Full Ceramic Self Aligning Bearings are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common steel 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 Self Aligning Bearings can have a retainer typically made from PEEk and PTFE.
Full Ceramic Self Aligning 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 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 Self Aligning Bearings are non-conductive.
A Full Ceramic Self Aligning Bearing has two rows of balls and a one, concave spherical raceway in the outer ring. As a result the bearing is self-aligning and insensitive to misalignments of the shaft in relation to the housing. Full Ceramic Self Aligning Bearings are particularly suitable for applications where considerable shaft misalignment is to be expected. Full Ceramic Self Aligning Bearings also have the lowest coefficient of friction of all rolling bearings so it is capable of running cooler at higher temperatures.