Bearings are devices used to enable rotational and/or linear movement, support loads, and reduce friction in mechanical applications. There are numerous types of bearings for numerous purposes, with the broad categories being plain, rolling-element, jewel, fluid, flexure, and magnetic. The simple explanation for why bearings work is that rolling physical components produce less friction than sliding physical components because they have a smaller area of contact between the two components. This makes bearings faster, use less power, and last longer because they suffer less wear and tear.
NSN Parts Now, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, supplies bearings and parts from top manufacturers. Some of the manufacturers that produce high-quality bearings include Timken, Barden, Accurate Bushing Company, and Precision Division.
Aerospace Bearings
Aerospace bearings are utilized on all types of equipment in the aerospace industry, including aircraft, UAVs, spacecraft, and satellite equipment. Bearings used in any type of aerospace application requires strict standards for material and quality control due to their operating environments. There are testing requirements, material standards, and required traceability on all parts. Bearings are used in engines, aircraft interiors, landing gear struts, and many other purposes.
Some of the most common bearings used in the aerospace industry include roller bearings, ball bearings, roller thrust bearings, ball thrust bearings, baffle bearings, and actuator bearings. Although there are many shared characteristics between bearings in all applications, there are also unique applications for different vehicles.
Fixed-wing Aircraft Bearings
Bearings are used in aircraft control systems such as trim tabs, elevators, ailerons, and flaps. They are also used in the engines, landing gear, and doors. Specific bearings used include ball bearings, airframe control bearings, door linkage bearings, actuator bearings, track rollers, and landing gear trunnion bearings.
Rotary-wing Aircraft Bearings
Bearings are used in the main rotor, tail rotor, landing gear, and engines. Specific bearings for these components include the main rotor bearings, tail rotor bearings, main rotor swashplate slider bearings, and engine gearbox and transmission bearings.
Automotive Bearings
Some of the automotive systems that use bearings include the wheels, transmission, and water pump. Common bearings used in these applications include wheel bearings, roller bearings, gearbox bearings, and strut bearings.
Marine Bearings
There are numerous types of marine vessels, including military ships, fishing vessels, commercial shipping, and civilian recreational craft. Every single one of these types of vessels utilize some type of bearings in their construction. Because of the corrosive properties of saltwater, all of these bearings must be corrosion-resistant. Main bearings, bottom and top end bearings, and pedestal bearings are all common bearings in ships. Three common types of construction used in marine bearings are lead bronze bearings, bi-metal bearings, and tri-metal bearings.
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