Types of Bearings that Benefit from the Deep Draw Metal Stamping Process
The deep drawing process is considered a preferred metal stamping method for bearing components. Our bearing customers choose PMP because our technology can increase the life of a bearing. We can proficiently maintain shaped radiuses, tight dimensional tolerances, smooth inside surface finishes, uniformity of wall thicknesses, and concentricity of the outer dimensions.
There are several types of bearings however, the most known in deep draw metal stamping are:
- Needle Roller Bearings– utilize long, thin cylindrical rollers that look like needles. Drawn cup needle roller bearings consist of a thin-walled outer ring known as the raceway, a cage assembly and multiple needle rollers. These offer a higher load carrying capacity.
- Ball Bearings– comprise of metal balls that are located between two metal races. The inner races and balls are free to rotate and the outer race is stationary. These can handle high loads as well and have a long life.
The Importance of Using Quality Deep Drawn Bearing Components.
The quality and precision of bearing parts are critically important, especially when they are used in automotive deep draw applications such as engines, pulley supports, gear pumps, planetary gears, or transmissions. Paying less for lower-cost bearings can seem like a good cost-saving measure. However, when you consider the labor costs charged by auto mechanics and dealerships to replace bearing components, those savings quickly disappear.
In industrial applications faulty bearings can affect the reliability of equipment and cause machine downtime and production losses. Additionally, it is easy to imagine the negative impact on customer loyalty when there is a premature bearing failure in consumer goods like washing machines, lawn mowers, snow throwers, and similar products.
Unfortunately, some offshore factories frequently leverage a higher quantity to make a profit when manufacturing these bearings. With rising material and labor costs in the global market, these providers keep prices low by using cheaper materials, performing low-precision manufacturing, and doing a poor job of inspecting finished parts.
As explained in our blog titled “The importance of raw material quality in the deep draw metal process” defects in materials adversely impact the service life of parts. Since any tears, porosity, or inclusions in the raw material can hinder the integrity of the bearing causing a premature failure.
The uniformity of the wall thickness on the drawn cup is another characteristic that plays an important role in maintaining a uniform loading profile on the bearing part. At Prospect Machine Products, special inspection procedures are used to ensure that this characteristic is maintained within print specifications.
Ultimately, there are many characteristics of bearing components that can lead to premature failure when inadequate materials, forming processes or inspection procedures are used. Buying low-priced bearing components can come back to haunt you!
Tell Us About Your Bearing Project
Have a bearing project where precision, quality, and on-time delivery are crucial? Contact us! Email n.spaeth@pmpdeepdraw.com or call 203-758-4448 extension 25 for our Sales Manager, Nicole Spaeth.
