Bearing clearance

Internal Clearance
Internal clearance is the play within a ball bearing. It is the geometrical clearance between the inner ring, outer ring and ball. It is a critical factor in bearing selection that will directly impact bearing life. It is often overlooked, particularly as to how it is reduced by interference fits. Radial clearance is the play between the ball and raceway perpendicular to the bearing axis. Axial clearance is the play parallel to the bearing axis and is typically at least 10 times greater than the radial clearance. Generally, internal radial clearance will be reduced 80% of the interference fit amount. Too little or too much internal clearance will significantly influence factors such as heat, vibration, noise, and fatigue life. In extreme applications that see high or low temperatures this clearance needs to be considered in the overall design to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of housings and shafts. Selecting Bearing Clearance (General guidelines) Operating Condition Clearance fit on both inner and outer ring. Low to no axial loading. No preload. Low speeds. Little tolerance for play. Low temperature. Low torque. Standard loads. Light preload. Slight interference fit on inner or outer ring, not both. Low to medium speeds. Average temperature. Very low torque. High loads. Heavy interference fits. High temperature. Preloaded. Clearance C2 CN C3,C4,C5

Internal clearance

The internal clearance of a ball bearing is composed of a radial component, the radial clearance, and an axial component, the axial clearance. Both clearances are determined before assembly and zero load. The operational clearance is the residual radial clearance after assembly at normal working conditions of the ball bearing. The radial clearance corresponds to the relative radial displacement under no load of one ring compared to the other.

The radial clearance is not considered a quality criteria. A radial clearance, which is not correctly adapted to the fit on the shaft and on the housing nor to the operational conditions, may have an influence over the behavior and service life of the bearing. The normal radial clearance CN is defined in order to get a final, requested positive clearance after assembly in normal adjustment and operating conditions. Other standardized clearances are ranged into classes according to the following designations: C2 Clearance smaller than CN CN (C0) Normal clearance C3 Clearance greater than CN C4 Clearance greater than C3

Bore size (mm) d

More than 24 30 40 50 65 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 225 250 280 315 355 400 450 Up to 24 30 40 50 65 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 225 250 280 315 355 400 450 500 Min. 0 0 5 5 10 10 15 15 15 20 25 35 45 45 55 55 65 100 110 110

Radial bearing clearance (microns) C2

Max. 25 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 70 75 90 105 110 125 130 145 190 210 220 Min. 20 20 25 30 40 40 50 50 60 70 75 90 105 110 125 130 145 190 210 220

CN
Max. 45 45 50 60 70 75 85 90 105 120 125 145 165 175 195 205 225 280 310 330 Min. 35 35 45 50 60 65 75 85 100 115 120 140 160 170 190 200 225 280 310 330

C3
Max. 60 60 70 80 90 100 110 125 145 165 170 195 220 235 260 275 305 370 410 440 Min. 50 50 60 70 80 90 105 125 145 165 170 195 220 235 260 275 305 370 410 440

C4
Max. 75 75 85 100 110 125 140 165 190 215 220 250 280 300 330 350 385 460 510 550

Normalized Radial Clearance

Load high radial

Speed

Temperature

C2

low

normal, stable

Fit free on shaft

Friction Torque

Noise

Axial Clearance

medium

low

low

Clearance close to zero, operation and noise normal N2 Low load - low to medium speed - normal, stable temperature

C3 C4

medium axial high axial

low very high

OR IR OR IR, high

tight very tight

low low

higher higher

medium important

Additional information

The use of paired bearings is recommended if a very small axial clearance is required Increasing the radial clearance (C3, C4) leads to an increase of the admissible
misalignment angle, which allows to absorb some misalignment

The axial clearance corresponds to the maximum axial displacement of one ring compared to the other ring under no load. It depends on the radial clearance and on the internal construction of the bearing. The axial clearance may be adjusted by modifying the raceway radius. The use of paired ball bearings allows one to precisely control the axial clearance. In the WIB bearing designation, the axial clearance may be specified with the code X followed by the maximum value in m. Example : 608 Z Y P5X50 indicates a maximum axial clearance of 50 m. The angle of contact is determined by the line going through the contact points of the balls in the raceway and a line which is perpendicular to the bearing axis. This is in a position of maximum axial displacement of one ring compared to the other. The angle of contact depends on the radial clearance and the raceway radius and will be slightly increased by applying an axial load. The greater the angle of contact , the more the bearing will support high axial loads.

The misalignment angle of a bearing is defined by the variation of the angular position of one ring compared to the other. The value of this angle depends on the radial clearance, the raceway radius and the internal construction of the ball bearing. It should be noted that an angle that is too large can increase the noise level.

Radial clearance explained

Virtually all rolling element bearings are designed with a specific internal clearance. The internal clearance is defined as the total clearance between the rings and the rolling elements. This clearance provides:

Free rotation of rolling element Compensation for thermal expansion Optimum load distribution

Selecting the correct internal clearance is important because bearings hold the rotating parts of a mechanism in proper position across the entire performance envelope of the application. The amount of internal clearance can influence:

Noise Vibration Heat build-up Fatigue life

Vibration, interface fits and temperature will also have some affect on internal clearance. To obtain the optimal internal clearance for a specific application, these parameters must be taken into consideration. In certain applications, the correct choice of clearance for the bearings is critical. Internal clearance can be separated into two categories:

Radial Axial

The total internal clearance is the amount that one ring can be displaced relative to the other ring, either radially or axially. The radial clearance is the total clearance between the raceway and the rolling elements - measured normal to the bearing axis. The clearance changes with the expansion or contraction of the bearing rings. The axial clearance is the total amount that one ring can be displaced relative to the other in an axial direction. In ball bearings, as the radial clearance increases, the axial clearance increases as well. The more room between the balls and the rings (radial clearance), the more the elements can shift in relation to each other. Generally, internal clearances are designated from C1 (the tightest) through to C5 (the loosest or largest). The 'normal' clearance is CN, a range sitting between C2 and C3. It is worth noting that if the bearing clearance is not stated in the

bearing reference it can be assumed to be normal clearance. With a higher clearance there is more tolerance of thermal expansion effects on the rings and rolling elements. When noise and vibration must be restricted, lower clearances are necessary. Ultimately the specific application and operating conditions determine the appropriate internal clearance. For example, paper-drying machines that operate under hot conditions usually need C3 and C4 clearances. The severe vibration in vibrating screens normally means that C3 and C4 clearances are required. Selection of the correct radial internal clearance group is by calculation and you should refer to your bearing manufacturers handbook. Factors to be assessed include:

Expansion of the inner ring due to interference fit on shaft Contraction of the outer ring due to interference fit in the housing Differential temperature between the inner and outer rings Differential expansions due to non-ferrous mountings

In addition to the ISO clearances, manufacturers such as NSK also offer specific clearances for electric motors known as CM clearance. This class includes a tighter noise specification. The CM clearance falls within the range of the CN clearance. Some motor manufacturers specify CM clearance where closer radial internal clearance helps reduce noise. C3 clearance, which is frequently used in the aftermarket, is greater than the CN and CM clearances. Contact us now and let us show you exactly what we can do for you. ARN Trading Ltd t/a AHR International 2010 All rights reserved

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RADIAL INTERNAL CLEARANCE AND AXIAL INTERNAL CLEARANCE

The axial internal clearance is established from the ball diameter, outer and inner ring raceway radius and the radial internal clearance. Usually it is about 10 times the value of the internal radial clearance. Selection of a small internal radial clearance or an extra large interference fit in order to reduce the internal axial clearance after mounting is not recommended.

SELECTION OF BEARING CLEARANCE

Theoretically, maximum bearing life is with very slight preload. However, even a slight increase in this theoretical preload can have a considerably detrimental effect on the bearing life. Positive clearance should therefore be selected. MC3 is usually used for miniature or small bearings, standard clearance for general bearings and the clearance for thin section bearings should never be greater than "standard". SELECTION OF RADIAL INTERNAL CLEARANCE Operating Condition Clearance

Clearance fit for inner and outer ring. Low MC1,MC2,C2 axial load. No axial load carrying requirement. Select bearing with reduced radial clearance. Lower vibration and noise. Low speeds. Lower frictional torque. Standard axial load. Average axial load carrying requirements. MC3,MC4,CN(C0)

Slight interference fit for inner ring. Clearance fit for outer ring. Average/low speeds. Extremely low frictional torque. High axial load. High axial load carrying requirements. Heavy interfence fit to support high loads or shock loads. Large temperature gradient from inner ring to outer ring. High degree of shaft deflection. MC5,MC6,C3,C4,C5

CALCULATION OF CLEARANCE

(1)RUNNING CLEARANCE Running clearance is the resultant clearance after load, temperature difference and fitting are taken into consideration.

(2) CLEARANCE REDUCTION BY TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER RING In a bearing, the highest temperature is generated in the rolling element followed by the inner ring, with the outer ring having the lowest temperature. Since it is impossible to measure the temperature of a rolling element, in practice, the temperature of the inner ring is used.

(3) CLEARANCE REDUCTION BY FITTING When a bearing is fitted onto a shaft or into a housing with an interference fit, the internal clearance of the bearing reduces.

(4)CLEARANCE INCREASE BY LOAD Load on a bearing deforms it elastically and increases the internal clearance.

The initial contact angle two formulae:

o a is calculated from the following

SYMBOLS

General Bearing

C=0.00218 m=0.525

Instrument Bearing C=0.00287 m=0.560