Bearings are important mechanical components that find their primary application in continuously moving machine parts that may get subjected to high fatigue and stress conditions. These bearings facilitate in effectively transmitting dynamic loads within the machine body as well as help in reducing friction between the moving parts, thereby ensuring a smooth motion. Bearings could be of various types such as ball bearings, tapered, cylindrical and needle roller bearings.
Ball bearings are a type of bearing which use balls to separate the moving components. Bearings allow moving parts to work and bear weight. Ball bearings are used in all sorts of common products including inline skates, luggage wheels, and computer hard drives. Giant ball bearings are even used in some kinds of earthquake-proofing for modern buildings.
Ball bearings are found in a number of devices and pieces of equipment, from mountain bikes and skateboards to yo-yos. They allow for rotation and cut down on friction.
Function
Ball bearings, like all bearings, work because rolling is the most efficient form of movement for an inanimate object. Rolling produces less friction than sliding, so things that roll don't wear out as fast.
How it works
Basically, a ball bearing system places small smooth spheres between two other smooth surfaces. An inline skate wheel, for example, has a smooth inner ring and a larger smooth outer ring with small balls in between, the balls 'bear the load' and allow the two rings to rotate with a minimum of friction, creating fast, efficient movement.
Advantages
Ball bearings have very little surface contact, and therefore produce the minimum amount of friction. Ball bearings spin very smoothly. They can be used with both radial and thrust loading. Radial loading puts the pressure on sides of the bearing (like a pulley) and thrust loads are direct weight (like a spinning barstool).
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of ball bearings is that they cannot usually handle a lot of weight for their size. Because of the small contact area, they have a tendency to squish or deform when they are placed under too much pressure. Some types of ball bearings are also noisy.
