Application of Thin Section Radial Contact Bearings in New Energy and Automobiles

What is Thin Section Radial Contact Bearing

Thin section radial contact bearings are specially designed rolling bearings whose core feature is that the wall thickness of the rings (inner and outer rings) is significantly thinner than that of conventional bearings, typically only 1/3 to 1/2 of standard bearings. This structure allows it to provide efficient radial load support in confined spaces, while maintaining high stiffness and rotational accuracy. The design principle is based on the optimization of material mechanics, and by reducing the material thickness in the non-load-bearing area, it can achieve lightweight and compactness on the premise of ensuring the structural strength. Most of these bearings are deep groove ball bearings or angular contact ball bearings, and the contact angle between the raceway and the steel ball is controlled by a precision grinding process to ensure that the low friction characteristics can be maintained at high speeds.

Principle of Thin Section Radial Contact Bearings

The core of the working principle of thin section radial contact bearings is to achieve efficient load transfer and low-friction rotation in a confined space through material distribution optimization and precise structural design. Ring wall thickness, typically one-third that of conventional bearings, achieves performance breakthroughs through:

1. Load dispersion mechanism

The bearing adopts a deep groove ball or angular contact ball structure, and the rolling elements form point contact with the raceway. When radial loads are applied, the material in the contact area distributes the forces evenly throughout the raceway through elastic deformation, rather than concentrating them locally. The thin-walled design makes the stress distribution in the load-bearing area more reasonable by reducing the material in the non-load-bearing area, and avoids the stress concentration problem of traditional thick-walled bearings.

2. Dynamic balance design

The precision-ground raceways are matched with high-precision steel balls (or ceramic balls) to dynamically balance axial and radial loads by controlling the contact angle (typically 15°-40°). For example, angular contact bearings eliminate clearance by preloading, maintain stiffness at high rotations, and suppress vibration and noise.

3. Optimization of material mechanics

The stress distribution is accurately calculated by finite element analysis (FEA), and the non-bearing area is thinned under the premise of ensuring the strength of the critical bearing area. For example, the inner ring is designed to be thickened in the position of the fixing bolts, while the area away from the load is significantly reduced, reducing the overall weight by more than 40% while maintaining stiffness.

4. Friction control technology

Surface coatings, such as DLC coatings, reduce the coefficient of friction to less than 0.05 and, in combination with special greases such as high-temperature greases containing molybdenum disulfide, maintain stable lubrication at speeds above 15,000 rpm. Ceramic ball bearings (e.g. Si3N4) have a low density and coefficient of thermal expansion, which further reduces centrifugal force and thermal deformation.

5. Stiffness compensation mechanism

Thin-walled structures compensate for stiffness losses due to wall thickness reduction by optimizing the cross-section shape of the ferrule (e.g., with flange reinforcement). Experimental data show that the Type 6205 thin-walled bearing has only 1.2 times the deformation of the standard bearing at a radial load of 1,200N, while reducing the weight by 35%.

This design allows it to withstand the dynamic load of high-speed rotor rotation in new energy vehicle motors, such as 150kW permanent magnet synchronous motors, while meeting the needs of 30% reduction in the axial size of the motor. In the LiDAR rotating mirror system, its radial runout can be controlled within 5μm to ensure millimeter-level beam scanning accuracy.

Application of Thin Section Radial Contact Bearings in New Energy and Automobiles

The application of thin section radial contact bearings in the field of new energy vehicles is driving the innovation of electric drive technology. Its light weight and high load-bearing characteristics make it a core component of the motor and transmission system, for example, in permanent magnet synchronous motors, the thin  design can improve the power density and reduce frictional losses, and the ceramic coating technology can better cope with the challenges of high temperature and high speed. In addition to electric drive systems, these bearings are also widely used in lidar rotating structures and camera mounts to support the stable operation of intelligent driving sensors with millimeter-level accuracy, while resisting complex environmental interference through stainless steel and vacuum sealing technology.

In thermal management and auxiliary systems, thin-walled bearings also offer unique advantages. The electric compressor's ceramic ball bearings maintain low-friction operation in extreme temperatures from -40°C to 150°C, while the miniature bearings of the electric water pump ensure the reliability of the battery cooling system through a corrosion-resistant design. It is worth noting that the need for in-wheel motors and chassis lightweighting is driving the innovative application of double-row thin-walled bearings, whose carbon fiber-reinforced cages can achieve a 30% weight reduction while increasing load capacity, providing key support for distributed drive vehicles.

With the iteration of new energy vehicle technology, the trend of thin-walled bearing materials and intelligence is becoming more and more significant. The focus of research and development is on the electrical corrosion resistance of all-ceramic bearings in 800V high-voltage platforms, and smart bearings with integrated sensors are beginning to be used in predictive maintenance systems by monitoring vibration and temperature in real time. According to industry forecasts, the market size of special bearings for new energy vehicles will exceed 2.2 billion US dollars by 2025, which is not only due to the upgrading of traditional components, but also due to the structural innovation brought about by advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing.

Supplier of Thin Section Radial Contact Bearings

LTZC is a high-tech enterprise focusing on the R&D and manufacturing of thin section radial contact bearings, relying on precision machining technology and strict quality control system, providing ultra-thin cross-section, high-precision, low-friction bearing solutions for industrial automation, aerospace, medical equipment and other fields. Our products cover a series of deep groove ball/angular contact thin-walled bearings, supporting special designs such as customized hollow shafts, sealing protection, ceramic composite materials, etc., to meet the application needs of high-speed rotation, compact installation and extreme environments. If you need technical support for lightweight bearings, please feel free to contact us for a selection plan.