AST is excited to announce the launch of our complimentary Bearing Life and Safety Factor Calculator, available for use here: https://www.astbearings.com/life-and-safety-factor-calculator.html

This tool was created by our team of bearing experts to simplify the process of choosing bearings and save you time, allowing engineers and designers to easily calculate bearing life and safety modulus with just a few inputs.

To use the calculator, simply:

1. Choose from one of the four available bearing series.
2. Select the bearing size (using the filter options in the left plane to narrow down if you’re unsure).
3. Click the green ‘Bearing Life and Safety Load Calculator’ button.

Users will then be able to view the selected bearing’s specs and be prompted to enter the applied radial/axial load forces (available in metric or imperial units) and the rotating speed of the bearing. Then click the ‘Calculate’ button.

The calculator will then display the L₁₀ basic rating life, which is the estimated number of rotations or hours of operation from the bearing system before the first event of flaking due to rolling fatigue of the raceway material or rolling element. The values will be displayed in both revolutions and hours.

For even more accuracy the calculator then provides further filters, allowing users to enter conditions for life reliability percentage, bearing properties, operating temperature and elastohydrodynamic conditions. When selections are made for these life adjustment factor fields, the bearing rating life is adjusted accordingly.

The tool also calculates the bearing safety factor. Normal operating conditions require a minimum safety factor of 1.0, but if the bearing system is subjected to possible shock loads an increase to 1.5 may be necessary. For silent and high accuracy rotation, a minimum safety factor of 2.0 should be considered. A higher safety factor will avoid the permanent plastic deformation condition caused by excess load between the raceway contact areas and the rolling elements.

We’re excited to share this exclusive, free-of-charge calculator as part of our commitment to providing our customers with Value Beyond the Part™ and further simplify the process of selecting the right bearing for every application. If you have any questions on how to use the calculation tool, or you have operating conditions outside of the available options, contact AST’s team of engineers for assistance.