Bearings. Premium solutions to your bearing needs.

Bearings are used to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. Bearings are classified based on their type of operation, the directions of the loads applied to parts, or the motions they allow.

Plain bearings are the most commonly used, and involve a shaft rotating in a hole. Rolling-element bearings, such as ball or roller, are based on an element rotating between two rings. Jewel bearings can also be found, made of an ultrahard glassy jewel material to reduce friction and wear, fluid bearings where the load is supported by a gas or liquid, magnetic bearings which are supported by a magnetic field, or flexure bearings where the motion is supported by a load element that bends. The reduction of friction by bearings is dependent on its shape, material, fluid, and field, as well as its exposure to air pressure.

Servicing and maintenance of bearings will be affected by factors such as time, wear, lubrication, temperature, handling, installation, and material defects. Periodic maintenance is recommended to prevent premature failure of the bearings and associated equipment, and can involve the use of seals and application of greases for lubrication.