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Bearing crush refers to a deliberate amount of interference built into a bearing shell that ensures a tight fit between the bearing and its housing bore when the engine or machinery is assembled.
Key Points:
- Purpose:
- Secure Fit: The primary purpose of bearing crush is to achieve a secure and tight fit between the bearing shell (usually the half bearing) and its housing bore.
- Eliminate Movement: It prevents the bearing from moving or rotating within its housing during operation, ensuring stability and alignment of the rotating shaft.
- Manufacturing Process:
- Interference Fit: Bearing shells are manufactured slightly larger in diameter than the housing bore they fit into.
- Assembly Compression: During assembly, the bearing is pressed or installed into its housing bore, causing the shell to deform slightly and exert pressure against the bore walls.
- Contact Surface: This deformation creates intimate contact between the bearing back (shell) and the housing bore, maximizing load distribution and minimizing movement.
- Measurement:
- Specified Dimension: Bearing crush is typically specified as a small percentage of the bearing shell’s wall thickness or diameter.
- Precision: Engineers carefully calculate and control the amount of crush to ensure optimal performance and longevity of the bearing assembly.
- Applications:
- Automotive Engines: Commonly found in engine bearings (main bearings, rod bearings) where precise alignment and load distribution are critical for engine performance and durability.
- Industrial Machinery: Used in various rotating equipment such as pumps, compressors, and turbines to maintain shaft alignment and reduce wear.
Summary:
Bearing crush is an intentional interference fit designed into bearing shells to ensure a tight and secure fit within their housing bores. It plays a crucial role in preventing movement, maintaining alignment, and optimizing load distribution in mechanical systems. Proper control and measurement of bearing crush are essential for ensuring reliable operation and longevity of bearings in automotive, industrial, and other applications where rotating shafts are supported.
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