The purpose of mechanical bearings is to lower the friction between moving parts and restrict relative motion. Out of these, ball bearings take a much significant place in the hierarchy as they are found to be resilient in handling a number of situations quite successfully. But there are occasions when these bearings do not get to live to the fullest potential.

In this read, we’re going to talk about some of the reasons why your mechanicalwearing will wear out faster, or basically function in the worst way.

Radial and axial clearance problems

You could dismantle a mechanical ball bearing and notice how much of a limited space is there for the bearing to function. But this is when the bearing exposed to the room temperature. When they’re used in the intended places, you need to understand that the temperature is going to much higher.

When metals are exposed to that much heat, they expand, and if the bearing didn’t have radial and axial clearance issues, they’re going to wear off extremely fast.

High friction of the ball cage

The metallic balls in between the two rings are not glued to them; they have to move in order to implement the intended purpose. But they won’t stay inside the rings if there weren’t any holding piece. This is where the ball cage comes in to play.

Most of the second hand products have a high friction ball cage and that lowers the friction reduction of the system. That’s another reason why a ball bearing wouldn’t last long.

Improper type of the bearing used

We know how there are 3 major types of ball bearings such as radial, angel, and axial based on the contact, and rolling element bearings further can be divided into ball and roller ones depending on the load direction. Ball bearings can be categorized to either single or double ball bearing as well.

As you can see, there’s a great variety of ball bearings for sale. If you didn’t used the right type as recommend by the seller, you can’t really expect them to last with the best quality, can you?

Uncovered bearings (in special conditions)

There are some occasions where ball bearings work in quite dusty and greasy environments. The longer they exposed to these environments, the shorter will be their lifespan. This is why some ball bearings have plastic or metallic coverings in between the rings. That’s the best way to cover the metallic balls while getting the job fulfilled in the best possible way.

The best solution

The best solution for this is choosing a reliable online store where the price is lower with the same quality you’d find in high priced physical shops and follow the recommendation of the seller. In case the seller can’t provide an answer, it’s better to discuss it with the automation or mechanical engineer of the department. That way, you can buy the best replacement products and ensure to use them for a longer time.