring techniques and counting. Some are more costly than others, but we haven’t found one that does not provide good value for money.

8 types of bearing

There are dozens of condition monitoring techniques and counting. Some are more costly than others, but we haven’t found one that does not provide good value for money.

Laser interferometers measure changes to calculate displacement based on laser-generated wavelengths. They are used in condition monitoring to identify surface and subsurface defects like corrosion and cavities. Interferometry includes laser shearography, laser ultrasonics, strain mapping, electronic speckle pattern interferometry, and digital holography.

Rolling-element bearings are used to ensure smooth, efficient operation in many machines with rotary motion—from car wheels, engines and turbines to medical equipment. A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that serves three main functions while it facilitates motion: it carries loads, reduces friction and positions moving machine parts.

What are bearings used forin a car

GGB's diverse polymer coating solutions encompass some of the most state-of-the-art coating technologies available. Our TriboShield®  product line includes seven standard formulations that cover the full spectrum of mechanical, thermal and chemical capabilities offered by today's coating materials. They can also be applied to nearly any surface, regardless of shape or material, making their potential almost endless. And when it comes to working with and enhancing the performance of your existing bearing and polymer coatings solutions, our TriboMate product line is specifically designed to be paired up— all leading to enhanced performance.

Hopefully, you can spot changes in the usual patterns in time to prevent a breakdown, save on reactive maintenance, and extend your asset’s lifespan. But you can only enjoy these benefits if you choose the right condition monitoring techniques for your equipment and operation.

GGB seeks out collaborative, long-term relationships with each one of our customers. Our diverse expertise gives us a deep understanding of the challenges you face.  When you partner with us early, our GGB engineering team is able to review your assemblies and make sure both the bearing and surrounding components are optimized for performance and cost-effectiveness.

At GGB, we aren’t afraid to take risks for our customers. We are passionate about the work we do and believe that same passion contributes to the level of innovation that can enhance human potential. We take pride in working closely with customers in the early stage of a design to think broadly and boldly, and to expand beyond traditional surface engineered solutions. We offer reliable partnerships based on trust, compassion, determination, collaboration and respect.

If you want to prevent these failures, there are several oil analysis methods available: ferrography, water presence tests, viscosity tests, ICP/ spectroscopy, dielectric strength test, microbial analysis, iron content (particle quantification index), infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, potentiometric titration (total acid number/ total base number), and sediment tests. Did we miss anything?

Like thermography, radiography (including radiation analysis and neutron radiography) is a very thorough method of non-destructive testing. Imaging allows technicians to inspect internal defects, such as corrosion in sintered parts and flaws in welding. However, the main advantage is that it can be used in all types of materials, provided technicians protect themselves.

Electrical condition monitoring techniques include megohmmeter testing, high potential or dielectric withstand test (e.g. to determine if the insulation is in good condition), power signature analysis (to test current and voltage), battery impedance testing, surge and hipot testing (also to detect insulation flaws) and, to some extent, motor circuit analysis too.

We’ve already mentioned ultrasonic analysis a while back (missed it? Read “vibration analysis” again), but it deserves a place of its own on this list. Ultrasonic monitoring uses high-frequency sound waves to catch leaks, parts seating, and cavitations, which can reduce inspections by 30%.

So, regardless of your ability to implement a predictive maintenance plan right away, condition monitoring is valuable on its own.

Condition-based maintenance, of course, overlaps with predictive maintenance. Tracking asset behaviour is a big part of predictive maintenance – the collected data provides the basis to discover trends and perfect algorithms.

The materials used in ball bearings depend on their application. The vast majority of ball bearings are made from steel. Other material types include stainless steel bearings for improved corrosion resistance and hybrid ball bearings for which ceramic balls are the moving parts of the bearing between the inner and outer races to reach high rotational speeds.