1. CERAMIC ROLLERS FOLLOW A SMOOTH PATH.
- Author
-
Sharke, Paul
- Subjects
- *
BEARINGS (Machinery) , *ROLLING contact - Abstract
Hybrid bearings combining silicon nitride rollers and metal races run faster and longer than their all-steel counterparts, according to Paul Johnson, a staff engineer specializing in ceramic roller manufacturing at Jamestown, New York-based MRC Bearings. Because the ceramic rollers weigh 60 percent less than similar-size metal rollers, there's less inertia to overcome when stopping or starting. Lower weight reduces the centrifugal force that rollers exert on outside races, raising the speed that the bearings can attain. Ceramic rollers typically demand less lubricant than their steel cousins and expand less, too. Their light weight suits the ceramic bearings to aerospace applications. Ceramic roller bearings have been used in jet and rocket engines and are beginning to show up on helicopter transmissions.
- Published
- 2003