Angular Contact Ball Bearings

Angular contact ball bearings are capable of taking radial loads and also axial loads in one direction. Four contact angles of 15º, 25º, 30º and 40º are available. The larger the contact angle, the higher the axial load capacity. For high speed operation, however, the smaller contact angles are preferred. Usually, two bearings are used in duplex pairs, and the clearance between them must be adjusted properly. Pressed steel cages are commonly used, however, for high precision bearings, polyamide resign cages are often used.

Double row angular contact ball bearings correspond in function to two single-row angular contact ball bearings arranged back-to-back. The double row bearings can also accommodate axial loads in both directions as well as tilting moments but are narrower.

Two designs of double row angular contact bearings are available, one with a one piece inner ring and the other with a split inner ring. The bearings with split inner rings are designed to take up heavy axial loads in both directions.

Single row angular contact bearings have only limited ability to accommodate errors in alignment, where double row angular contact ball bearings are concerned, angular misalignment can only be accommodated between the ball and the raceways by force.