The Selection of Bearing Clearance

The bearing clearance includes radial clearance and axial clearance, both of which are critical parameters for running bearings.

The selection of clearances have a direct effect on the bearing performance, such as service life, vibration, noise, friction-resistance, temperature changes, load distribution, rotation accuracy etc..

Excessive and insufficient clearances would both make bearings and machines perform less than expectations and increase the maintenance cost.

When the clearance is insufficient, internal fraction and temperature produced by the running bearing would both increase. If the bearing continues to run, the higher temperature would make the clearance more insufficient, which would dramatically decrease the bearing service life and even make the bearing fail immediately.

When the clearance is excessive, the bearing would be running with more vibration and higher noise, which would decrease the rotation accuracy of the machine. Meanwhile, excessive clearance in a bearing would internally narrow the loading area, increase the stress of contacting surfaces, and consequently reduce the service life.

When selecting the clearance, R&D and maintenance engineers would have to consider as lots of influencing factors as possible, included but not limited：temperature near the bearing，bearing speed, load ratings, axis and house dimensional tolerance ect.. At some time, you would even have to customize the clearance to fit your equipment.

Please download the radial clearance table.

Please feel free to contact us regarding the clearance selection at any time.