316 Stainless Bearings Information
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The most common stainless steel grades used for bearings
are 420 and 440C grades. The main advantages of 400 grade
stainless are that it can be hardened and precision ground,
allowing for relatively high speeds. In some applications,
corrosion resistance is a more important factor. MBA offers a
range of unhardened, semi-ground bearings made from 316
stainless steel.
Advantages of 316 Stainless Steel Bearings
● Excellent corrosion resistance
● Lightweight
● Very Low Magnetic Permeability
● Hygienic
● Lubrication not necessary
● Low noise
● They can be run dry, or water lubricated and they are excellent for
applications requiring wash-down.
Disadvantages of 316 Stainless Steel Bearings
● Low load carrying and low speed at about 10% of a similar sized hardened
440C stainless or chrome steel bearing
● Unhardened, so they are only suitable for low load and low speed
applications.
● Tolerances are much higher than for hardened precision bearings.
Please note that 316 stainless steel has very low magnetic permeability. It is not
entirely non-magnetic.
Download the PDF 316 Stainless Bearings Info Sheet
See also 316 & Plastic Bearing Tolerances
Shop for 316 Stainless Steel Bearings