Combination Options for Angular Contact Bearing Arrangements

Angular Contact Bearings must be purchased and installed in sets for machine applications to function correctly.

Angular contact bearing arrangements help your application achieve maximum productivity and efficiency.

Precision Bearing Arrangements are Important

To function properly, a precision angular contact bearings (ABEC 7 and up) needs to be preloaded against each other (or against an external force) to function properly.
- It’s only suggested for radial ‘deep groove’ ball bearings, not required. But a proper radial ball bearing preload will help you achieve a higher max RPM (if the radial bearing is also an ABEC 7 or higher).
A preload can come from many places: spring, rigid mount, application forces, centrifugal forces, etc.
It’s suggested to do a simple load flow path for each application (see in red below). This helps to establish bearing direction and proper load sharing within the system.

Bearing Arrangements for Rigid or Spring Preload Optimizes Operation Performance

A few benefits of preloading a bearing:

High running accuracy even under changing load conditions
Reduced vibrations and running noise
Slippage prevention
Reduced amounts of sliding friction at high speeds
Increased load capacity

Rigid Preload Arrangements

Multiple bearing arrangements form bearing sets to increase load capacity, rigidity and lift-off force.

For rigid bearing preload, matched bearing pairs in O, X or tandem arrangements provide an effective economic and technical solution to a lot of different applications.

O Arrangement (DB)

O bearing arrangement_db | GMN Bearing USA — O Arrangement (DB)
Back to Back Pair

X Arrangement (DF)

x bearing arrangement (df) | GMN Bearing USA — X Arrangement (DF)
Face to Face Pair

Tandem Arrangement (DT)

Arrangements with Three or More Bearings

Where there are maximum demands on system rigidity or
high loading, the X, O or Tandem arrangements with three or more bearings are able to attain outstanding performance characteristics.

Arrangements with Three Bearings

TBT Arrangement

TBT Bearing Arrangement | GMN Bearing USA — TBT Arrangement
Good for heavy shaft loading from left to right. Requires an opposing load from other bearing(s) or another source.

TFT Arrangement

TFT Bearing Arrangement |GMN Bearing USA — TFT Arrangement
Good for heavy shaft loading from right to left.

TDT Arrangement

TDT Bearing Arrangement | GMN Bearing USA — TDT Arrangement
Good for very heavy shaft loading from left to right.

Arrangements with Four Bearings

QBC Arrangement

QTC Arrangement

QTC Bearing Arrangement | GMN Bearing USA — QTC Arrangement
for very heavy shaft loading from left to right. Requires an opposing load from other bearing(s) or another source.

QBT Arrangement

QBT Bearing Arrangement | GMN Bearing USA — QBT Arrangement
Good for heavy shaft loading from left to right.

QFC Arrangement

QFC Bering Arrangement | GMN Bearing USA — QFC Arrangement
Common quad bearing arrangement. Face to Face Arrangement with spacers: Sometimes called a ‘Big F’

Using Spacers in Arrangements

Bearing Arrangement with Spacers | GMN Bearing USA

Installing spacers can offer distinct optimization features to your application. Always make sure that the width of the spacer is as wide as a single bearing.

Benefits of using spacers:

Enlarged support base (H) and increased radial rigidity
Improve bearing lubrication by optimized oil flow
If the width of the shaft spacer is smaller than the width of the housing spacer then:
- Preload will be increased with the O arrangement (Big O)
- Preload will be decreased with X arrangement (Big X)