Ball Bearings Magnets

By: Jason Petrina



You may not have given much thought to the matter, but there’s a good chance that ball bearings are used in many of the products that you use and enjoy each and every day. For example, if you happen to enjoy inline skating, you might be surprised to know that your skates just would not function the same without ball bearings. There are actually a number of different kinds of bearings, but the ones we hear about the most often are ball bearings, even if we may not always be aware of some of the most common uses for ball bearings.

The theory behind ball bearings is that it helps a wide variety of items and materials, both small and large, to move more easily. When an item is moved through rolling, rather than sliding, the thrust of the load is reduced. In addition to the fact that ball bearings make it easier to move things due to a reduced thrust load, it is also possible to move items much faster when ball bearings are in place. This is because when items slide across a surface, friction is created. The friction actually serves to slow down the moving process. Since no friction is created during the rolling movement, items can be faster.

The type of ball bearing that is used will generally depend on the type of load that needs to be carried. There are two primary types of loads, radial and thrust. The location of the bearing will generally dictate whether radial, thrust or a combination of the two types of loads will need to be utilized. One of the most common examples of a radial load ball bearing is when bearings are used to support motors and pulleys. In this case the radial load is placed on the motor, forming a triangle in which the pulleys are located at the adjacent corners. Swivel barstools, on the other hand, utilize thrust load ball bearings. The weight of the load is distributed from the weight of the individual sitting on the barstool. In other situations, it may be necessary to utilize both radial and thrust load ball bearings. The hubs of car wheels utilize this kind of scenario in which the radial load is distributed from the weight of the car and the thrust load is produced from cornering forces when the car approaches a turn.

While it may seem as though the use of ball bearings is a relatively new and modern concept, in fact it’s a rather ancient idea. The Egyptians are believed to have been one of the first civilizations to have utilized the idea of ball bearings when they used them to maneuver large sections of stones in the building of the ancient pyramids. At that time, logs were used to form the ball bearings. Today, ball bearings are still used in a variety of unique and interesting manners, particularly when either building or moving large structures. Ball bearings are frequently used in the building of structures in earthquake prone areas in order to support the weight of the building. The ball bearings allow the columns that rest upon them to be able to move with the ground as it is shifted by the earthquake. This reduces the risk of the building collapsing. After the ground has settled, the structures move back to their original position with the force of gravity. The San Francisco International Airport is just one of the buildings have been constructed using this method. 5 foot diameter ball bearings rest on each of the 267 columns that comprise the airport and allow the columns to move twenty inches in any direction in the event of an earthquake in the area.



Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com