What is a thrust bearing?
Thrust bearings are bearings that carry purely axial loads and consist of a cage, which retains the balls, sitting between two flat or grooved washers. Below, we'll delve into miniature thrust ball bearings with flat washers.
Miniature thrust ball bearings with flat washers
Our miniature thrust ball bearings with flat washers are suitable for shaft sizes ranging from 2mm to 10mm and will support axial loads in both directions.
The flat washers are of equal size unlike grooved washers. The grooved washer alternative has a raceway in each washer.
Chrome steel is the most common material used for the washers and balls because of its high load capacity. These three-part bearings have a design that supports axial loads, meaning they do not provide support for radial loads.
As the washers lack a raceway, they are suitable for low-speed applications. Axial thrust is the force applied along the axis, also known as the axial direction. In addition, the load capacity is much lower than thrust bearings with grooved washers.
We supply our flat washer thrust bearings with a brass cage and have them available from stock in the UK.
Temperature restrictions
You can use chrome steel thrust bearings at temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius constantly or up to 150 degrees Celsius occasionally. To reach these temperatures, the bearings require the right lubricant.
Chrome steel has a reduced load capacity above these temperatures. You cannot use these bearings in corrosive environments as the chrome steel material is not corrosion resistant. However, we add a layer of preservative oil to coat chrome steel thrust bearings to protect them against moisture.
Chrome steel is a great choice because of its low-noise characteristics, high strength and affordability.
Thrust bearing lubrication
At SMB Bearings, we have an in-house relubrication facility to clean and relubricate bearings from our stock and customer-supplied bearings. We can offer our thrust bearings with customer specified oils, greases or dry lubricants.
Click on INFO in the rows below to display technical drawings of the miniature thrust bearings with load and speed data.
Please note that we use the maximum loads and speeds in theoretical life calculations. To make bearings last longer, we recommend using them at lower loads and speeds than their maximum ratings.
See product table below for dimensions and technical drawings
See Products Variants below to learn more about our grooved washer options
Get in touch with our experienced team today by emailing sales@smbbearings.com or fill in the contact form.
