Introduction

Whether you’ve worked with bearings for many years or are new to your position, you most likely already know that bearings have been in use for centuries. Because they work so well and seem to be such a relatively simple component within an application, bearings are taken for granted. They’re also often blamed incorrectly as the cause for equipment and product failure.

Our objective with this guide is to provide you with a basic understanding of the principles of bearing design and function. We will not attempt to discuss everything there is to learn about bearings—more advanced concepts will be covered in other guides. Whatever your level of familiarity, we hope you’ll find at least one piece of new information and, for those who have more experience with the subject, we hope that it will serve as a refresher course for you or assist you in training others.

Let’s begin by addressing some of the basic elements and principles common to all bearings.