There are many kinds of bearings. People will choose the most suitable type of bearing according to the construction and use of the machine. In this column, we will introduce the general classification of bearings and the characteristics of the main bearings.

1. Classification of bearings

Bearings are subject to forces from different directions, so bearings can be classified according to "force direction".

So first of all, let's introduce the bearing force.

FIG. 1 shows the forces exerted on the bearings of the wheels of an automobile with tires installed.

One is the force that bears the weight of the car (shown by the blue arrow in Figure 1), and the bearing must bear the force perpendicular to the axle.

In addition, centrifugal force occurs when the car turns (shown by the red arrow in Figure 1), and the bearing is subjected to forces in the same direction as the axle.

As shown above, bearings are subjected to forces from different directions on a daily basis. Therefore, we can classify bearings according to the direction of force and bearing capacity. The radial load and axial load borne by the bearing The force borne by the bearing is called "load". The force perpendicular to the axis is called the "radial load", and the force in the same direction as the axis is called the "axial load".