{"id":14017,"date":"2025-02-06T08:08:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T14:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.misumiusa.com\/?p=14017"},"modified":"2025-03-07T13:55:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T19:55:54","slug":"selecting-bearings-for-harsh-environments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/us.misumi-ec.com\/blog\/selecting-bearings-for-harsh-environments\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Consider When Selecting Bearings for Harsh Environments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the wheels on a skateboard to the fan in your fridge, there are a variety of environments where bearings are used in our daily lives. But what about when your application requires much more resilience due to extreme conditions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what to consider when selecting a bearing to be used in harsh environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corrosion and Contaminants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bearings<\/a> are able to spin smoothly due to using round balls or rollers that have a small area of contact with the inner and outer rings, which greatly reduces friction. Applications such as mining or machining can have contaminants that are able to fall into the track and are likely to not only create more friction but also damage the bearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to protect your bearings in an environment that could have dust, debris, metal chips, and more is to add shields or seals to block particles from getting inside. If your application requires higher operating speeds and you still need to have some protection against contaminants, using shielded bearings will accomplish what you need but will not protect against any liquids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need a high level of protection from all contaminants, liquids included, seals will be the better option and bring the added benefit of less maintenance due to holding lubrication better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When water or corrosive chemicals are involved, stainless steel bearings<\/a> with seals or full ceramic bearings<\/a> are the best option to prevent any rusting or corrosion from occurring. Stainless steel bearings are capable of withstanding heavy loads and are easy to maintain, while ceramic bearings have a higher tolerance against corrosion and temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SFK
SFK Ceramic Deep Groove Ball Bearing<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Temperature Range and Lubrication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the temperature of the environment, caused by the weather or the application itself, key items to consider would be thermal expansion and lubrication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thermal expansion can cause a variety of issues, such as higher friction, misalignment, and reduced bearing life. To prevent issues, you could: <\/p>\n\n\n\n