CERAMIC BALL BEARING

CHAPTER-1

1.INTRODUCTION
Starting in 1963, Silicon Nitride was are developed by NASA & Thermal Protection Systems
for the space program at the University of Washington's Department of Material's Science and
Engineering Eventually, made of various products from the starting block of all machinery, the
benefits and various uses of ball bearing to manufacturers of complete ceramic engine
assemblies, have been slowly discovering the today's historic ceramics. The machine tool
industry has been a pioneer in the use of ceramic by bed ball bearings. Many different types of
performance minor racing programs, like Formula 1, are also discovering the advantages
using ceramic hybrids. Ball bearing manufacturers soon discovered that after refining their
own story machinery with Ceramic Hybrid Ball Bearings, the increase in performance over
conventional steel hall bearings was dramatic, that the use of hybrids could no longer be
considered a "luxury", but access.

During evaluation periods, manufacturer's discover that every single spindle tested shorter wed
levels to be two in seven times lower when run with comic hybrids. With machines that were
using conventional steel ball bearings tolerances were harder to maintain and tool life was
shorter Silicon Nitride ceramic halls are virtually indestructible, and survive in thermal and
how load environments that will destroy steel balls Advanced processing methods result in a
unifies and free material that won't dust or rest and are virtually unbreakable. Ceramics are
mirror finished and will not wear or degrade over time Ceramic balls have demonstrated a 3 to
5 time life improvement over traditional steel.

Fig:1.1 Ceramic ball bearing

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CHAPTER-2

CERAMIC HYBRID BALL BEARING

Ceramic hybrid bearings consist of a standard inner and outer race made from either AISI440C
grade stainless steel or SAE52100 grade chrome steel, and balls made from ceramic usually
silicon nitride (Si3N4). The races of these bearings are hardened to between 58 and 62
Rockwell C, the same as standard type ball bearings made from the same material. However,
silicon nitride is even harder, equivalent to around 90 Rockwell C. Standard ball bearings don't
really like vibratory applications, but ceramic hybrid bearings absolutely hate them. A standard
ball bearing that has been subjected to high vibration will usually show signs of damage to
balls and the cage, the weakest parts of the bearing.

In a similar application, a ceramic hybrid bearing will usually develop wear and flaking of the
raceways due to the repetitive pounding with a much harder object - the ball. Ceramic hybrid
bearings are much better suited to smooth running applications.

The use of hybrid ball bearings in today's industries is quickly replacing the more traditional
steel ball bearings. With there combination of ceramic balls and steel inner and outer rings the
hybrid ball bearings provide the user with a more durable and longer lasting product. Steel
bearings will wear out more quickly due to a number of factors. They conduct electricity which
causes pits and grooves to appear on the balls and in the rings. This damage will cause excessive
noise and wear out the bearing. When designing steel bearings there ability to carry the load
forces is usually the primary concern of the manufacturer without taking into account the wear
and tear factor. Improper lubrication and the introduction of contaminants will wear out the
steel bearings before there designed life expectancy, incurring unnecessary maintenance and
replacement costs. Hybrid ball bearings are able to counter all of these negative attributes
resulting in a stronger, longer lasting piece of equipment.

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Fig:2.1 Ceramic hybrid ball bearing

The balls in these new bearings are either made of silicon nitride or zirconium oxide. They are
stronger than steel yet they weigh less resulting in a higher operating speed and increasing
efficiency. Hybrid ball bearings do not conduct electricity so they do not experience the wear
that steel bearings do giving them a longer life. There is also less need for lubrication if any at
all because the ceramics can operate at a lower temperature and the lubricant does not need
replacing as often. The ceramic balls reduce friction and are resistant to static vibration because
of there dissimilar materials again reducing wear and tear of the materials. In contaminated
environments solid particles can cause damage to the balls and rings of the bearings. Ceramic
ball material eliminates this by smoothing the surface roughness without compromising the
integrity of the balls. With so many advantages over steel bearings the ceramic hybrid ball
bearings are quickly becoming the bearing of choice for all applications.

Hybrid ball bearings may be a bit more expensive than their steel counterparts, but the extra
costs are quickly recouped. There unmatched durability gives the hybrid ball bearings a life
expectancy ten times that of steel. They lower operating and maintenance costs, and increase
efficiency ultimately increasing profits. As technology advances and demands for maximum
production and reliability increase the loads and operational environments will require a more
reliable product only found in the ceramic hybrid ball bearings.

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CHAPTER-3

FULL BALL CERAMIC BEARI NG

The Full Ceramic Bearings are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common
steel bearings in many ways. Ceramic is the perfect material for any application seeking to
achieve higher RPM's, reduce overall weight or for extremely harsh environments where high
temperatures and corrosive substances are present.

Full Ceramic Angular Contact Bearings are designed such that there is an angle between the
races and the balls when the bearing is in operation. An axial load passes in a straight line
through the bearing, whereas a radial load takes an oblique path that tends to want to separate
the races axially. So the angle of contact on the inner race is the same as that on the outer race.
Full Ceramic Angular Contact Bearings are typically assembled with a thrust load or preload.
The preload creates a contact angle between the inner race, the ball and the outer race. The
preload can be done while manufacturing the bearing or it can be done when the bearing is
inserted into an application.

Fig:3.1 full ceramic ball bearing

Ceramic ball bearings have quickly proven themselves far superior to their steel counterparts.

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Increased demands for more efficient and quicker production have uncovered many
weaknesses in the use of steel bearings. Faster production speeds mean more loads and negative
forces are being applied to the steel parts. As temperatures and friction increase with the higher.
production speeds the steel rolling elements and their surrounding rings will show small
imperfections that can shorten the life span of the bearing. Lubrication for the bearings will
also wear out quickly causing the parts to seize possibly causing more damage to the machine
than just needing to replace the bearing. Certain applications for bearings are not conducive to
using traditional steel. Corrosive elements such as water and salt will break down steel very
quickly and where electricity or magnetic fields are created the steel will act as a conductor
damaging the bearing over time. Ceramic ball bearings are pretty much immune to all of these
factors making them the product of choice for all bearing applications. The ceramic ball
bearings are made of either silicon nitride or zirconium oxide that is much stronger than steel,
but at the same time up to 60% lighter. These bearings have a much smoother finish that allows
them to run at much higher speeds and as temperatures increase with the higher speeds the
ceramics will run cooler. Ceramic can withstand heat up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit where
steel will start to break down at around 572 degrees. The cooler running temperatures will
prolong the life of their lubrication which will save money by not having to replace it as often
or possibly eliminating the need for a lubrication system all together in certain applications.
The perfectly smooth surface of the ceramic rolling elements will prevent the microscopic
imperfections that cause failure in steel bearings. Ceramic ball bearings are also non conductive
so they are perfect for use in applications where electricity or magnetic fields are created, and
they are non corrosive so they can be submerged in water or salt and not break

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CHAPTER-4

CHARACTERISTICS OF BALL BEARING

The ceramic ball bearing is a production gradually started, developed toward project
application in recent 30 years. Although the SbN4 rolling ball and CCr15 ring have turned the
steel ball into SbN4 ball, it not only reduces the centrifugal force, but also reduces the friction
between rolling ball and raceway so as to get low heat and high speed performance. The
specifications of ceramic ball bearing and steel bearing are listed below.

For very high running speeds ball bearings are less suitable because of the additional
centrifugal load of the, with cage speed rotating balls. Balls of small diameter or low density
are desirable to limit the centrifugal load.

4.1 Ceramic balls

The centrifugal load is described by F= -mT2R where m is the weight of the ball. Because the
density of silicon nitride is 60% of steel, the centrifugal load is reduced by using these balls
with 60%. As a consequence the running speed can be increased up to 30%.

Because the E-modulus of silicon nitride is about 1.5 times that from steel, a smaller contact
surface exists with the consequence of a high contact pressure. So, the benefit of a small
centrifugal load is limited by the large E-modulus. From Hertz theory it follows that the
maximum load for the combination steel- silic nitride reduced with 30%.

A decrease of 60% centrifugal loading in combination with a 30% decrease in load capacity
finally results in an increase of running speed with only 15%.

A third effect, that frictional heating between the ceramic balls and the steel rings is less, further
positively affect the maximum running speed.

4.2 Small ball diameter

A reduction of the ball diameter also results in an increase of the maximum running speed. In
the same way as for low density is the advantage of a reduction in centrifugal force limited by
a reduction of the contact area.

The centrifugal load is with the same cage speed proportional to the ball diameter d3. From
Hertz it is known that the maximum load in a point contact is proportional to d2.
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With both effects considered it follows that with the half ball diameter the running speed may
increase with 100%. The fact that the external bearing load is carried by more small contacts
is not considered here.

4.3 Environment

Ceramic balls in combination with steel steel rings are called hybrid bearings. Hybrid bearings
have in aggressive environment else than complete ceramic ball bearings, no advantage
because of the steel rings. The same yields for the thermal resistance. Only where abrasive
particles can enter the bearing, ceramic balls have the advantage that they roll the particles in
the steel ring. For this only one ceramic ball suffices.

4.4 Lubrication

Hybrid bearings need to be oil lubricated just like steel bearings. Lubrication can be omitted
with very low running speed and if a short lifetime suffices. In complete ceramic bearings water
lubrication or process lubrication suffices.

MATERIAL UNITS STEEL SI3N4

CHARACTERISTICS

Density g/cm3 7.80 3.20

Modulus of elasticity CPa 208 320

Thermal conductivity W/mk 35 3.5

Heat J/kgK 450 800

Poisson’s ratio 0.30 0.26

Stiffness 800 1700

Magnetism Y N

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CHAPTER-5

FEATURES
Non-Conductive: Ceramic is a natural insulator, and is beneficial where electric motor design
requires a high degree of electrical insulating properties between the armature and field
windings. The service life of conventional steel ball bearings in electric motors is sometimes
reduced, due to pitting and corrosion caused by trace discharging, between the rings and balls.
Ceramic hybrids do not suffer from this, due to their natural insulating properties. Due to their
inherent longer service life, it results in a more reliable, and longer lasting product.

5.1 Less Maintenance: Due to a minimum level of Adhesive Wear, bearing components
and lubricants last much longer, saving you expensive service and repair time.

5.2 High Hot Strength: High compressive and flexural strength over a wide temperature
range. Lends itself for use to 2200 degrees F.

5.3 Low Density: Specific density of 3.2 compared to 7.8 for steel. At high bearing
operating speeds, the bearing balls have a centrifugal force which may exceed the
external loads on the bearing. The low density of ceramics can reduce this load
considerably.

5.4 High Hardness: While bearing steel is in the RC 58-64 hardness range, silicon nitride
has a hardness of RC 75-80 and offers excellent wear resistance.

5.5 Coefficient of Friction: Silicon nitride has a coefficient of friction which is

significantly lower, especially under marginal lubrication conditions. It also exhibits
better resistance to scuffing and seizing than bearing steel.

5.6 Corrosion Resistance: Silicon nitride is unaffected by most common corrosive agents,
and is well-suited for use in hot corrosive atmospheres. or where lubricants have been
known to attack conventional bearing steels.

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5.7 Long Fatigue Life: Recent improvements in purity and grain structure have given
silicon nitride a high stress fatigue life equal to, or better than, that of bearing steels.
Some tests have shown life 3 to 5 times that of M-50 steel.

5.8 Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: This property has made it difficult to mounta
ceramic bearing on a steel shaft (which expands 3 times faster than ceramic). The steel
shaft may crack a ceramic bearing "ring", due to the thermally induced tension stresses
created in the ceramic ring.To date, the most promising use is with bearings using ceramic balls
only. Mounting difficultiesand manufacturing intricacies, with their associated high costs, have
slowed acceptance and potential usage of the all-ceramic bearing. Hybrid bearing applications
from small high-speedturbines to larger grease lubricated machine tool spindles have achieved
good results and havebeen very successful.

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CHAPTER-6

REDUCTION OF FRICTION
The reduction of friction is one of the keys for a success full application of hybrid or full
ceramic roller bearings under dry or nearly dry environmental conditions. In case of hybrid
bearings diamond-like thin film coatings deposited on the raceway seem to be an appropriate
method for improvement of the performance. For full ceramics roller bearings, newly
developed silicon nitride materials with self-lubricating phases promise to be the success full
way. The main goals have been defined to be: a significant reduction of the friction co efficient
(<< 0.6) and a load capacity of more than 1 GPa, both under dry Conditions.

6.1 Coating

The optimization of diamond-like coatings (doped a C:H) deposited by a PA-CVD-process to

steel raceways needs three steps:

(a) optimization of the coating-substrate inter-face.

(b) reduction of the friction coefficient.

(c) improvement of life time.

Optimization of the adhesion of diamond- like coatings on different steel substrates by control
of the residual stress states(micro-indenter scratch tests, 10mu).

Fig:6.1 Friction graph

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The optimization of the coefficient of friction and the life time of coatings have to be related
to the ball material (oscillating pin-on-disk sliding wear test, ball diameter 10 mm, initial
normal pressure = 1.4 GPa, frequency = 20Hz, amplitude = 1mm, dry).

The results of scratch tests show that an improved control of the residual stress state of the
coating results in a significant gain of adhesion. Once the adhesion between substrate and
coating is optimized, the friction coefficient and the thickness of the coating are the most
relevant characteristics determining the performance of the hybrid bearing. An important detail
in the subsequent optimization of the coating techniques is the configuration of the standard
pin-on plate- test with the relevant pin material.

Fig: 6.2 Fluctuation of friction

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CHAPTER-7

DIMENSIONS OF CERAMIC BALL BEARING

Fig: 7.1 Dimensions of ceramic ball bearing

We are capable of providing inner diameter 2mm miniature ceramic ball bearing, also can
provide inner diameter 480mm large dimensions ceramic ball bearing.

Bearings are measured by their inner diameter, outer diameter, and width; the size of a bearing
is normally listed as such: ID x OD x W. These measurements are normally taken in
millimeters, but can be converted to inches. In fact, most manufacturers and suppliers offer
bearing measurements in both imperial and metric systems.

Each combination of these measurements corresponds to a series number, usually located

directly on the bearing. Ball bearing size charts are widely available, and can be used to find the
measurements of a specific bearing. Series 6200 and 6300 are the most commonly used, and
typically range from 10 x 30 x 9 mm (.394 x 1.181 x .354 in) to 150 x 320 x 65 mm (5.906 x
12.598 x 2.559 in).

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7.1 Part numbering system

Fig:7.2 Numbering System

Ceramic hybrid ball bearings are stocked in an open version in the sizes listed. In most cases,
hybrid bearings can also be supplied with seals, shields, or low friction seals through the MRC
Made-to-Order (MTO) program. In addition to those listed, other sizes of the 200S and 300S
series as well as the 100KS series can be supplied through the MTO program. Most series of
angular contact ball bearings can also be supplied through MTO.

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CHAPTER-8

TECHNICAL CHARTS

8.1 Lower operating Temperature:

As running speed increases, ceramic balls run cooler than conventional steel balls. The
reduced heat build-up prolongs lubricant life.

Fig:8.1 lower operating temperature

The heat generated in bearings is attributable to viscous friction from lubrication and load
dependent friction between the balls and raceways. The source of the loading is external as
well as internal. There is little that can be done to reduce the external loads. However, since
ceramic balls have only 40% of the density of steel balls, the centrifugal load generated by the
balls is less and the internal friction is lower. This provides cooler running for the same
operating conditions or, if applicable, a higher rotational speed while maintaining the same
temperature.

8.2 Running speed:

The running speed of a large diameter ceramic ball exceeds the same size steel ball by
40%. Converting to a small diameter ceramic ball will boost running speeds by an additional
15%. There is no high centrifugal force on the balls of bearing, due this significant reason the
running speed of ceramic ball bearing increases.

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Fig:8.2 running speed

8.3 Vibration:

Fig:8.3 vibration

Vibration test comparing spindles with steel ball bearings and the same spindle retrofit with
ceramic hybrids. Vibration levels lowered than two to seven times with silicon nitride balls.

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CHAPTER-9

ADVANTAGES
9.1 Lower Maintenance Costs: Maintenance costs can quickly add up if a bearing must be
changed frequently. Anything that extends the service life of a bearing without increasing
maintenance costs will reduce the operating cost of the equipment. Though the initial cost of a
hybrid bearing is higher than a standard steel bearing, the difference is quickly recovered in
maintenance savings. Less friction also results in lower energy costs.

9.2 Extended Service Life: Most bearings are designed into applications based on loading
conditions and do not take into account factors such as lubrication, contamination and
maintenance. Without proper attention to these external factors, a steel bearing rarely reaches
its design L10 life and therefore has a shortened service life. Because of the properties of
ceramics, the service life of a hybrid bearing is up to 10 times that of a standard steel bearing.
And longer service life reduces the need for maintenance on your machine as well as the costly
interruptions in production.

9.3 Prevents Electrical Arcing: When electrical current passes across bearings, a washboard
or fluting pattern appears on the raceways, in addition to a darkened grey appearance. This
damage usually results in excessive noise which requires that the bearing be removed. Besides
the surface damage, premature aging of the lubricant also occurs. The natural insulating
properties of ceramic material eliminate this type of damage.

9.4 Extended Grease Life: In environment that place high demands on the bearing lubricant,
standard bearings experience surface wear because of insufficient lubricant film. Bearings can
fail if the initial grease charge is not replenished within an acceptable period of time. Hybrid
bearings run cooler and can operate with thinner lubricant films, so there is less aging of the
grease and the required re-lubrication interval will be longer. The result is increased service
life compared to standard bearings in the same operating conditions.

9.5 Reduced Wear from Vibration: In equipment exposed to static vibration, there is an
inherent risk of false brinelling, (the wearing away of the surfaces within the ball and raceway
contacts) which can eventually lead to spalling and premature failure. Because of the lighter
weight ceramic balls and dissimilar materials, the risk of false brinelling damage is much
less.
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9.6 Lower operating Temperature: The heat generated in bearings is attributable to

viscous friction from lubrication and load dependent friction between the balls and raceways.
The source of the loading is external as well as internal. There is little that can be done to
reduce the external loads. However, since ceramic balls have only 40% of the density of steel
balls, the centrifugal load generated by the balls is less and the internal friction is lower. This
provides cooler running for the same operating conditions or, if applicable, a higher rotational
speed while maintaining the same temperature.

9.7 Reduced Wear from Contamination: In contaminated environments, solid particles

create dents in the rolling surfaces and raised edges around those dents. This condition causes
noise and premature wear as the steel balls roll over those surfaces. The harder ceramic ball
material smooth's the surface roughness with no material removal. Also, there is little
evidence of adhesive wear as seen in steel bearings. This reduces the noise and wear, which
extends the bearing service life.

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CHAPTER-10

LIMITATIONS
In some applications, we can see that the properties of the hybrid ceramic bearing would lead
to an increased life compared to an all-steel bearing. However, this is not true of all cases. In
normal-speed applications where true fatigue spalling of a raceway tends to be the failure mode,
the hybrid ceramic design would not be expected to increase bearing life - rather, a significant
decrease in the life would be expected. (The higher stiffness of the ceramic balls reduces the
size of the ball/raceway contact patch under load, thus raising the contact stress compared to
the all-steel design.) Therefore, potential applications for hybrid bearings need to be carefully
weighed on a case- by-case basis. Ceramic ball bearings have significant drawbacks and
limitations. Like all ceramics, the silicon-nitride balls have a low tensile strength, which is a
fundamental material property.

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CHAPTER-11

APPLICATIONS
11.1 Motor Racing: All racing programs will benefit from the use of Ceramic Hybrids. Since
people race anything from multi-million dollar Formula 1 cars, to John Deere lawn tractors,
some of the programs that will see significant gains are;

 Go kart

 Formula 1 racing car

 MotoGP bikes

11.2 Industry: Great advantages are achieved with machine tool applications

like; Grinding

 Milling

 Drilling

 Boring

11.3 Aircraft accessories/Aerospace:

 Turbo engines

 Gear box

 Radar

 Weapon system

 Satellites

11.4 Industrial machinery:

 Robotics

 Generators

 Electric motors

 Food processing equipment

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 Heavy equipments

11.5 Medical equipment:

 Dental drills

 Centrifuges

 X-ray tubes

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CHAPTER-12

CONCLUSION
The stiffness of ceramic ball bearing in advantages to steel ball bearing at the same working
condition. Within the rotational speed, the larger preload is good to control heat and vibration
Compared to the steel hearing the ceramic hearing is more suitable to electric spindle demand.
We have studied dynamic characteristics of ceramic ball bearing and see ball bearing, and also
shown the properties of ceramic ball bearing. The paper also represents the technical charts
based on studies like, vibrations, service life.

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CHAPTER-13

REFERENCES
1. Wem boner Ceramics milestone the way to the high-performance rolling bearing C Ceramic
Fort International, 2002, 9421-24.

2. Cento P. Darien DW. Ceramic materials in hybrid ball bearing Tribology Traction
1900424767-774.

3. Xu hao, Xu Ying, Analysis on then dynamic characteristics of high speed machine used with
ceramic ball bearing Feb. 2.28-29, 200514)

4. ZHOU Gui2xin Development Staf Ceramic Bearings at Home and Abroad. Ceramic
Research & Vocational Education No 4, 2000 T.

5. Hollstein, M. Brumbach, W. Pic fer, M. Popp Vollkeramische Wit large Silicules Enwinding
Auslegung und Optimierung VDI Brichtens 200.

6. M. Hench Experimental and the cectical investigations on plastic deformation and hale
cracking in a hall-an-plane contact of ceramic materials In Cameos Charting the Future (Edit.
P. Vincentim. Telcom’s Seb 2006, 1055-1064.

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