Motor and Gearbox Bearings

In order for any automobile form of transport to work correctly and efficiently they need to be fitted with motor and gearbox bearings. They are crucial components to the working of motors and gearboxes.

In our society today, thanks to electrical motors and gearbox speeds there is a requirement for the bearings of these two aspects to cater for higher radical loads and a greater carrying capacity. Due to this you are now able to get a hold of precision ball bearings that have been designed and created to provide smooth and quiet operation as well as adding a longer life to the application.

It is thanks to the increased loads and greater carrying capacity that is being placed onto motor and gearbox bearings that many industries and designers are seeking to reduce the size and weight of products to improve market competitiveness without any loss of reliability or life.

Many people often don’t know when they need to replace the bearings within a motor or gearbox. If you are in this position then I have a few tips for you. If you can hear a rumbling sound with the car ticking over then it is a good idea to push in the clutch; if the noise stops when you do this then you have noisy gearbox bearings. What this means is that the bearings may not be too worn but it acts as an indication that they will need renewing soon. If however the rumbling sounds more like grating then your bearings have worn down and they will need to be replaced as soon as you can.

Bearings are extremely critical components within any motor or gearbox as they can be subjected to a very demanding regime. The bearings within your motor or gearbox will be subjected to raised temperatures, which come as a result of high loads and operating speeds but also from severe ambient conditions and lubricant which will feature inherent contamination.

You are able to get motor and gearbox bearings in a variety of sizes as well as being specially designed to cater for low noise and vibration. The sizes of these bearings are generally available from 3mm shaft size up to 40mm. So whatever you need you are able to get the size bearing you need to do the job. But just what exactly are the basic necessities of electric motor bearings?

There are certain aspects that you need from your motor and gearbox bearings such as the following:

• Emergency running capability at very high temperatures
• Shutdown and restart capability
• Long service life at normal motor temperatures
• Satisfactory performance in cold climates
• Quiet operation and re-lubrication options

The way that bearings for motor and gearboxes are designed usually feature a deep groove radial, angular contact ball and cartridge bearings. Due to their design they have enhanced internal tolerances, lubrication, seals and shields, which ensure limited vibration and noise. They may also have contact or non-contact seals or shields.

Using the right bearings and ensuring that these bearings are taken care of is essential to the running of your motor and gearbox so make sure that you get the best and keep your eye on them.

For all of your Motor and Gearbox Bearings visit Howcroft Industrial Supplies. Even if they don’t have the Bearings in stock they can order them in especially for you.

Motors

The history of motors is something that that goes back to times when the fundamentals of electromagnetic induction were first introduced. Since then the core function of these motors remains the same, which is to convert electrical current into mechanical force.

Since the introduction of the motor there have been many different versions developed such as the following types of motors:

• AC motors - the most popular and simple form of an AC motor is the three-phase AC induction motor, which is also known as the squirrel cage motor.
• Stepper motors – these are electro-mechanical devices that convert current into torque output
• DC motors – these motors convert mechanical force into electrical energy through the use of a generator or dynamo. This form of motor can be divided into two types, which are brushed DC motors and brushless DC motors
• Linear motors – this form of motor produces linear force along it’s length instead of the conventional torque that is seen in other motors

All of these represent forms of electric motors, which are practically used everywhere around us. Nearly everything we use throughout our home requires the use of an electric motor. For example your microwave, fridge freezer, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer and car heaters and radiators all require the use of an electric motor. So just exactly how do these motors work?

Motors use electromagnetic fields that are used to generate motion. They function on the principle of magnetism. Most, but not all, work on the concept that there is a fixed magnet on the outside, which is called the field magnet and inside lies an armature that carries the current. As soon as the current passes through the wired armature it turns into an electromagnet with opposite polarity to the field magnet.

Due to there wide use motors play a key role to many businesses and the construction industry. So if you find yourself in need of a specific motor then you have come to the right place.

Here at Howcroft Industrial Supplies we are leading experts in all materials and tools associated with the construction industry. We can pretty much supply you with any form of motor that you need, even if we don’t currently keep it in stock. This is thanks to the fact that we are able to order in a vast array of motors to cover all of your needs.

Gearboxes

Gearboxes are a piece of machinery that consist of gears and wheels. This piece of machinery is generally used to transfer force and movement. They are used in a variety of ways but the main use of a gearbox comes in the use of automobiles such as cars.

When used in vehicles such as cars, gearboxes come in two types, which are manual and automatic; manual gearboxes do however generally dominate the car market. Manual gearboxes are cheaper, lighter and usually provide an overall better driving performance. It is factors such as these that make many people opt for manually driven cars as oppose to automatic.

Gearboxes that are used in manually driven vehicles come in two basic types, which are as follows:

• A rugged sliding-mesh or unsynchronized / non-synchronous system – this is where straight-cut spur gear sets are spinning freely but must be coordinated by the vehicle operator who needs to match the engine revs to the road speed in order to avoid noise and damage to the gearbox.
• The common constant mesh gearboxes, which can include non-synchronised, or synchronized / synchromesh systems, where diagonal cut helical (and sometimes double-helical) gear sets are constantly meshed together.

As I previously mentioned there are two main types of gearboxes that are used when it comes to vehicles, the second of these main types is an automatic gearbox. An automatic gearbox will select an appropriate gear without any operator instruction. So how exactly does an automatic gearbox work?

Automatic gearboxes primarily use hydraulics in order to select the most appropriate gear. The way in which this choice is made depends on the pressure that is exerted by the fluid within the transmission assembly. So rather than using a clutch to engage the transmission, a torque converter is placed between the engine and transmission. Automatic gearboxes do generally have poorer fuel consumption than a manual gearbox, which is why people generally opt for a manual gearbox vehicle.

If you are involved in a particular industry or construction trade where the use of gearboxes is high and you are in need of certain parts for a gearbox or if you require an entire new one then you have come to the right place as here at Howcroft Industrial supplies we are experts when it comes to all aspects of gearboxes and can provide you with all of the parts and help that you could ever need.

For more information or to order any supplies please feel free to contact us today and we will do everything possible to help you with your enquiry or with your purchase.