Application Of plastic polymer cage bearings

Application Of plastic polymer cage bearings

Cage (also known as bearing cage or bearing retainer) refers to the bearing parts that partially wrap all or part of the rolling element and move with it, used to isolate the rolling element, and usually guide the rolling element and keep it inside the bearing.
  When rolling bearings work, especially when the load is complex and rotating at high speed, the cage must withstand a large amount of centrifugal force, impact, and vibration. There is a large sliding friction between the cage and the rolling element, and a large amount of heat is generated. The combined effect of force and heat can lead to cage failure, and in severe cases, it can cause burns and fractures of the cage.

  Therefore, it is required that the cage material has good thermal conductivity, wear resistance, low friction coefficient, low density, a certain combination of strength and toughness, good elasticity and stiffness, similar expansion coefficient to the rolling element, and good processing performance. In addition, the cage is also subject to the action of chemical media such as lubricants, lubricant additives, organic solvents, and coolants.
  The commonly used cages are mainly divided into metal cages and non-metallic cages(polymer cage bearings) according to the type of material. In addition, there are composite material cages, etc. Special purpose bearing cages should also meet the requirements of special working conditions, such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, self-lubrication (used in vacuum) or non magnetic properties.

The non-metallic cage materials mainly include polymers and their composite materials, including nylon, phenolic tape, polytetrafluoroethylene, etc. Polymer cage bearings have good strength and elasticity matching. Good sliding performance allows the polymer cage to generate only minimal friction when moving relative to the lubricated rolling element surface, which can minimize the heating and wear of the bearing. In the absence of lubricants, the polymer cage still has excellent motion characteristics, which can ensure that the bearing continues to run for a period of time without damage. Due to the low density of polymers, the cages manufactured from them have less inertia.

Polymer cage bearings,this type of cage is lightweight and suitable for high speed applications. And the failure mode of this cage is not sudden rupture, so it is more suitable for situations where sudden shutdown is not allowed. It has excellent properties such as wear resistance, anti magnetism, and low friction.

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