Research and Testing

Equipment, Programmes, Techniques and Projects. In many applications for which Hoffman precision bearings are utilized, such as gyros and inertial navigation equipment, the bearing contact angle is critical. The bearing contact angle is the angle between a plane perpendicular to the bearing axis and a line extending through the points of contact of a bearing ball with the raceways of the inner and outer rings. Measurement of this angle provides an extremely good check on the general geometrical accuracy of the various components in the bearing. It has also been established on certain applications that if a bearing is to function correctly for a pre‐determined operational life, then the contact angle must be within closely defined limits. In the case of gyros it is essential that the bearings used have the correct contact angle, as specified in the design, since the isoelastic properties this imparts are of great importance to the performance of the instrument.