Investigation of 3D printed bearing cage with pentamode metamaterial structure

Abstract Cage is the core component of a rolling element bearing, and its dynamic characteristics directly determine the performance and service life of a bearing. Metamaterial is a new structural material with topology optimization design, which has many special physical properties that traditional materials do not possess. Utilizing 3D printing technology to prepare metamaterials can increase manufacturing flexibility, give full play to its advantages in complex structure manufacturing, and realize the integrated manufacturing of structure and function. In this paper, a bearing cage with pentamode metamaterial structure was designed and fabricated by using selective laser sintering (SLS), and its deformation simulation and experimental tests were carried out. The results show that the 3D printed metamaterial structure cage has desired mechanical properties, and is workable in preliminary tests. Compared with the original commercial cage, the quality factor increased by one order of magnitude, which means it is easier to deform under shear force than pressure. This characteristic is beneficial to the high speed operation of rolling element bearings. In addition, due to its unique holes structure, its weight was reduced by 50% and more grease could be stored, resulting in a lower friction coefficient. When running steadily under the same condition, the power consumption of the bearing assembled with the 3D printed cage is 25% lower than that of the bearing assembled with the original cage. The study has demonstrated that 3D printed cages are of great research significance and broad application prospects.