The cage instability of angular contact ball bearing under high speed conditions

As a key component of machines, angular contact ball bearings are continuously required to operate at high speeds, cage instability has become a prominent problem, which will seriously affect the performance and service life of bearings. In this study, cage instability is investigated based on the dynamic model considering gross skidding and the interaction between balls and raceways, cage, and guiding surfaces. The impact force and friction between the ball and cage pocket, as well as the cage instability under varying situations, are studied. The results indicate that a lower friction coefficient and a lower elastic modulus of the cage may improve cage stability, but a bigger cage pocket clearance will result in cage instability under high-speed conditions. This study may offer recommendations for enhancing the motion stability of the cage.