The importance of the materials by which bearings and their components are produced cannot be understated. The most common material used to manufacture bearing rings and balls is 52100 Chrome Steel. This bearing grade alloy steel is characterized by a high level of carbon, consists of about 1.5% chromium, and is considered the best general-purpose steel for making bearings.
Bearings manufactured from 52100 Chrome Steel offer a handful of advantages over bearings manufactured using other materials, including superior hardness, high load capacity, rolling fatigue strength, wear resistance, dimensional precision, and quality surface finishing. Although they fall short in their resistance to corrosion, bearings produced using 52100 Chrome Steel are suitable for most bearing applications. Other nomenclature for 52100 Chrome Steel can be found in the comparison table below.
52100 Chrome Steel Grade Equivalents:
| USA | ISO | China | Japan | Germany | France | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AISI | GB | JIS | DIN | NF | ||
| 52100 | 683/xv11 | Grc15 | SUJ2 | 100Cr6 | 100C6 | SKF3 |
Given the benefits it has to offer and the overall quality of the steel itself, Auburn Bearing & Manufacturing has selected 52100 Chrome Steel to be used as one of the primary materials in the manufacture and production of its standard bearing lines as well as various other precision components. The majority of the steel used at Auburn Bearing & Manufacturing is reliably sourced from TimkenSteel and is manufactured in the USA.