The earliest history of bearings is intriguing. Egyptians are said to have used roller bearings in the form of tree trunks under sledges, whilst the earliest recovered example of a rolling-element bearing is a wooden ball bearing supporting a rotating table from the remnants of Roman Nemi ships in Lake Nemi, Italy —dating back to 40 BC.
Leonardo da Vinci incorporated drawings of ball bearings in his design for a helicopter around 500 years ago, whilst the first modern recorded patent on ball bearings was granted to Philip Vaughan, a British inventor who created the first design for a ball bearing in Carmarthen in 1794. Each and every snippet of history shows just how crucial bearings have been over thousands of years, fulfilling a great variety of needs, constantly evolving. It begs the question: what is the most common type today?
Deep Groove Ball Bearings
Deep groove ball bearings are the most common type, offering exceptional versatility. They have low friction and are optimised for low noise and low vibration, resulting in high rotational speeds. Due to the fact that deep groove ball bearings create less friction torque, the operating temperature is reduced, which extends the life of the bearing and lessens energy costs.
What industries benefit from these bearings?
Unlike many other bearings, deep groove bearings do not need additional lubrication after installation, meaning less maintenance is required. With fewer concerns over downtime, these bearings provide dependable performance in all of the following sectors:
- Agricultural Equipment
- Food Processing
- Printing
- Material Handling
- Packaging Machinery
- Pumps and compressors
- Railways
- Transportation
A superbly simple design
The basic design of deep groove ball bearings features steel balls, cages, an inner ring and an outer ring. The cage must maintain a certain distance between the balls and possibly seals or covers to ensure smooth operation. You can buy these bearings in single row and double row designs, as well as in open and sealed variants. That said, single row deep groove ball bearings are only suitable for compensating static misalignments to a very limited extent, meaning the bearing positions must be well aligned. The double row kind has a larger number of rolling elements, so it can be subjected to higher loads. No matter the type you choose, the simple design guarantees robust operation and minimises maintenance.
On our website you’ll discover a huge range of deep groove ball bearings. Our premium range includes the likes of FAG, INA, Koyo, Nadella, NSK, NTN, Rexnord, RHP, SKF, Timken and Torrington. If you’re looking for the highest quality bearings with less friction torque and lower energy costs, Bearing Revolution will meet your needs.
We are ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Accredited, giving you the comfort of dealing with a credible supplier. If you’d like to learn more about us and how we can help you, please call us on +44 (0)1952 222100.
