
A bearing surface in
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
is the
area
Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...
of contact between two objects. It usually is used in reference to
bolted joint
A bolted joint is one of the most common elements in construction and machine design. It consists of a male threaded fastener (e. g., a Bolt (fastener), bolt) that captures and joins other parts, secured with a matching female screw thread. Ther ...
s and
bearings, but can be applied to a wide variety of engineering applications. The choice of bearing surface depends on the application, load, speed, and operating conditions, and the design must be able to withstand high loads, resist wear and corrosion, and operate at high speeds.
On a
screw
A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the screw head, head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety ...
, the bearing area loosely refers to the underside of the head. Strictly speaking, the bearing area refers to the area of the screw head that directly bears on the part being fastened.
For a cylindrical bearing, it is the
projected area perpendicular to the applied force.
On a
spring, the bearing area refers to the amount of area on the top or bottom surface of the spring in contact with the constraining part.
[.]
The ways of
machine tool
A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, Boring (manufacturing), boring, grinding (abrasive cutting), grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some s ...
s, such as dovetail slides, box ways, prismatic ways, and other types of machine slides are also bearing surfaces.
See also
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Babbitt, an alloy that covers a bearing surface
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Bridge bearing
In structural engineering, a bridge bearing is a component of a bridge which typically provides a resting surface between bridge piers and the bridge deck. The purpose of a Bearing (mechanical), bearing is to allow controlled movement and thereby ...
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Pillow block bearing
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Plain bearing
file:NYC 100-driving-axle-friction-bearing.jpg, Plain bearing on a 1906 S-Motor locomotive showing the axle, bearing, oil supply and oiling pad
file:Linear-table with detail numbered.png, A sliding table with four cylindrical bearings
file:GWR Spo ...
References
Bibliography
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Bearings_(mechanical)
Mechanical engineering
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