Precision
All Plaig Fishing Reel Bearings are manufactured to ABEC 7 guidelines. There are some common misconceptions regarding ABEC Ratings, the higher rating does not mean the bearing will be tighter or less free spinning, it is the precision of the rings & balls. Essentially a higher ABEC rating means there is less chance of imperfections and premature failure due to manufacturing faults. Clearance ratings such as C3, C5 etc determine the allowable play within a bearing, this is only applicable in high heat applications where heat expansion is taken into account, this is not an issue in fishing reel bearings.
Stainless Steel Balls
• Excellent corrosion resistance to water, salt water and many chemicals
• Good for temperatures up to 500°C
• Suitable for cryogenic applications down to -250°C
440 grade stainless steel bearings are used for greater corrosion resistance to seawater, salt spray and some acids/alkalis. They are suitable for very high temperature applications as the steel is useful in temperatures of up to 500°C. They can also be used in cryogenic applications as the steel retains its toughness down to -250°C.
Silicon Nitride CERAMIC Balls – Si3N4
• Very good corrosion resistance to water, salt and chemicals
• Good high temperature performance up to 1,000°C
• Electrically insulated
• Lighter than steel balls
• Very low heat expansion, less expansion and contraction between heating and cooling.
Ceramic Bearings can run faster than all steel bearings due to the lower centrifugal force generated by the ceramic balls, the speed increase for Ceramic Bearings is 30 – 40% with adequate lubrication. Ceramic Bearings are less subjected to ball skidding under initial acceleration / torque. This allows the bearing to last longer and be far more reliable. Low heat expansion allows the bearing retainers to last longer. There are no downsides to Ceramic Bearings other than they cost more to manufacture.
PTFE Rubber Seals
• Excellent corrosion resistance to water, salt water and most chemicals
• Good high temperature performance.
• Only semi-precision grade is possible
• Maximum temperature 260°C
The PTFE Seal is rubber bonded to a metal washer. The inner lip of the seal rubs against the bearing inner ring to provide an effective seal against smaller particles such as dust and moisture while preventing lubricant leakage.
Contactless Metal Shields
Metal Shields are designed to prevent larger particles from entering the bearing and also to keep grease inside the bearing. As the shields make no contact with the inner ring, they do not make contact with the inner ring of the bearing which allows for higher RPM’s.
Bearing Retainer / Cage
Cage Retainers keep the balls evenly spaced around the raceway preventing ball to ball contact and thus allowing higher speeds. They also help to retain grease/oil around the balls and raceways. For greater accuracy and to prevent any additional friction, it is important that the retainer is not allowed too much radial movement.
Plaig Fishing Reel Bearings use a Stainless Steel Crown Retainer.
Lubrication Oil / Grease
Our Stainless Steel Fishing Reel Bearings are factory lubricated, ready to use immediately. Our Ceramic Fishing Reel Bearings are generally supplied dry but this depends on size, the smaller bearings are dry whilst larger ones are oiled/greased. Please get in touch with us if you have any queries regarding lubrication of Ceramic Bearings.