What Are The Issues With Flange Mount Bearing?

There are various types of bearings and numerous applications can be hard to keep them all straight in line. Flange bearings are bearings mounted in a cast iron flange and used with other bearing types. There are three primary types of these Flange mount bearing which is the round or square four-bolt, the tri-cornered three-bolt, or the diamond-shaped two-bolt.

Common for most ball bearings to have flanges as options in their configurations, these bearings are used with ball bearings, plain bearings, needle roller and roller bearings. The flanges are aids in positioning, mounting, and operation, particularly for instrument or miniature bearings, but applicable to other bearing types, too.

Flange mount bearing provides support for a shaft that runs perpendicular to the bearing’s mounting surface. On external housings, flanges are used with bearings to help securely position them for reliable operation. Though problems can arise when high speeds or heavy loads create shaft flex, vibrations or axial load.

Issues That Cause Flange Mount Bearing Failure:

Dirt And Contaminants: This is very basic need for one and all machinery and parts. The presence of dirt and contaminants in the bearing needs to be maintained in order to keep the machine free flowing and trouble free. To maintain a high-functioning piece of machinery, frequent maintenance checks and cleaning of the equipment can be done using refined oil and clean rags. Poor care of the crankshaft will lead to a build-up of contaminants, which can restrict the movement of the thrust bearing.

Misalignment: As discussed, primary motive must be the cleaning factor for a well-functioning crankshaft with periodic dressing. In case, it is not completed, it is possible that the grinding wheel can begin to create “hot spots” damaging to overall operation. Hot spots are a sign that the thrust bearing is grinding against a surface and sparking may ensue.  This is a detrimental effect, and at this point it is best to complete wheel dressings using coolant to prevent any burn spots.

Overloading: Overloading can occur in one of two manners, such as loading using an improper crankshaft surface finish or with an improper crankshaft surface geometry. These are internal contributors to overloading which deals with the thrust bearing grinding against a surface or misaligned to the surface. Also, there is external difficulty where an external load may be too heavy for the crankshaft to manage. In both the cases, remove all the additional loads and repair the bearing using a ninety degree oil routine where the oil drips to the surface at a ninety degree to the outside diameter in order to resolve the issue.

Many flange bearings are commonly installed at the outer end of the shaft to provide low-friction, smooth rotary movement of the shaft. Also, when flange mount bearing is located in a way supportive to the shaft, these problems can be eased. Based on the speed and length of the shaft, the application may call for more than one bearing.