nhbb :: hitech engineering

cages

For Radial Ball Bearings
For Angular Contact, Gothic Arch, or Fractured Race Ball Bearings
For Cylindrical Roller Bearings

The cage, also referred to as the retainer or separator, is the component part of the bearing that separates and positions the balls or rollers at approximately equal intervals around the bearing raceway. Thus, proper selection of a bearing cage is critical for meeting the load, speed and temperature requirements of your specific application. In some cases, such as high load requirements, the choice may be a full complement design. NHBB should be contacted for optimum bearing design.

The most common bearing cages are shown below:

For Radial Ball Bearings:

Description	‡	Design	Material	Max. Speed-dN*	Operating Temp Max.	Comments	Typical Applications
Two-Piece Stamped, Crimped. Inner, Outer or Ball Piloted.	R RD		Steel	150,000	900°F.	General Purpose	Industrial
Two-Piece stamped, Riveted. Ball piloted	R6		Steel	250,000	900°F.	General purpose. Higher speed than crimped design	Motors, Generators
Two-piece stamped, Riveted. Land riding. Skirted	R5 R7		Phosphor bronze	1,000,000	400°F.	High speed	Transmissions, power Units
One-Piece Machined Crown	KE KF		Phenolic	600,000	300°F.	Moderate speed. Can be impregnated with oil	Medical, machine tools
One-Piece Molded Crown	M6 M7		Nylon with fiber reinforcement.	300,000	300°F.	Accepts misalignment, low noise level	Industrial applications, textile spindles, motors
Two-Piece machined, riveted	B1 B2		Bronze	1,000,000	500°F.	High speed and strength capabilities	Gearbox
	S1 S2		Steel with silver plate	1,500,000	900°F.	Very high speed/strength capabilities. Typically used with M-50 rings and balls	Aircraft engine & gearbox
	M3		Phenolic with aluminum side plates	1,000,000	300°F.	High Speed. Can be impregnated with oil	Starters/generators, high-speed motors

‡Typical Part Number Designation
*dN is bore (in millimeters) X RPM

For Angular Contact, Gothic Arch, or Fractured Race Ball Bearings:

Description	‡	Design	Material	Max. Speed-dN*	Operating Temp Max.	Comments	Typical Applications
Machined One-Piece	KV KM		Laminated Paper or Linen Phenolic	1,500,000	300°F.	Can be impregnated with oil. High Speed, quiet running	Spindles and High Speed Motors
Molded One-Piece	MN		Nylon with Fiber Reinforcement	750,000	300°F.	Moderate speed, general purpose, quiet running	Motors, Textile Spindles
Machined One-Piece	MX		Bronze	1,500,000	500°F.	High speed, thin cross section, good strength	Power Transmission, Aircraft Accessories
Machined One-Piece	M2		Steel, with Silver Plate	3,000,000+	900°F.	Very high speed & strength	Aircraft Accessories High Speed Transmissions
One-Piece Machined Inner or Outer Land Piloted with Ball Retention.	MP MQ		Bronze	1,000,000	350°F.	Good strength, moderate speed	Pump, Actuator, Accessory Gearbox
	B5 B6		Silicon-Iron Bronze	2,000,000	500°F.	High speed & strength	Gearboxes
	S3 S4		Steel With Silver Plate	3,000,000+	900°F.	Very high speed & strength	Mainshaft and Gearbox. High Reliability Applications
	K5		Phenolic	1,500,000	300°F.	Can be impregnated with oil	Motors and Spindles

‡Typical Part Number Designation
*dN is bore (in millimeters) X RPM

For Cylindrical Roller Bearings:

Description	‡	Design	Material	Max. Speed-dN*	Operating Temp Max.	Comments	Typical Applications
Machined One-Piece	S		Steel with Silver Plate	3,000,000+	900°F.	Very high speed & strength	Mainshaft and Gearbox
Machined One-Piece	B		80-10-10 Bronze or Equivalent	1,000,000	350°F.	Good strength, moderate speed	Pumps and Accessories.
Machined One-Piece	B		Silicone-Iron Bronze	1,500,000	500°F.	High speed & strength	Gearbox

‡Typical Part Number Designation
*dN is bore (in millimeters) X RPM