Silicon nitride rolling elements for bearing applications
Silicon nitride rolling elements for bearing applicationsKeywords: Bearings, Silicone
Silicon nitride is a strong, tough, lightweight ceramic material, ideal for structural applications. When processed using the proprietary techniques developed by Ceradyne, Inc., an advanced technical ceramic manufacturing company located in Costa Mesa, California, it has outstanding mechanical reliability,wear resistance and contact fatigue resistance.
Ceradyne has developed silicon nitride to a level where valve trains of heavy-duty diesel engines, high-pressure common rail fuel pumps and unit fuel injection systems can operate under conditions where conventional metal parts fail. Ceradyne silicon nitride cam rollers operate at contact stresses of 1.0 to 2.4GPa (150,000-350,000psi) with no measurable wear to the silicon nitride or the companion metallic components. Silicon nitride forms outstanding wear resistance coupled with steel and cast iron, thus eliminating the primary mode of failure of metallic cam rollers, i.e. galling between the mating metallic components, resulting in increased reliability and reduced warranty claims.
Ceradyne has developed high-volume machining techniques that allow precise formation of crowned profiles on the outer diameters of cam rollers that result in minimum contact stress distributions on the ceramic and the mating metallic component, further increasing reliability of the system.
Ceradyne is using its silicon nitride and high-volume machining technology developed for the production of cam rollers to produce rolling elements for cylindrical roller bearings. Ceradyne's rollers have precision-machined crowned profiles designed to minimize stresses in the ceramic and metallic components. Silicon nitride allows cylindrical roller bearings to run at higher speeds with reduced friction, leading to increased reliability and longer life. Ceradyne's silicon nitride roller manufacturing technology allows bearing designers to advance the state of roller bearing technology in the same way that silicon nitride balls are revolutionizing the ball-bearing industry.
Further information about Ceradyne and its product lines can be found at: www.ceradyne.com
