Full Ceramic Insert Bearings are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common Steel Insert Bearings in many ways. Ceramic is the perfect material for any application seeking to achieve higher RPM’s, reduce overall weight or for extremely harsh environments where high temperatures and corrosive substances are present. Applications such as cryopumps, medical devices, semiconductors, machine tools, turbine flow meters, food processing equipment, robotics and optics. Ceramic materials commonly used for bearings are Silicon Nitride (Si3N4), Zirconia Oxide (ZrO2), Alumina Oxide (Al2O3) or Silicon Carbide (SiC.)
Because ceramic is a glass like surface it has an extremely low coefficient of friction and is ideal for applications seeking to reduce friction. Ceramic balls require less lubricant and have a greater hardness than steel balls which will contribute to increased bearing life. Thermal properties are better than steel balls resulting in less heat generation at high speeds. Full Ceramic bearings can have a retainer or full complement of balls, retainer materials used are PEEk and PTFE.
Full Ceramic Insert Bearings can continue to operate under extremely high temperatures and are capable of operating up to 1800 Deg. F. Ceramic is much lighter than steel and many bearings are 1/3 the weight of a comparable steel bearing. Full Ceramic Insert Bearings are highly corrosion resistant and will stand up to most common acids, they will not corrode in exposure to water or salt water. And finally Full Ceramic Insert Bearings are non-conductive.
Full Ceramic Insert Bearings and wide inner ring bearings are used for mounting on shafts without the need for shoulders or adapters. The bearing is locked in place through setscrews or a locking collar. The inner ring usually extends on both sides of the bearing to provide extra shaft support, but some styles only extend on one side. Sometimes Full Ceramic Insert Bearings are simply standard radial bearings that fit into a housing and these bearings may be purchased as stand-alone products to use as replacements. While standard radial ball bearings must be pressed into a machined shaft, using special installation tools, insert bearings can be slip fit directly onto the shaft.