New Ball Bearing Materials :  AISI 440C Stainless Steel vs. EN AC-51200 Aluminum

AISI 440C stainless steel belongs to the iron alloys classification, while EN AC-51200 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys. There are 28 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (5, in this case) are not shown. Please note that the two materials have significantly dissimilar densities. This means that additional care is required when interpreting the data, because some material properties are based on units of mass, while others are based on units of area or volume.

Most rolling element bearings are manufactured using rings and rolling elements fabricated from AISI 52100 degassed chrome bearing steel.While AISI 52100 chrome steel is exceptionally suited for many applications, there are other cases where special materials are required.

Criteria for these scenarios may include:

• Greater Corrosion Resistance
• Higher Temperature Durability
• Lower Temperature Durability
• Grease Free Use
• Lighter Weight

Applications common to these needs can be found in a variety of manufacturing processes and in military and medical equipment. For such sensitive applications, it is important to ensure the right materials are used for the job.Below is a list of some materials that can deliver on higher demands that the popular AISI 52100 can’t match:

AISI 440C Stainless Steel

Think of AISI 440C as your general purpose stainless steel.This martensitic stainless steel is used for inner and outer rings and ball bearings with applications in food processing machinery, cleaning equipment, LCD and semiconductor equipment, instrumentation applications and high temperature and high humidity environments.

AISI 440C offers:

Higher resistance to corrosion and chemicals versus 52100
Durability in high temperatures:
o   ZZ type (shielded) -40° F to +302° F
o   2RS type (sealed) -22° F to +230° F

Precision to ABEC 1-3 standards. Higher ABEC class bearings available upon request
Available up to 60mm bore
Extended inner rings with set screw mounting