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TRAINING RESOURCES
© CAHABA MEDIA GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DATA PRIVACY
Internal clearance is critical to bearing performance for multiple reasons. The amount of Hydraulic Institute (HI) Training
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clearance influences the load distribution in a bearing, which ultimately affects its life. It also
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influences bearing running noise and vibration. In addition, it can influence whether the rolling SEARCH
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elements move by rolling or sliding motion.
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Normally, bearings are installed with interference for either the inner or outer ring, and this
leads to its expansion or contraction which causes a change in the clearance. During operation,
the bearing will increase until it reaches saturation temperature. However, the temperature of P&S CONTENT MORE »
the inner ring, outer ring, and rolling elements are all different from each other, and this
temperature difference changes the clearance (Figure 1). In addition, when a bearing operates Articles
under load, an elastic deformation of the inner ring, outer ring, and rolling elements also leads to Podcasts
a change in clearance. Quantifying all of these changes can make calculating bearing internal Manufacturers Directory
clearance a very complex task. Jobs
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Figure 1. Changes of radial internal clearance of roller bearing found.
Δ0 = Δ1 + δFO
δFO is significant for ball bearings, but not for roller bearings where it is assumed to be equal to
zero, and therefore Δ0 = Δ1Residual Internal Clearance (Δf)
This is the clearance left in a bearing after mounting it on a shaft and in a housing. The elastic
deformation caused by the mass of the shaft, etc. is neglected. Assuming the clearance decrease
caused by the ring expansion or contraction is δf, then:
Δ = Δf − δt = Δ0 – (δf + δt)
ΔF = Δ + δF
The most important bearing clearance is the effective clearance. Theoretically, a bearing with a
slightly negative effective clearance Δ will have the longest life. A slightly negative clearance (or
preload) will actually become positive under the influence of bearing load. However, it is
impossible to make the clearance of all bearings to the ideal effective clearance, and one must
consider the geometrical clearance Δ0 in order to achieve a zero or slightly negative effective
clearance minimum value. To calculate this value, one needs to know both the clearance
reduction caused by the interference of the inner ring and outer ring Df and clearance change
caused by the temperature difference between inner ring and outer ring Dt.
An example calculation is shown below for a 6310 single row deep groove ball bearing. The shaft
tolerance used is K5, while the housing is H7. The interference fit is applied only to the inner
ring.
Figure 2. Rate of inner ring raceway expansion (λi) from apparent interference
The average amount of raceway expansion and contraction from apparent interference is
calculated from λi (mm – mi).
The following equation is used to determine, within 99.7% probability, the variation in internal
clearance after mounting (RΔf):
In other words, the mean value of residual clearance (mΔf) is +0.0035, and the range is from
-0.007 to 0.014 for a 6310 bearing.
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Radial internal clearance and temperature SEARCH
When a bearing runs under a load, the temperature of the entire bearing will rise. This includes
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the rolling elements, but because this change is extremely difficult to measure or even estimate,
the temperature of the rolling elements is generally assumed to be the same as the inner-ring
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temperature.
Using a 6310 bearing again as an example, the reduction in clearance caused by a temperature
difference of 5oC between the inner and outer rings can be calculated using the following
equation:
The following equations are used to calculate the outer-ring raceway diameter:
Using the values calculated for Δf and δt, the effective internal clearance (Δ) can be determined
using the following equation:
Referring to Figure 3, one can see how the effective internal clearance influences bearing life, in
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this example, with a radial load of 3,350 N (or approximately 5% of the basic load rating). The
longest bearing life occurs under conditions where the effective internal clearance is -13 μm. The
lowest limit to the preferred effective internal clearance range is also -13 μm.
Understanding the importance of bearing internal clearance will help increase bearing life and
optimize your overall pump performance. For more information please contact NSK.