A series of super-precision angular contact ball bearings (ACBBs) for the production of grease-lubricated spindles has been unveiled.

The bearings were developed in response to issues faced by manufacturers of machine tool spindles. Manufacturers noted that minimising noise and vibration levels during operation was key to improving confidence in the performance of their spindles.

Bearing cages in lower-speed spindles can make rattling noises during rotation. This is normal but can be mistaken for a sign that something is wrong with the spindle or its components.

The SKF Silent Series features a polyamide cage centred on the balls that minimises cage rattling during rotation. The purpose of the design is to achieve silent operation which, in turn, aims to increase the confidence of the end-user in the quality of spindles.

Furthermore, the manufacturer states that the bearings have an increased tolerance range on the bore and outside diameter, resulting in improved load sharing across the bearings when mounted in sets. This should improve spindle efficiency and reduce the amount of time spent during the validation and testing processes to select the appropriate bearings.

In addition, the manufacturer has developed an application, called the SuPB data manager app, that gives users access to the specifications of the bearings on smartphones and tablets.

The Data Matrix code on packages and bearings can be scanned to receive information on the exact marking of the bearing and when and where the bearing was manufactured.

The bearings are available in two designs, namely:

The D design 719 and 70 series, which is said to have a high degree of system rigidity and stiffness and a high power density for a compact design

The E design 70 series, which is said to demonstrate thermal stability across a range of operating speeds.