Ball Bearing Structure

A ball bearing consists of four basic components: the ball, inner ring, outer ring, and cage. General industrial ball bearings meet AISI 52100 standards. The balls and rings are typically made of high-chromium steel with a Rockwell C-scale hardness of approximately 61-65. The retainer, however, has a lower hardness than the balls and rings and can be made of metal (such as medium-carbon steel and aluminum alloy) or non-metallic materials (such as Teflon, PTFE, and polymer materials). Ball bearings have lower rotational friction than journal bearings, resulting in lower temperatures at the same rotational speed.