Mechanical Bearing

by: muhammad suhandi

Bearing is the one of the most important and as basic element of machinery. The function of bearing is to reduce friction. Bearing is the one component to be sacrificed. Bearing also limits the motion of two parts. Material used to make bearings are weaker that the shaft or components where those bearings should be installed.

There many types of bearing but mainly in mechanical engineering, bearing is divided as sliding bearing means that shaft is sliding in inner face of bearing and antifriction bearing means that this bearing reduce large portion of friction than sliding bearing. Antifriction bearing further divided into two types, roller bearing and ball bearing. Antifriction bearing has three main parts, the inner race, outer race and balls or rollers. Balls or rollers slide and rotate between inner and outer race.

Sleeve bearing and sometime called bushing used in high speed application such as in connecting rod and crankshaft of internal combustion engine. Antifriction bearing has more rigid construction and used in low speed high load application such as transmission and differential.

Although bearings reduce large portion of friction, they still need lubrication. Bearing that running in unlubricated condition will instantly collapse. There is varying method of lubrication. From the simplest one which we could lubricate in scheduled time by putting enough lubrication manually until pressurized system that contains complex components to assure all the bearing get its lubrication.

Whit the advance in technology and the complexity, some bearing even do not need lubrication. Such bearing could be made using magnetic action or use pressurized air as bearing so there is no contact between metal. Also now the manufactures have produced bearing made of plastic and rubber.