Ball Bearing Reduces Torque in Electrical Appliance Motors

Alow-torque ball bearing was developed to improve the operating efficiency of household electrical appliances. The bearing can be used in vacuum cleaner motors and air conditioner fan motors, for example.

The bore (8 mm), outside diameter (22 mm), and width (7 mm) dimensions of the low-torque bearing were kept the same as the standard bearing (No. 608) to allow for easy integration into existing designs (see figure). Both bearings also consist of a plastic cage, steel-plate shield, and seven balls.

Modification of internal features (PCD, ball diameter, etc.) resulted in reduced friction torque. Tests confirmed excellent torque reduction of 40 to 50 percent, particularly at high speeds. Processing the inner/outer ring and balls for high precision, and utilizing lithium soap grease, also made the low-torque bearing quieter than the standard design.
While the basic load rating of the low-torque bearing (load rating: static 910 N/dynamic 2,240 N) is lower than the standard bearing (load rating: static 1,370 N/dynamic 3,300 N), the actual applications endurance is mainly determined by grease life, and the requirement for a light load can be satisfied.

More Information
For more information on low-torque bearings from NSK Corporation (Ann Arbor, MI), contact Raman Joshi, manager of sales & marketing, at (734) 913-7304 or joshir@nsk-corp.com. Visit NSK online at http://info.ims.ca/5081-334.