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What is a Thrust Bearing?

A thrust bearing is a particular type of rotary bearing. Like other rotary bearings they permit rotation between parts, but they are designed to support a high axial load while doing this (parallel to the shaft). Different kinds of thrust ball bearings are used to support different amounts of axial load. Thrust ball bearings are used in applications that use little axial load, where a ring supports ball bearings. Spherical roller thrust bearings are used in applications that require high axial load, and can also support shafts that are out of alignment. Thrust bearings are used in higher speed applications that require oil lubrication, such as in the automotive and aerospace industries. Generally, thrust bearings are composed of two washers (raceways) in which those for ball bearings may be grooved, and the rolling elements.

Thrust Bearings Product Types

Thrust bearings come in several varieties including:

Are generally composed of two washers which are either flat or grooved (with raceways), while the rolling ball elements are caged. Ball thrust bearings are suitable for the following applications: lawn & garden, scissor, and platform lifts, and food processing equipment.

Designed to support higher axial loads compared to ball thrust bearings. They are a solution to the following industry applications: off-highway cranes, hydraulic cylinders, and escalators & elevators.

Ball Thrust Bearings

Cylindrical Roller Thrust Bearing Series

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Miniature Thrust Bearings

AST also specializes in miniature thrust bearings and small thrust bearings. Our ball thrust bearing metric series start with bores as small as 2.0 mm with flat raceways and 3.0 mm with grooved raceways with outside diameters of 6.0 mm and 8.0 mm respectively.

Some important factors when selecting thrust bearings from AST:

Thrust bearings must be kept in matched sets.
The bore (d dimensions) of one washer (smaller) in the set will conform to the specifications.
The bore (d dimension) of the mating washer will be ~ .007” larger because it is a clearance hole for the shaft.

AST Bearings is proudly presenting our new certificates for both the NJ and CA locations: AST Bearings’ ISO 9001:2015 Certificates

To learn more about what the ISO 9001 standard is, the differences between the 2015 and 2008 versions, and how AST verifies customer satisfaction: Learn About AST Bearings’ certification to ISO 9001:2015

Need Assistance Selecting A Thrust Bearings?

If you need help in selecting the best products for your particular application, please remember that design engineering and application assistance are available from AST as part of our value-added services designed to make your job easier.

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