An Improved Analytical Model for Prediction of Heat Generation in Angular Contact Ball Bearing

High cutting speeds and feed rates are essential requirements of a machine tool to achieve enhanced performance. The performance of high speed spindle is significantly influenced by the thermal behavior of bearings. The prediction of more accurate thermal behavior of spindle bearings largely depends on the quantification of heat generation at high speeds. In the present work, an improved analytical model for estimation of heat generation in angular contact ball bearings used in a high speed spindle is proposed. The proposed model takes into consideration the change in diametral clearance after assembly and during operation owing to thermal expansion of bearing parts, which in turn influences the gyroscopic and spinning moments contributing to heat generation. The analysis reveals that the proposed model predicts the heat generation of bearings which has minimal deviation with experimental values, at speeds >2,000 rpm compared to previous models.