For bearing production, material selection is the first step. The steel requirements for manufacturing various types of bearings are different. Today, the editor of the bearing manufacturer will learn about the basic requirements for material selection for manufacturing rolling bearings.

Five basic points for manufacturing rolling bearings made of steel:

1. Hardness

Hardness is one of the important qualities of bearings and has a direct impact on contact fatigue strength, wear resistance and elastic limit. The hardness of bearing steel in use conditions generally needs to reach HRC61~65, so that the bearing can obtain high contact fatigue strength and wear resistance.

2. Wear resistance

Bearing manufacturers have found that when the bearing is working, not only rolling friction but also sliding friction occurs between the rings, rolling elements and cages, causing constant wear of the bearing parts. In order to reduce the wear of bearing parts, maintain bearing accuracy and stability, and extend service life, bearing manufacturers recommend that when selecting materials, bearing steel should have good wear resistance.

3. Contact fatigue strength

Under the action of cyclic loads, the contact surface of the bearing is prone to wear, that is, cracking and peeling, which is the main damage form of the bearing. Therefore, in order to increase the service life of the bearing, the bearing steel must have high contact fatigue strength.

4. Processing performance

During the production process, bearing parts must go through many cooling and hot processing processes. In order to meet the requirements of large quantities, high efficiency, and high quality, bearing steel should have good processing properties. For example, cold and hot forming properties, cutting performance, hardenability, etc.

5. Anti-rust performance

In order to prevent bearing parts and finished products from being corroded and rusted during processing, storage and use, bearing steel is required to have good anti-rust properties.

Bearing manufacturers remind: In addition to the above basic requirements, bearing steel should also meet requirements such as appropriate chemical composition, uniform internal structure, few non-metallic inclusions, internal surface defects complying with standards, and surface decarburization layer not exceeding the specified concentration. These items are included in the raw materials. There are clear provisions in the standards.