As we use a lot of electronic appliances in our daily life such as fans, computers, cars etc., it goes without saying that bearings do make for an essential part that helps connect moving devices in variable speed. However there are two most prominent types of bearings that are most often opted for: Ball bearings and "Sleeve bearings" .  In a ball bearing, you will find two metal rings placed one above the other and coated with lubricated metal balls. On the other hand, sleeve bearings comprise of a central slide that is placed inside the cylinder with a coating of lubricant to help in better rotation.

If you are confused about which type of bearing will be a better option for you to bank on, here we bring for you a comparative study about the advantages and disadvantages of ball bearings and sleeve bearings so that you stay well informed:

Pros of sleeve bearings: 

The prime advantage of using sleeve bearings is that it has an expected lifetime which is quite equivalent to that of ball bearings.

Moreover, sleeve bearing is not noisy and works more silently compared to ball bearings, i.e. 1-3 decibels quieter.

Finally, sleeve bearings come available in a much lower cost than that of ball bearings.

Cons of sleeve bearings: 

Though sleeve bearings display a similar lifespan as that of ball bearings, it may get hampered due to several factors such as fluctuation of temperature.

If sleeve bearing is used in any other angular position other will help.

A new series of 44 Frelon® lined flanged sleeve bearings in inch and metric sizes from Quality Bearings & Components (QBC) are designed to replace sintered and plastic bearings. These self-lubricating bearings are identified as the BSLFLN-PF... Series in inch and BSLFLNM... Series in metric. They are made to fit shafts ranging from .1890" to 3.0015" in diameter (6.028 mm to 50.062 mm ). The overall diameter of the flanges range from .4370" to 3.5000" (14 mm to 70 mm). Quotes plus online orders are available at the new QBC eStore.