Three ways to guide bearing cages
Published on:
2025-08-08 11:22
As a crucial component of bearings, the cage guides and separates the rolling elements. This guiding function actually refers to correcting the movement of the rolling elements. This correction is achieved through the collision between the cage and surrounding components. There are three general bearing cage guidance methods: rolling element guidance, inner ring guidance, and outer ring guidance.
Rolling element guidance
The standard design generally uses rolling element guidance, such as in short cylindrical roller bearings. With rolling element guidance, the cage does not contact the ribs of the inner and outer rings, making the cage universally usable. However, at high speeds, as the speed of the rolling elements increases, rotational instability can occur. Therefore, rolling element guidance is suitable for medium speeds and moderate loads, such as in gearbox bearings.
Outer ring guidance
The outer ring is generally stationary, and outer ring guidance facilitates the flow of lubricant into the guide surfaces and raceways. High-speed gearboxes utilize oil mist lubrication, and using a rotating inner ring guidance would displace the oil. The retainer of an outer ring-guided bearing is located on the side of the rolling elements closest to the outer ring. During bearing operation, the retainer may collide with the outer ring, causing the retainer to be misaligned.
Inner ring guidance
The inner ring is typically a rotating ring and provides rolling elements with drag torque during rotation. If the bearing load is unstable or light, slippage may occur. The cage is guided internally, and an oil film is formed on the guide surface of the cage. Due to the friction of the oil film, the inner ring of the non-load area provides a drag force to the cage, thereby increasing the additional driving torque of the cage on the rolling elements and preventing slipping.
The inner ring guided bearing cage is located near the inner ring of the rolling element. When the bearing is running, the cage may collide with the inner ring of the bearing, thereby correcting the cage position.
All three cage guidance methods may appear in different types of bearings, due to performance reasons as well as the design and manufacturing of the bearing itself. Engineers can choose according to their needs.
The performance differences between these three cage-guided bearings are primarily reflected in their speed performance under different lubrication conditions. Bearings with all three cage types can be used with both oil and grease lubrication.
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