Introduction to the relationship between the contact angle of the single row angular contact ball bearing and the axial load it bears- Ningbo Demy (D&M) Bearings Co., Ltd.

Single Row Angular Contact Ball Bearing is a bearing with a sophisticated structure and good performance. It is widely used in high-speed, high-precision and high-load mechanical equipment. One of its characteristics is the contact angle of the bearing, which directly affects the performance of the bearing, especially its ability to bear axial loads. The contact angle refers to the angle between the contact point line between the inner and outer ring raceways of the bearing and the steel ball and the radial plane of the bearing. In single row angular contact ball bearings, this angle is usually between 15° and 40°. The size of the contact angle determines the ability of the bearing to withstand axial loads, and also affects the rigidity and running stability of the bearing.

1. The larger the contact angle, the stronger the axial load capacity of the bearing. This is because when the contact angle increases, the contact area between the steel ball and the raceway increases, which can disperse a larger load to the steel ball and the raceway. The following is an analysis of the relationship between different contact angles and axial load bearing capacity.
15° contact angle: Single row angular contact ball bearings with a contact angle of 15° are mainly used in scenarios that require high-speed operation and small axial loads. Smaller contact angles allow bearings to maintain lower friction and temperature rise at high speeds, making them suitable for high-speed applications such as machine tool spindles and high-speed motors. However, due to the small contact angle, the bearing can only withstand smaller axial loads. If the axial load is too large, it may cause excessive wear on the contact surface between the ball and the raceway, shortening the service life of the bearing.
25° contact angle: Bearings with a 25° contact angle are a common medium choice that can withstand certain axial loads and operate at higher speeds. It can handle higher axial loads better than bearings with a 15° contact angle, while maintaining better running stability. For some applications that require a balance between axial loads and high-speed operation, such as automotive transmission systems or general industrial equipment, bearings with a 25° contact angle are a suitable choice.
40° contact angle: Single-row angular contact ball bearings with a 40° contact angle can withstand greater axial loads and are suitable for those occasions that require higher axial load capacity. For example, bearings with a 40° contact angle are often used in heavy machinery and equipment, wind turbines, and high-load machine tools. This type of bearing is characterized by its higher rigidity and stronger resistance to deformation, but due to the large contact angle, the friction coefficient also increases accordingly when running at high speed, which may lead to a faster temperature rise, thus affecting efficiency. Therefore, bearings with a 40° contact angle are usually used in working environments with lower speeds but need to withstand larger axial loads.

2. When bearing radial loads, the contact angle also plays an important role. A smaller contact angle is conducive to bearing higher radial loads because it enables the radial force to be transmitted more directly to the inner and outer rings of the bearing. However, the larger the contact angle, the smaller the bearing's ability to withstand radial loads because more force will be distributed along the axial direction. When selecting bearings, engineers must find a suitable balance between the contact angle and the radial and axial loads.

3. The choice of the contact angle of the bearing depends mainly on the load conditions and speed requirements in the application scenario. If the equipment needs to work at high speed and mainly bear radial loads, it is more appropriate to choose a bearing with a smaller contact angle, while in those application scenarios with large axial loads and relatively low speeds, bearings with larger contact angles will have more advantages. For example, in the wheel hub unit of an automobile, the bearing needs to bear the axial load and radial load from the vehicle's gravity and road impact, so a bearing with a contact angle of 40° is often selected. On the spindle of a precision machine tool, due to the requirements of high-speed operation and precision machining, a bearing with a contact angle of 15° or 25° is usually used.