Ball bearing ball is one of the two members of the class of rolling, or so-called antifriction, bearings (the other member of the class is the roller bearing). The major function of a ball bearing is to connect two machine members that move relative to one another in such a way that the frictional resistance to motion becomes minimal. In maximum applications, one of the members is a rotating shaft and the other a fixed housing.
In a ball bearing there are three main parts: two grooved, ring-like races, or tracks, and several hardened steel balls. The races are of different diameters but the same width; the smaller one which is fitted inside the larger one and having a groove on its outer surface, is attached on its internal surface to one of the members of the machine. The larger race is attached to the outer surface of other members of the machine and has a groove on its inner surface. The space between the two races and roll is filled by the balls with negligible friction in the grooves. Employing a retainer or cage the balls are loosely restrained and separated.
The most common ball bearing from small steel balls manufacturer, with one row of balls, is classified as a radial ball bearing, but its capacity for carrying a load, axial, or thrust may exceed its radial capacity. To allow the insertion of more balls the angular-contact bearing has one side of the outer-race groove cutaway, which enables the bearing to carry large axial loads in one direction only. In pairs, such bearings are usually used so that both directions high axial loads can be carried in.
Two rows of balls are there in one type of self-aligning bearing and a spherical inner surface on the outer race. Low starting friction is the outstanding advantage of a ball bearing from a ball bearing ball manufacturer over a sliding bearing. However, the friction in a sliding bearing may be less than in a ball bearing at speeds high enough to develop a load-carrying oil film.
