Bearing cage, also known as bearing retainer, is one of the main parts of a bearing. Bearing cage is a bearing part that partially wraps all or part of the rolling body and moves with it to isolate the rolling body, and usually also guides the rolling body and keeps it in the bearing. When a rolling bearing is in operation, especially when the load is complex and rotating at high speed, the cage is subjected to great centrifugal force, shock and vibration, and there is large sliding friction between the cage and the rolling element, and a large amount of heat is generated. Force and heat together will lead to cage failure, serious will cause cage burns and fracture, resulting in the normal operation of the bearing. Therefore, the requirement of the cage material in addition to a certain strength, but also must have good thermal conductivity, small friction factor, good wear resistance, impact toughness, less density and expansion coefficient and rolling body close. In addition, the stamping cage needs to withstand the more complex stamping deformation, but also requires the material has good processing performance. In some extremely demanding cage above some will also be a layer of silver. Similar to the rolling body expansion coefficient and good processability. In addition, the cage also subject to chemical media, such as lubricants, lubricant additives, organic solvents and coolants. Cage cage in rolling bearings have four basic roles. 1、Separating the rolling element. 2、Keep the rolling body itself or keep it with a collar. 3、Guiding the rolling body to roll on the correct track. 4、To the rolling body orientation, reduce friction. Cage material Commonly used cages are mainly metal cages and non-metal cages according to material types. There are also composite cages and so on. The types of cage material are: mild steel stainless steel cage, rubber wood / plastic (nylon) cage, brass / bronze / aluminum alloy cage, etc.. Special purpose bearing cage should also meet the requirements of special working conditions. Such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, self-lubricating (used in vacuum) or non-magnetic, etc. Steel cage material Due to high strength, good toughness, easy processing and other characteristics, steel cage material is commonly used in rolling bearings. Often used 08 and 10 high-quality carbon steel sheet cold stamping. In addition, can also be used according to the need for other mechanical processing methods to obtain. Commonly used steel cage materials are 20, 30, 45, 0Cr18Ni9, 1Cr18Ni9Ti, 40CrNiMo, ML15, ML20, etc. Steel cages are generally heat treated to eliminate stress and restore plasticity. Including high temperature tempering, recrystallization annealing, etc. In order to reduce the friction coefficient of steel cage, the finished cage must be surface treated when necessary. Non-ferrous metal cage material Unlike steel, non-ferrous metals have their special properties, for example, aluminum alloy has the characteristics of low density, good thermal conductivity and good corrosion resistance; copper alloy has the characteristics of good thermal conductivity, small coefficient of friction, good formability and high operating temperature; zinc-aluminum alloy has the advantages of low cost, low density and excellent performance. Non-metallic cage materials Non-metallic cage materials mainly include polymers and their composite materials, including nylon, phenolic tape, polytetrafluoroethylene, etc. Polymer materials have good strength and elasticity matching. Good sliding properties make the polymer cage in the relative motion with the lubricated rolling element surface produces only a small amount of friction, which can make the bearing heat and wear to a minimum. In conditions of lubricant deficiency, the polymer cage still has excellent motion characteristics. This ensures that the bearing will continue to operate for a period of time without damage. Because of the low density of polymers, cages made from them have a low inertia. In addition to the pure material, the cage is also made of modified polymer material. Other materials are used for filling or reinforcement. Brass cage There are two kinds of stamping and solid, stamping is only suitable for small and medium-sized. Brass plate, brass castings or brass forgings brass has high tensile strength, mechanical strength and steel plate stamping cage, but the density is relatively small, high limit speed. Not affected by lubricants, including synthetic oils and greases; brass cages cannot be used above 300°C, not suitable for use in ammonia (e.g. cooling) because ammonia causes seasonal breakage of brass, working temperature below 300°C. Polyamide (Nylon 66) cage Solid cage (injection molding method), the material is polyamide (nylon 66); polyamide nylon material elasticity and light weight advantages, this cage has very good sliding and self-lubricating properties. Especially suitable for the case when there is vibration shock stress or high acceleration and deceleration speed or when the inner and outer rings of the bearing appear tilted to each other; working temperature is lower than 120° greater than -40°, too low temperature will make the nylon lose elasticity. Use restrictions. (1) polyamide nylon cage may be affected by special lubrication (corrosive additives in the lubricant) (2) Cannot be applied in vacuum because it will become brittle due to dehydration. Cage fracture causes In most cases, the bearing cage will not be damaged under reasonable working conditions, but the wrong operation in daily production will reduce the service life of the bearing cage, the following look at what causes the bearing cage to break. 1、Bad lubrication of bearings Bearing operation in a poor oil state, easy to form a sticky wear, so that the working surface state deterioration, sticky wear generated by the tear easy to enter the cage, so that the cage generated abnormal load, may cause the cage fracture. 2, bearing creep phenomenon Creep refers to the sliding phenomenon of the collar, in the case of insufficient interference with the surface, due to sliding and the load point to the surrounding direction, resulting in the collar relative to the shaft or shell to the circumferential direction position deviation phenomenon. 3, bearing cage abnormal load Installation is not in place, tilt, excessive interference and other easy to cause clearance reduction, intensify friction heat, surface softening, premature abnormal spalling, with the expansion of spalling, spalling foreign body into the cage pocket hole, resulting in cage running block and generate additional load, intensify the cage wear, so the deterioration of the cycle of action, it may cause cage fracture. 4, bearing cage material defects Cracks, large foreign metal inclusions, shrinkage, bubbles and riveting defects lack of nails, pad nails or two halves of the cage surface gaps, serious riveting injuries may cause the cage fracture. 5, bearing hard foreign body intrusion The intrusion of foreign hard foreign body or other impurity things, intensify the wear of the cage. 6、The cage is broken The main reasons for damage are: cage vibration, excessive speed, wear and foreign body blockage. 7、Cage wear Imported bearing cage wear can be caused by insufficient lubrication or abrasive particles. 8、Roller foreign body blockage Flake material or other hard particles of debris may become wedge-shaped cage and rolling elements between the latter to prevent the latter around its own axis. 9、Vibration of bearing When the import bearing contact vibration, inertia force can be large enough to cause fatigue cracks formed in the cage material sooner or later these cracks lead to keeper fracture. 10, bearing rotation speed is too fast If the import bearing is running in excess of the keeper design speed, the inertia in the keeper may lead to keeper fracture of gravity. Usually, at very high speeds are relevant and can be used with a special design of bearing selection retainer.

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