Detailed Product Description

To achieve satisfactory operation, self-aligning ball bearings, like all ball and roller bearings, must always be subjected to a given minimum load, particularly if they are to operate at high speeds or are subjected to high accelerations or rapid changes in the direction of load. Under such conditions the inertia forces of the balls and cage, and the friction in the lubricant, can have a detrimental influence on the rolling conditions in the bearing arrangement and may cause damaging sliding movements to occur between the balls and raceways.

The requisite minimum load to be applied to self-aligning ball bearings can be estimated using

When starting up at low temperatures or when the lubricant is highly viscous, even greater minimum loads may be required. The weight of the components supported by the bearing, together with external forces, generally exceeds the requisite minimum load. If this is not the case, the self-aligning ball bearing must be subjected to an additional radial load, for example, by increasing belt tension or by similar means.