What Are Thrust Bearings and How Do They Work?

Bearings are an important part of many machines. Consisting of a donut-shaped piece of material, they are designed to restrict or limit the motion of a machine&#;s moving parts while also reducing friction between the machine&#;s moving parts in the process. They are known as &#;bearings&#; because they &#;bear&#; the stress of a machine&#;s moving parts. While all bearings support the machines with which they are used, however, they are available in many different types, including thrust bearings.

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Overview of Thrust Bearings

Thrust bearings are rotary bearings that are designed specifically to support an axial load. In other words, they are capable of rotating along with a machine&#;s parts. Thrust bearings, in fact, assist in the rotation of a machine&#;s moving parts. As a machine&#;s moving parts begin to rotate, they&#;ll glide along the thrust bearings.

How Thrust Bearings Work

Most thrust bearings use balls to support the machines with which they are used. Known as &#;thrust ball bearings,&#; they contain many small metal balls in a band around the perimeter. You can see an example of a thrust ball bearing in the photo above. Thrust ball bearings such as this are used in applications where a machine&#;s moving parts apply an axial load. With their arrangement of balls, they are able to assist with the rotation of a machine&#;s moving parts.

There are other types of thrust bearings as well. In addition to thrust ball bearings, there are cylinder thrust bearings. Cylinder thrust bearings feature cylindrical-shaped rollers that point towards the axis. Another type of thrust bearing is magnetic. Magnetic thrust bearings live up to their namesake by producing a magnetic field. They are made of ferromagnetic materials that produce a magnetic field. The presence of this magnetic field helps to support the axial thrust. Of all the different types, though, none are more popular than ball thrust bearings.

Tips on Choosing Thrust Bearings

When shopping for thrust bearings, there are a few things you should know. Thrust bearings are available in different sizes. You&#;ll need to choose a size that matches the application for which you intend to use it. If a thrust bearing it too big or too small for a machine&#;s moving parts, you may not be able to use it. Fortunately, you can order thrust bearings in a variety of standard sizes and metric sizes.

Something else to consider when choosing thrust bearings is the ball material. Thrust bearings featuring cheap balls tend to degrade quickly. Over time, the balls may lose their clean and smooth texture, resulting in increased resistance and reduced performance. But you can find thrust bearings with many high-quality ball materials. Some of them have glass balls, whereas others have stainless steel balls. Both glass and stainless steel are high-quality ball materials that last a long time.

See Monroe&#;s Thrust Bearings.

When you think of the term thrust bearing, the automotive sector may be the first to spring to mind &#; however, thrust bearings of all varieties and sizes have many different applications. Firstly, it&#;s important to understand and delve into their unique properties.

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The basics

Thrust bearings is a term used to describe a group of rotary bearings that are designed to carry axial loads. An axial load is one that is transmitted linearly along the shaft. This group of bearings should, however, never be subjected to radial loads.

Thrust bearings, or axial bearings as they are sometimes referred to, encompass thrust ball bearings (supplied by SMB Bearings), cylindrical thrust roller bearings, tapered roller thrust bearings, fluid bearings and magnetic bearings.

Specifically, thrust ball bearings are made up of rolling elements mounted into a cage. The cage sits between two flat or grooved washers. The grooved washer type have raceways for more accurate rotation.

 Applications

In addition to the obvious automotive uses, thrust bearings are commonly used in marine and aerospace applications. Other uses include food and beverage processing machinery, medical devices, handheld machine tools and a wide range of other applications. Our miniature thrust bearings exhibit low noise and smooth operation, which makes them perfect for use in RC helicopters.

Most importantly, before choosing your bearing type, consider if the material and lubrication choice will be suitable for your desired operating environment.

Our variations

Our miniature thrust bearings are fabricated from chrome steel and are coated with a layer of preservative oil to protect against moisture and corrosion. However, our lubrication facility allows these bearings to be supplied with specific oils, greases or dry lubricants to suit your application conditions. They are also available in stainless steel although minimum quantities may apply.

The more straight-forward type of miniature thrust bearing has identical washers and no raceway. These can endure axial loads in either direction but have reduced load and speed ratings compared with single-direction axial bearings.

Some have a raceway or groove on each washer. In these instances, one washer has a slightly larger inside diameter so that it is located in the housing and the shaft can rotate inside it. These bearings can accommodate thrust loads in one direction only and must be installed according to the load direction. They have a greater load capacity and higher speed rating than the flat washer type.

If you&#;ve still got further questions about thrust ball bearings, speak to a bearing specialist. Contact the SMB Bearings team directly on +44 (0) 842 555 or .

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