What Is a Bearing Retainer Pin?
A bearing retainer pin is a component used to secure a bearing in place. It is designed to match the size of the specific bearing, allowing the bearing to be positioned accurately and secured with a screw while maintaining the appropriate width. These pins are available separately from bearings and should be selected based on the size of the corresponding bearing.
Bearing retainer pins and bearing units are similar in function but differ in the method and direction of fixation.
Uses of Bearing Retainer Pins
Bearing retainer pins are used when bearings are purchased as standalone units. They facilitate easier replacement and repair by securing the bearing to a shaft or housing. While bearings typically require insertion into a housing and a shaft component, direct mounting can complicate replacement. The use of a retainer pin simplifies this process, as does the use of a bearing unit, albeit with a different fixing method.
Principle of Bearing Retainer Pins
The design of a bearing retainer pin is straightforward, resembling a bolt. One end has a threaded side, often with a hexagonal hole or similar feature for easy turning, like a hexagon socket head bolt. The opposite end has a diameter slightly larger than the bearing’s inner diameter, allowing it to hold the bearing securely when screwed in.
Adjacent to this larger diameter section is the part where the bearing is inserted, followed by a threaded section for securing the pin. For instance, if a bearing is hard-fitted into a structure or base and used with a rotating shaft, the shaft, and bearing can be fixed simply by drilling the specified tapped holes in the shaft. This arrangement allows for easy removal of the shaft by detaching the retainer pin, facilitating repair work.
Similarly, when using bearing units, the unit can be mounted by drilling a tapped hole in the structure or base, and the shaft can be installed. If two bearing units support a shaft with a loose fit, removing a bolt from one of the units allows for easy removal of the shaft, simplifying repairs.