Cage Strength Analysis and Improvement of High-Speed Deep Groove Ball Bearings

The cage strength is a critical factor that constrains performance of high-speed deep groove ball bearing (DGBB) used in the drive motor of new energy vehicles. This paper presents a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model for high-speed DGBBs, based on interactions dynamic of the flexible crown cage, balls, and rings. This study systematically analyzed the cage weaknesses in strength, and explored how factors such as the pocket clearance, claw length, modification radius and bottom thickness influence cage strength. In addition, an improved design aimed at enhancing cage strength was proposed. The results indicate that the cage strength is more sensitive to the inner-ring speed. Particularly, both the maximum stress and deformation in the radial direction increase sharply when the speed exceeds a threshold of 18,000 r/min. Additionally, an increase in the bearing rotational acceleration leads to a 45.7% rise in the cage stress. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the cage strength to temperature also escalates with bearing speed; the maximum stress and deformation increase by 5% to 16% at 80 °C compared to that obtained at 25 °C. Based on the structural influence on the cage strength, a structural improvement is proposed. With a pocket clearance of 0.23 mm, a claw length of 2.3 mm, a bottom thickness of 2.4 mm, and a shaping radius of 7.0 mm, the strength of the cage was evaluated both before and after the improvements. The results indicated that the enhanced cage exhibited superior strength.