Rolling and plain bearings.

Significant advantages over steel bearings are v.a. the longer bearing life, the higher speed range, better emergency running properties and much more.

Ceramic plain bearings are particularly popular in the chemical industry, plant engineering and special mechanical engineering. There, it is a question of bearing components having a particularly long service life, resistance to abrasion and possibly corrosion, and high resistance to “adhesive fretting”. The ceramics often manage without separate lubricants. Instead, it can be used under media lubrication, while still being able to build up a tribologically advantageous, hydrodynamic lubricating film.

Electrically isolated area due to ceramic balls

Up to now, rolling bearing technology has mainly used hybrid bearings in which the inner and outer rings are made of steel and the balls or cylindrical, tapered or barrel rollers are made of silicon nitride ceramics.

Major advantages over steel bearings are longer bearing life, better emergency running properties, lower operating temperatures at higher speeds. In addition, the ceramic balls create an electrically isolated area between the inner and outer rings. In addition, when hybrid bearings are used in precision machining equipment, the higher rigidity and lower thermal expansion ensure better surface quality and precision of the machined workpieces.

In full ceramic rolling bearings, both the balls and the rings are made of ceramic. They are preferred when aggressive or abrasive media cannot be kept away from the bearings or when high operating temperatures make the use of ceramics indispensable.