The Effect of Contact Angle on Rolling-Contact Fatigue and Bearing Load Capacity

Abstract
The NASA five-ball fatigue tester was used to determine the rolling-contact fatigue life of ½-in.-diameter M-1 steel balls applicable for high-temperature bearing use, and modified 204-size angular-contact ball bearings at various contact angles. For a constant Contact stress in the five-ball fatigue tester, fatigue life decreased with increasing contact angle. In contrast, relative thrust-load capacity increased with increasing contact angle. The Lundberg-Palmgren theory correctly predicts capacity at contact angles up to 30 degrees.