The primary function of a cage is to separate rolling elements, preventing direct contact between adjacent elements and minimizing bearing friction and heat generation. In separable bearings, it also prevents rolling elements from detaching. In some bearings, such as needle roller bearings or thrust cylindrical roller bearings, it also guides the rolling elements. In grease-lubricated bearings, the cage also serves to store grease, improving lubrication. The mechanical stresses on a rolling bearing cage arise from friction, strain, and inertial forces. They are also affected by the chemical reactions of certain lubricants, lubricant additives and their aging products, organic solvents, and coolants (halogenated hydrocarbons, ammonia). Therefore, the design and selection of cage materials are crucial to cage performance and bearing reliability.
【Brass Cages】
Stamped brass cages are only used in small and medium-sized bearings. Most brass cages are machined from castings or forgings. Brass cages should not be used at temperatures above 300°C. They are unaffected by most common lubricants, including synthetic oils and greases. They can be cleaned with general organic solvents, but dilute alkaline solutions should not be used.
【Nylon Cage】
Some types of small or medium-sized bearings, such as double-row deep groove ball bearings, self-aligning ball bearings, angular contact ball bearings, self-aligning roller bearings, and cylindrical roller bearings, use cages molded from heat-stabilized glass fiber reinforced nylon 66 material, which possesses good strength and elasticity.
Due to the excellent slip properties of nylon on lubricated steel surfaces and the smooth machining of the contact surfaces between the cage and rolling elements, friction generated by the cage is greatly reduced. Therefore, bearing heat generation and friction can be kept to a low level. The injection molding process for manufacturing cages can meet specific design requirements.
Nylon cages can maintain good operating performance under lubrication-free conditions, allowing bearings to operate continuously for considerable periods under these harsh conditions without rapid seizure or further damage. When using bearings with nylon cages, attention must be paid to the operating temperature of the nylon material and its resistance to lubricant corrosion.
The longer the cage is subjected to overheating, the faster the aging process. The operating temperature of nylon cages is permissible to briefly exceed the recommended operating temperature, but should not exceed it by more than 20°C. These brief overheating events should be spread over a longer period of lower operating temperatures, and care should be taken to ensure the lubricant can withstand the brief overheating. If the operating temperature is consistently above 120°C, bearings with metal cages must be used. Nylon cages are also not suitable for temperatures below -40°C, as nylon will lose its elasticity below this temperature.
About LJHB:
LuoYang JinShuo Precision Bearing Co., Ltd. is mainly committed to the R&D and sales of high-precision bearings and other special products, and provides bearings and transmission parts with high performance for customers' equipment. With quick response, from pre-sales technical communication to on-time production delivery, as well as perfect after-sales service, we win the recognition and trust of customers.
Our main products include cylindrical roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, slew bearings, gear drives, spindle bearings, crossed roller bearings, turret bearings, thin-wall bearings, tandem roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, etc. The bearing dimensions rang from 100mm to 6000mm, the accuracy reaches P5, P4 and P2 levels. The bearing are widely used in mining and metallurgy, industrial equipment, industrial gearboxes, petroleum equipment, cranes, medical equipment, robotic equipment, etc. Among them, cylindrical roller bearings with better performance and high-precision deep groove ball bearings have been explored for high-speed tubular strander rotating cable equipment, which have completely replaced imports, saving customers costs and time, and improving work efficiency. It has been recognized and widely praised by customers.
Contact LJHB:
Address: Yiyang Bearing Industry Zone, Luoyang City, China 47100
Tel/Wechat: +86-18037970383
Whatsapp: +86-18037970383
Fax: 0086-379-65199160
E-mail: lyjh@lyjhbearing.com
Website: www.chinajhbearing.com
