Bearing operating clearance

Specification of the bearing operating clearance.

For rolling bearings, the bearing operating clearance is defined as the maximum possible path of the bearing inner ring from the contact to the rolling element and the bearing outer ring on the one side, and up to the contact on the opposite side.

For bearings with a contact angle of $\alpha$ = 0°, the radial clearance must be specified; for bearings with a contact angle of $\alpha$ ≠ 0°, the axial clearance must be specified.

In adjusted bearing arrangements, the operating clearance is determined by the specification of an axial clearance or axial preload between two or more bearings. In this case, the operating clearance is not specified for the individual bearings.