Bearing Materials: Choosing the Right Alloy to Meet Your Needs
Most rolling element bearings are manufactured using rings and rolling elements fabricated from AISI 52100 degassed chrome bearing steel. While AISI 52100 chrome steel is exceptionally suited for many applications, there are other cases where special materials are required. Criteria for these scenarios may include: Greater Corrosion Resistance Higher Temperature Durability Lower Temperature Durability Grease Free Use Lighter Weight Applications common to these needs can be found in a variety of manufacturing processes and in the military and medical equipment. For such sensitive applications, it is important to ensure the right materials are used for the job. Bearings materials are classified as through-hardened materials (used largely for ball bearings) and case-hardened materials (used largely for roller bearings). Critical applications require vacuum-processed steels. Regardless of material type, a commonly accepted minimum hardness for bearing components is 58 ...