Effect of Surface Roughness on the Friction Moment in a Ball Bearing

Ball bearings are crucial components in various machinery and mechanical systems, finding applications across numerous industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, robotics, and household appliances. Minimizing friction and wear in the bearings is essential to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and lifespan of equipment. Friction moments in ball bearings occur due to rolling-sliding motion at the ball-race contact and sliding between the ball and cage. The magnitude of these friction moments depends on factors such as surface topography, load, and speed. Understanding how surface topography influences the friction moments in these bearings is crucial. This paper investigates the effect of surface roughness on the friction moment between the ball and race contact, as well as between the ball and cage contact. An analytical model is employed to estimate the friction torque within ball bearings, considering the total friction torque generated at the contact points between the balls and the race, as well as at the ball-cage interface. A mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is used to estimate the friction coefficient at these contact points.