Course 304: Bearings Also available in Spanish.

Covers principles and applications of various types of bearings, including plain journal, ball, and roller bearings. Explains installation, inspection and repair of bearings. Deals with specialized bearings, including powdered-metal, nonmetallic, and hydrostatic bearings. Covers bearing seals, lubrication, and maintenance practices.

Lesson 1 - Bearings and Shafts

Topics:

Bearing classification and selection; Shaft materials and stresses; Vibration; Critical speed; Fits and clearances

Learning Objectives:

• Name the two main categories of bearings and cite their advantages.
• Identify bearings by the kind of support they provide.
• Describe the three kinds of stresses acting on shafts.
• Explain natural frequency of vibration and critical speed.
• Name and describe three classes of fits.

Lesson 2 - Plain Journal Bearings I

Topics:

Features, types, and advantages; Lubrication; Lubricating grooves; Seals; Split bearings; Bearing design; selection

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the function of lubricating grooves.
• State two reasons for using seals on plain bearings.
• Name the principal types of plain journal bearings.
• Describe the structure of two kinds of precision inserts.
• Define crush and spread.

Lesson 3 - Plain Journal Bearings II

Topics:

Materials; Score resistance; Load capacity; Fatigue strength; Conformability; Embeddability; Corrosion and temperature resistance; Relining

Learning Objectives:

• Name and explain the characteristics that are most important in materials for bearings.
• State advantages and disadvantages of the standard types of bearing materials.
• Describe standard practices for inspecting bearings.
• Explain bearing repair procedures.

Lesson 4 - Antifriction Bearings I

Topics:

Operating principles; Bearing and cage materials; Lubrication; Seals and shields; Tolerances; Fits; Standard and precision bearings; Running accuracy

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the functions of the various parts of a typical rolling-element bearing.
• Explain the three elements of the AFBMA code.
• Define the categories of tolerances for ball bearings.
• Describe the factors that influence running accuracy of bearings.

Lesson 5 - Antifriction Bearings II

Topics:

Environment; Mounting; Radial and axial clearance; Fixed and floating bearings; Fits; Alignment; Mounting methods; Selection

Learning Objectives:

• Name the factors that must be considered in the design of antifriction bearings.
• Describe the process of checking adequate running clearances for bearings.
• Explain the reasons for using fixed and floating bearings together.
• Describe the common methods of mounting bearings.

Lesson 6 - Ball and Roller Bearings

Topics:

Ball and roller bearing design; Single-row radial, single- and double-row angular contact bearings; Two-piece, inner-ring bearings; Roller bearings

Learning Objectives:

• Name the three basic ball bearing designs and describe their characteristics.
• Explain the purposes served by the basic roller bearing shapes and their variations in typical applications.

Lesson 7 - Specialized Bearings

Topics:

Thrust, self-aligning, linear-motion, mounted, instrument, ungrounded ball, powdered-metal, nonmetallic, and hydrostatic bearings

Learning Objectives:

• Identify ten specialized bearings.
• Describe a specific function or application of each of these bearing types.

Lesson 8 - Bearing Seals

Topics:

Seal functions; Terminology and classifications; Labyrinth seals; Special seals; Selection and application; Seal materials; Mechanical seals

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the functions of bearing seals.
• Describe the construction and operation of labyrinth and oil seals.
• Explain the two classification systems for oil seals.
• Name typical applications for the different kinds of seals.

Lesson 9 - Lubrication

Topics:

Lubrication practices and equipment; Oil and grease lubrication; Packing; Manual, natural, and automatic lubrication devices and systems

Learning Objectives:

• State typical applications for oil lubrication of bearings.
• Detail the cleaning procedures for different oil lubrication systems.
• Discuss the three qualities that are the bases for selecting a grease lubricant.
• Give five easy rules for lubricating bearings.

Lesson 10 - Bearing Maintenance

Topics:

Maintenance, cleaning, and installation; Mounting and removing bearings; Loading patterns; Failure terminology

Learning Objectives:

• Identify a principal cause of early bearing failure.
• Describe installation procedures for antifriction and plain journal bearings.
• Name the different types of bearing failure and their causes.
• Tell how bearings should be cleaned and lubricated after inspection.