Bearing Preload Solutions for Quieter, More Reliable Assemblies
Control axial play, reduce noise, and improve bearing performance with engineered preload solutions from IEC. Our team supports OEMs, design engineers, and procurement teams with bearing preload springs, disc springs, shims, retaining rings, lock nuts and other precision bearing accessories and components for demanding applications.
Bearing Preload Solutions for Quieter, More Reliable Assemblies
Bearing preload is critical where rotational accuracy, noise reduction, torque control, and long service life matter. In many ball bearing assemblies, internal clearance is necessary for correct operation, but that clearance can also lead to noise, vibration, and inconsistent performance at speed. IEC supports engineers with preload solutions designed to apply controlled axial force while compensating for tolerance build-up and thermal movement within the assembly.
Common Bearing Challenges We Solve
Problem:
Bearings and components need to be accurate, rigid and securely positioned.
Costs need to be reduced and assembly and disassembly simplified.
Bearing Location Requirements:
- Accurate Positioning
- Rigidity
- Simplify Assembly & Disassembly
Solutions For Bearing Location:
Circlips – Snap Rings / Retaining Rings or Laminar Retaining Rings / Spiral Rings
Locating bearings & other components on shafts & in housings
Snap Rings:
Uniform width across circumference
Excel in applications with tight clearances or limited space because of lug free design
Ease of assembly. Special tools are not required. However, some configurations have notches on the end for easier installation.
Laminar Rings
Multi-turn design ensures 360° retaining surface, providing even load distribution and enhanced performance.
Lug-free design allows for use in applications with tight clearances or limited space, eliminating interference with mating components.
Simplified assembly and removal without special tools, with removal notches for easy extraction with only a screwdriver required.
Coiling process minimizes material waste, reducing scrap and the cost of stainless steel and exotic alloy parts.
Highly customizable in materials, diameters, wire thickness, number of turns, and more for your specific needs.
Which solution to use:
Snap rings are simple, low cost and available.
Laminar rings are more precise, excellent for applications requiring high strength, stability, and lower profiles. Complete and uniform contact around the groove. Require no special tools. Available in stainless steel and exotic alloys.
Problem:
Bearings without proper pre-load can have undesirable play, reduced accuracy, increased noise and vibration, uneven load distribution and increased wear.
Thermal Expansion can cause a housing to expand a different amount to the shaft, which can cause a loss of preload or too much load.
Why pre-load a bearing:
- Improve accuracy
- Reduce play
- Reduce noise
- Bearing Life
Choose a wave spring washer if:
- You need moderate or light loading with small deflection
- Axial space is very limited
- You are preloading a bearing or taking up tolerance stack in a compact assembly
- You need to have smaller shoulder
Choose a disc spring (Belleville washer) if:
- You need high force in a small installed height
- You want a consistent, repeatable force deflection curve
- You need higher force or longer travel
- You need lower cost than wave spring washers
Wave Spring Washers
Wave washers were designed and developed to pre-load bearings in electric motors they have since found many other uses throughout industry. Waved washers offer a neat solution for situations where space is limited, or only small deflections are required.
Wave springs offer:
- Simple assembly
- Reduced noise in motors
- Extended lifespan for ball bearings
Best For: Light-duty applications with very limited radial or axial space.
Applications: Preloading bearings in electric motors, preventing end play in assemblies.
Key Traits: Lower, more variable force compared to other springs; often used for, but not strictly, locking.
Bearing Preload Springs Type K (Disc Springs)
Best For: High load, high-frequency, and heavy-duty applications requiring precise, consistent force.
Applications: Ball bearing preloading (specifically designed with a sloped/slotted form), clutches, and valves.
Key Traits: High load capacity, long fatigue life, and high stiffness. They can be stacked in series or parallel for custom load/deflection characteristics.
Bearing preload springs offer:
- Reduce Both Play and Noise
- Simplified Assembly
- Designed to match common ball bearings
- Can be stacked to vary preload
- The tolerance built up in the assembly can be accommodated without significant change in preload.
- Length variations due to heat impact are absorbed.
- Any subsequent axial movement of the assembly does not alter the preload significantly.
Problem:
Vibration, shock loads and shaft oscillation can cause nuts to loosen. Prevailing torque nuts or lock nuts can alleviate this problem.
Abis KM lock nuts & MB Tab washer
- Simple, stable and reliable fastening element
- Easy to install and remove
- Nuts can be re-used with a new tab washer
- Requires a keyway
- Low cost
- Well established in the market
- Tab washer locks nut in place
FUJI Fine U-Nuts
“FINE U-NUT” can be positioned arbitrarily and appropriately regardless of whether it is a toothed washer, and torque management is easy. An epoch-making lock nut for bearings that does not require shaft keyway machining or toothed washer mounting technology. It improves the rotational balance of bearings that generate the “force” of all industrial machinery. In addition, we have achieved a reduction in equipment rotation loss and a reduction in power consumption.
- Simple to Install, no tab washer required
- Demonstrates stable locking function.
- Effective even at an intermediate position on the bolt
- Can be reused
- Prevailing torque
- No keyway required
- Effective for rotation in either direction.
Secure retention
Why use a spring preload instead of a solid preload?
A circlip and shim washer assembly can be a simple way to compensate for machining tolerances and apply a preload, but it may not compensate for thermal expansion or other movement. A spring is more flexible, maintaining preload as the different parts move during operation.
- Improve Accuracy
- Reduce play and unwanted movement
- Helps reduce bearing noise at high speed
- Increase bearing life
- Supports controlled axial loading
- Compensates for tolerance build-up
- Helps manage thermal movement
- Supports consistent running torque
- Suitable for compact precision assemblies
- Standard disc spring, slotted disc spring or wave spring washer options, depending on load
Typical applications
ABIS bearing preload solutions are ideal for:
- Electric motors
- Aerospace and defence assemblies
- Actuation systems
- Medical and dental devices
- Measurement and motion control
- Industrial automation
- Precision instruments
- High-speed rotating assemblies
Bearing Preload
ABIS Accessories
ABIS Locknuts
Need help selecting the right preload solution?
Send IEC your bearing size, shaft and housing details, target preload, operating speed, temperature range, and available space. Our team will help identify a suitable disc spring or bearing accessory solution.
Download our free technical documents and brochures.
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Markets
IEC have a range of mechanical solutions to suit a broad spectrum of markets and applications, from aerospace to skateboards.
Markets
IEC have a range of mechanical solutions to suit a broad spectrum of markets and applications, from aerospace to skateboards.
Markets
IEC have a range of mechanical solutions to suit a broad spectrum of markets and applications, from aerospace to skateboards.
Markets
IEC have a range of mechanical solutions to suit a broad spectrum of markets and applications, from aerospace to skateboards.
Case Studies
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