Ball bearings - a question

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So I was listening to the radio last night while I was cooking dinner and they have this segment called 'I don't get it'. It's where people call in with things they don't understand and other people call in with answers.One bloke called in with a really good question, but I missed the answer to it. I know someone here will be able to answer it. Here goes:How do they get the balls in a ball bearing?You've got the outer race, and the inner one. The balls are sandwiched between them. So how do they get the balls in there?ScottYeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:With a "ball peen hammer"?For Heavy-Duty bearings each race has a notch that when lined up are where the individual balls are inserted and then the cage that spaces them apart and holds them in place is installed followed by any shield(s) or seal(s) if so equipped.That's for heavy-duty beaings that have too many balls to allow just offsetting the races, place the required number of balls in the wide gap, center the races trapping the balls, space them out to install the cages and then shield(s)/seal(s) same as HD assemblies.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:I liked the hammer part of the explanation, but got a bit lost after that.I can visualize the notch, though.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:With all of the balls loaded to one side of the outer race the inner race simply drops in.  Then the cage is installed which evenly spaces the balls and now the inner race is permanently retained.  Kind of ruins the fun to know, doesn't it?
Reply:There is a bunch of video's about how bearings are made on youtube. I'd put one up here, but don't know how to do it.I am what I am, Deal with it!If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!
Reply:[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGyoMuE4gDQ[/ame]My name's not Jim....
Reply:How do they make ball bearings? One at a time.... Oh, getting them in, right...they use a bearing stuffer. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:I watched the video. Kept looking for the bloke with the hammer.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Why does it seem that every product they show being made on that show is from Canada?
Reply:Kelvin,The "How's it made" program is based in Canada.
Reply:Originally Posted by karchibaKelvin,The "How's it made" program is based in Canada.
Reply:Thanks for looking up the video, and posting it!!"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:They would have trouble doing a show here on stuff made in Australia, too.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Heard from a bearing rep that in order to get more balls in some series of bearings they compress the outer race and slightly spring it into an oval. He said as long as they don't go over a certain limit it will spring back into shape.
Reply:Originally Posted by KelvinWhy does it seem that every product they show being made on that show is from Canada?
Reply:Ball Bearings are made from lonf rolls of wire that are cut off in small slugs that are heated and pressed into a shape with a collar around the entire ball that is removed, it isn't much then they are heat treated and then chromed.......
Reply:Watched the video twice and still missed the main point:I thought that the inner and outer races were cupped enough that the balls cannot fall out.Which would make putting them in a real task, and the reason for this thread.Apparently, there is enough room for the balls to be installed, but at some point, that extra room is removed??  How? I'm sure that I'm missing something.....-az-
Reply:You're assuming that the inner and outer races are concentric when the balls are inserted.  That's not the case.Without the balls or the cages, the inner race is free to move.  Its positioned off-center, next to the outer race on one side, and that leaves space for the balls to be inserted on the opposite side (the inner race just sits there, nothing is holding it in place).Then a tool that looks like the world series trophy (hey, that's the best way I can explain it):http://www.soxualaddiction.com/image...004_trophy.jpgis inserted.  That tool will spread the balls evenly around the inner race, and as that happens, the inner race is locked in the center.  The cage is then inserted to keep the balls spaced, so the inner race cannot move.
Reply:And just to expand that slightly, "maximum capacity" or "filling slot" bearings are made essentially the same way, but they have more balls in them (smaller space between them) because the races actually have a small area where the edges are opened a little, to allow a few more balls to be placed.They have lower axial capacity, due to the filling slot, but greater radial capacity, due to the greater number of balls carrying load, for a given size bearing.In either case, the cage is put in from both sides, and fastened in place to itself, once the balls are spaced properly.
Reply:The light has been lit.  I get it, thanks for the explanation!-az-