An Overview about Ceramic Bearings and Its Applications

May 9, 2021

Bearings are often used to support the operations of machines, especially when it comes to constraining their relative motion to only the desired motion. What makes bearings vital to different kinds of machines is that they can reduce the friction between their moving parts. They can likewise support the shaft that moves inside these machines, allowing them to operate without expecting any problems along the way.

Industries that use bearings can choose from a wide variety of options, which are classified based on their operations, motions allowed, and directions of the loads that are being applied to their parts. Aside from these factors, industries also have the option to choose the material of their bearings. Some operations may benefit from bearings that are made from stainless steel, while others can take advantage of carbon alloy bearings. Bearings made of ceramic materials can also be utilised by select industries.

A General Overview of Ceramic Bearings

While a lot of industries take advantage of bearings that are made from either stainless steel or carbon alloy, others can truly benefit from using ceramic bearings.

Ceramic bearings can be comprised of either full ceramic materials or a combination of different materials, particularly steel and rubber. With ceramic bearings, industries can effectively maintain lower friction and higher speed throughout their operations. Even their acceleration can be sustained for a long time. Ceramic bearings also boast increased stiffness.

Common Materials of Ceramic Bearings

Compared to other materials, ceramic bearing balls typically have a longer service life given that they are typically made from ceramic silicon nitride. They also have smoother surface finishes, better thermal properties, higher spin rates, lighter weight, and faster operations. Aside from silicon nitride, ceramic bearings can also be produced out of zirconia oxide, which boasts effective electrical insulation, low thermal conductivity, high resistance to corrosion and acids, and resistance to temperatures.

Ceramic bearings can also be created out of multiple materials, classifying them under the hybrid bearing category. The cage of hybrid bearings can be created out of nylon, copper, or polytetrafluoroethylene, while their ceramic bearing balls can be made from either silicon nitride or zirconia oxide. The rings of the bearings are usually made from chrome. The sealing, ultimately, can be generated out of rubber.

Main Applications of Ceramic Bearings

Bearings that are made from full ceramic materials can be effective in industries that generate non-corrosive, non-conductive, and non-magnetic applications. Some of the applications that can take advantage of full ceramic bearings include chemical baths, food processing operations, radiotherapy, and semiconductor manufacturing. 

Hybrid ceramic bearings, on the other hand, can be great in applications that require higher speeds, lower friction, and longer service life. Some notable applications of hybrid ceramic bearings include aerospace operations, automotive processes, laboratory works, underwater applications, and many more. For more information about ceramic bearings, feel free to contact us at Global Bearing Imports.

Optimized by: Netwizard SEO