1 Ball Bearing, 7 Pieces, 2 Billion Varieties

At first glance, the design of a ball bearing is clear: an inner ring is mounted with an outer ring, the appropriate balls and retainer. Then, the ball bearing is combined with the lubricant adapted to the requirements of use and, if necessary, a shield to protect against contamination.

Due to the numerous rules and recommendations for installation in the bearing area, the external dimensions of the different ball bearing manufacturers differ only in nuances. The large differences are evident in the internal values ​​of the ball bearing, the materials used for the rings and seals, the number of balls and their diameter, the surface structure and the precision of the profile, as well as the lubricant used.

350,000 RPM separable ball bearing GRW has, as required, three different materials to choose from for ball bearing rings. You can choose between 100Cr6, X65Cr13 (SS) or X35CrMoN15-1 (SV30).

Regardless of whether the customer's focus is on hardness, operating temperature or corrosion resistance, in the hardening process developed by GRW, the desired properties can be specifically invoked and implemented in the internal hardening workshop. In order to obtain additional functional properties of the bearing ring, coatings can also be provided.
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For a long time, GRW has invested significant development effort in the coating of ball bearings. The objective of this development is, among other things, to improve tribological behavior or increase corrosion resistance. Whether as a dry lubricant to increase dry running properties or for high vacuum use, GRW offers the best solution for every requirement, with now more than 90 different coating varieties. The most recent development in this area is a hybrid band of metal and plastic (patent: EP000001832765B1). In this way, a metal band is coated with a thin and solid PTFE sheet and then formed into a steel tape retainer. Due to the low coefficients of PTFE friction, ball bearings with the lowest friction moments and excellent dry running life can be achieved with this retention liner.

In addition, the most recent procedures are used through PVD (physical vapor deposition) or CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and meet the highest standards of coating quality. An unwanted dissolution of the coating will result in a serious early bearing failure. Therefore, all coating varieties are subject to strict GRW standards and quality tests.

Torlon Snap Retainer The retainer must hold the balls at the same distance from each other and avoid touching each other. In addition, the retainer must have an appropriate design with defined material strengths and balanced elasticity, to withstand the ball bearing load as well as possible.

In addition to the strict tolerance specifications for GRW ball bearing rings with respect to surface finish, shape accuracy and steel purity, the same requirements apply to the design and production of the retainer. There are 3 basic variants for retainers: inner ring, outer ring or ball-controlled retainer. 

These basic types can be combined with 21 different materials. The material selection covers the entire range, from metal tapes for steel tape retainers to special aviation and spaceflight materials, to chemically coupled “PAI - PTFE-cg” plastic for heavy applications for applications with the most high standards of wear behavior, temperature resistance and sterilization capacity.
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Lubricants serve to reduce friction and wear, as well as cooling, shock absorption, sealing effect and corrosion protection. Lubrication can be carried out using greases or oils and / or in special cases solid lubricants. All 3 types are recovered in GRW products. The installation situation of the ball bearing is crucial for the selection of a suitable lubricant. Grease lubrication is recommended for general use at low to medium speeds and, therefore, is the most commonly used type of lubrication. The main part of the lubricating grease consists of base oil and the smallest part consists of the appropriate thickener. The lubrication of the bearings is mainly done with base oil, which releases the thickener in small amounts over time. GRW uses lime soaps, natron soaps, lithium soaps and complex soapy fats.

Oil lubrication is used if grease lubrication cannot be used for technical or economic reasons. This may be the case with high operating temperatures, caused by ambient temperature or frictional heat in the ball bearing. The oils are divided into mineral and synthetic oils. Animal or vegetable oils are not suitable or only suitable to some extent for use in ball bearings. In total, more than 400 lubricants are used in GRW and, therefore, cover a large area of ​​use, from the food industry to aviation and spaceflight.

Various types of shileds in ball bearings Finally, the shield is mounted on the ball bearing as the last component. This should keep the impurities away from the high precision functional surfaces of the bearing and, therefore, produce as little friction as possible. On the other hand, this should keep the lubricant in the bearing. Impurities that get between the ball and the raceway will tip over and damage the processed tracks. To avoid this, contactless protectors and contact protectors are offered, with various sealing qualities.
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With contactless protectors there is no increase in torque, since the protector creates a separation ring. It does not produce friction and, therefore, can be used even at the highest speeds.

With the contact protector, the so-called ball bearing seal touches the shoulder of the inner ring with a defined contact pressure and, therefore, causes a greater moment of friction. Compared to contactless protectors, all contact protectors will wear out over time. Dust protectors are mainly produced from stainless steel or Perbunan rubber reinforced with steelsheets. The established seals are made of a fiberglass reinforced Teflon disc or a synthetic fluorine rubber reinforced with steel sheets. In total there are 63 shield variants to choose from.
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At GRW, individual products are made of these components for the customer's special requirements. Due to a sensible combination strategy of standard and special components, GRW can satisfy the most diverse market requirements and guarantee our customers a competitive advantage.

The extensive and competent advice and design of a ball bearing are the prerequisites for the highest compliance with the established requirements. Even in the development phase of new applications, GRW engineers can provide valuable technical information and, for the most part, also cost savings.