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Frequently Asked Questions
General
Ordering Information
Products

If your question is not answered here, please contact us by e-mail.

Backorders

If you receive a confirmation from us stating that items have been backordered, please check the "shipping date" on the confirmation for an estimate of when the goods will be available. If we decide to send a partial shipment of the items available from stock, there will be no additional freight charge when the backorder is shipped.

Bank Details

If you are choosing the "EFT Payment" option, you will be sent a final confirmation when your order has been checked and processed. This final confirmation shows our bank details in the lower left corner.

Bearing Precision

If you are new to bearings or have been caught up in all the ABEC hype related to skate and fishing reel bearings, you may like to check our Skate Bearing FAQ sheet on this subject. 

For the engineer our technical pages contain a lot of information about bearings including tables of tolerances.

Cages (Bearings)

The purpose of a bearing's cage is to hold and separate the rolling elements (balls) of the bearing.

The most common types of cage used for miniature ball bearings are the two piece steel ribbon and the one piece steel crown types. These cages are usually made out of a variety of grades of steel depending upon the manufacturer. Cages may be made from Brass, SAE52100 Chrome Steel or Stainless Steels AISI302, AISI410 or AISI430.

Larger bearings (over 10mm bore size) usually utilise a two piece steel riveted cage allowing for higher loads, and more vibration and acceleration stresses to be placed on the bearings.

High speed applications require bearings with a crown type retainer manufactured from various types of synthetic materials including NYLON, DELRIN®, ACETAL RESINS, PHENOLIC LAMINATES, PEEK®, GLASS RE-INFORCED POLYAMIDE, TORLON®

SPB carry a wide range of bearings with high speed cages and increased internal clearance. Please note however that "High Speed" is only a relative term. "High Speed" for a 10mm bearing is not the same as "High Speed" for a 4mm bearing. "High Speed" for a skating application is not the same as "High Speed" for a dental handpiece. 

DELRIN® and PEEK® are registered trademarks of DuPont.
TORLON® is a registered trademark of BP Amoco Polymers.

See also
http://www.smallparts.com.au/technical/bearings/cages/

Catalogues

The most up to date catalogue is our online store with over 100,000 items shown. Due to the number of items available we don't produce a single hardcopy catalogue, however we do produce several smaller catalogues which contain the same information as that available online. Should you require any of these please e-mail us and let us know which product group you are interested in. There may be a nominal charge for postage.

We don't provide in-depth engineering information other than general product specifications. We will tell you what material a product is made from but we don't provide specifications or characteristics for the material. We may tell you the tolerance range for a product but we don't discuss fits. We may provide limited engineering data such as temperature ranges, hardness etc but we will not discuss suitability for your application. We offer a very good engineering guide called The Machinery Handbook for sale on our web site. This large book lists much data related to standards, tolerances and material characteristics.

Also available on our Catalogues Order Page is the Minifind CD which enables you to search through our product range and product printable datasheets for each product. You can also get a basic printing of a product category, like having a catalogue as close as your printer.

Catalogues - Quick Guides PDF

A number of PDF format quick guide product catalogues can be found in our ftp section:-

Cleanliness in Bearing Handling

Strict cleanliness is an essential condition for the good operation of all miniature bearings. Precision manufacturers achieve this perfect cleanliness by 

  • full temperature control and air filtration of all production departments
  • ultrasonic cleaning of all components after different stages of manufacture 
  • cleaning by specially developed methods, of all component parts before assembly 
  • the assembly of parts in special CLEAN ROOMS, in which the temperature, humidity and dust content of the atmosphere are controlled to precise limits 
  • strict observation of the rules of cleanliness enforced on all personnel working in these CLEAN ROOMS 
  • the repeated cleaning of finished bearings by processes specially designed and perfected for small bearings 
  • the use of specially filtered lubricants 
  • the packing of finished bearings in absolutely clean sachets or tubes hermetically sealed 

As the end user of a bearing, you should aim to leave all bearings in their original packaging until it is time to install them. Bearings are precision engineered products and any exposure to dirt can be detrimental to the correct functioning of the bearing.

It is not recommended by either MBA or SPB that you attempt to modify the internal characteristics of a bearing in any way. If you decide to do so, strict cleanliness is essential. 

Clearances (Radial Play)

The radial play or clearance of a bearing is equal to the total radial displacement, in the median plane perpendicular to the bearing axis of the inner ring in relation to the outer ring, under the effect of a small measuring force.

Clearance has nothing to do with the quality of a bearing but if badly chosen or unfavourably influenced during mounting, it can adversely affect the operation and reduce the working life of a bearing.

For a full description of clearances please see our web site.
http://www.smallparts.com.au/technical/bearings/clearance/

Customer projects

http://www.smallparts.com.au/projects
(The small brushless motors in the above lists are made by Russell Hudson - contactable at melrusplace@powerup.com.au)

http://www.vk2zay.net/article.php/36

http://himi.livejournal.com/42290.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/laneranger/steadycasting1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/laneranger/almostdone.jpg

http://www.somehowbythesea.org.uk/works/?c=6

Delivery Times

"Usual Delivery" shown on our product pages is not the same as "Shipping Times". 

"Shipping Times" represent the usual time in transit from when a parcel is despatched from us until it reaches you. Overseas customers may experience additional delays with customs processing.

"Usual Delivery" or "Usual Despatch Time" indicates how long, under normal circumstances, it will take for us to obtain and despatch the item. Our 100,000 products come from over 30 different factories throughout the world, so it is impossible for us to have real time availability displayed. You can use the links within the item page to e-mail us to check the availability. This is normally only a good idea if your timing is critical. Unfortunately checking first may also delay the final delivery by a few days whilst we check the stock status.

Once you place an order we will attempt to keep you informed of changes to the estimated delivery dates. 

Dirty Environments - Bearings

If you are wanting to run bearings in dirty environments, here are the facts ....

Steel bearings are not meant to be run in dirty, moist environments. Sure, bearings are included in equipment that gets dirty and moist, but that does not mean that they were ever designed for those conditions. 

Differing conditions call for different types of bearings. Each type has it's own strengths and weaknesses. If you choose the most suitable bearing for the job you will get the best life expectancy.

If a bearing fails in the environment you place it, it does not necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with the bearing. All bearings have a life expectancy even under ideal operating conditions. 

Anything you do to a bearing that is not ideal will shorten the bearing life expectancy. This includes shock loads such as in skating, exposure to dirt such as with rc buggies, moisture, side loads, preloading, damage during fitting, extreme temperatures (hot or cold), loss of lubricant and more. When a bearing fails early, the chances of the failure being due to a manufacturing fault are almost zero, whilst the likelihood of the failure being due to one of the factors listed above are almost 100%.

Anything you do to help protect the bearing's ideal operating environment will prolong the life. This can include using more suitable lubrication, using external seals, using a different integral sealing arrangement such as 2RS rubber seals instead of ZZ metal shields.

There are some bearings made from non standard materials that will be better suited to dirty and moist environments, but these are only available in a select range of sizes. These other materials have limitations in other areas such as speed and/or load carrying capabilities. Some of the non standard bearing materials listed on our web site which would be better suited to moisture include ACETAL (plastic), 316 and 304 STAINLESS STEEL, CERAMIC ZRO2, CERAMIC Si3N4.

Discounts and Pricing

All online customers are eligible for specials and discounts that are announced from time to time through our online newsletter service. Please register if you wish to be notified when specials are available.

Government departments, educational institutions, model clubs and regular customers# may apply for a  discount by registering.
# see definition of a "regular customer" on the registry page

Faxed orders and mail orders can be placed at the same price as the published online prices.

Phone orders take longer to process and have a greater risk of error than e-mail and fax orders. Accordingly, phone orders will be more expensive than online or faxed orders.

We no longer handle counter sales due to the high costs involved. If you need us to identify an item, you may send it to us or leave it at our despatch counter along with your contact details. We will contact you with a price and availability once we have identified the item. Items purchased in this way will be more expensive than ordering online.

The best way to save money is to register for our specials newsletter or for a discount code (see above) and to place your orders online or by fax or mail.

ECO Economy bearings

Most of our bearings are Japanese , US or German made. These bearings have an identifiable lubrication and can be traced back to a specific batch.

ECO bearings are Taiwanese made with a non specified lubricant.

Both are made to Abec 1 precision, using similar types of steel, similar hardness and the same clearances.

E-mail Response Times

E-mails are generally answered within a maximum of 6 hours, but often much quicker. If we can not answer your query fully within this time frame, our standard practice is to reply and let you know that the enquiry is going to take longer. We will also try to give you an indication of how long it should take to obtain an answer.

If you have sent us an e-mail but don't seem to be getting a reply you may like to check the following...

  • Is your e-mail program "junking" our replies? Please add *@smallparts.com.au to your "allowed" senders list.
  • Have you sent your enquiry to the correct e-mail address? You should receive an initial autoreply for e-mails sent to sales. If you are not receiving this autoreply, then we probably haven't received your e-mail.
  • Did you include a "subject" in your e-mail? If you don't include a subject our server may "junk" your e-mail. Spammers often use e-mails with no subject.

We definitely respond to all enquiries we receive.

Engineering Advice

We don't provide engineering advice or design services. The information we provide in relation to products is limited to the characteristics of the product and not general engineering information such as properties of the materials, determining fits, information relating to ratios and pitches etc. 

examples; 

  • We will tell you that a product is made from Acetal but we won't tell you whether Acetal is suitable for your application. 
  • We will tell you the tolerances of an item but we won't suggest what type of fit you need to use in your application.
  • We will advise you of any relevant standards to which product is manufactured, but we won't get involved in obtaining copies of, or interpreting the standards.
  • We will advise you of listed dimensions but we won't advise you of how to calculate related dimensions if they are usually able to be obtained through standard calculations.

We will help you to determine if we have a product matching yours if you can provide us with enough information. We will also gladly help you to find products on our online store. Please e-mail us for this type of assistance.

If you are unable to determine the suitability of a product or need assistance with calculations, we suggest you consult an engineer. 

Some useful engineering information can be found following

SPB Catalogues Order Page

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Drive/Gears.html

http://www.engineersedge.com/gear_menu.shtml

http://www.ausrobot.com

Fax Orders

Fax orders (fax: 07 3349 1003) are processed at the online price. Please ensure you include your full contact and payment details when faxing an order.

Finding Products

With over 100,000 individual products online you will need to have some idea of what you require. There are several ways to search for a product, but unless you use the most appropriate search method you may have difficulty finding what you require.

If you have some idea of what the product is called but you don't know part numbers, the easiest method is to simply browse the online catalogue. Everything is listed alphabetically, and all categories are shown in as many ways as possible. For instance, if you require an acorn nut you will find them listed under "Acorn Nuts", "Dome Nuts", "Nuts - Acorn" and "Nuts - Dome".

Filtering the categories can be done at the bottom of each category listing page. You will find a box titled "Show only categories including:" and a button "Find Categories". Simply enter a word in this box to find all matching categories. Try it! It makes finding the right category so much easier. The same function is also available from our Search Page.

Our Search Page has 2 main search options, depending on whether you are searching for information or a product. If you are searching for a product you may search by MBA/SPB Part Number, Other Brand Part Numbers, Category Name or even by size.

If you are having difficulty finding something please e-mail us. We usually respond within a few business hours.

Freight - General

We use only traceable delivery methods for all parcels. 

Freight Rates and Shipping Times

Freight - Tracking and Shipping Times

"Usual Delivery" shown on our product pages is not the same as "Shipping Times". "Usual Delivery" represents the time that it would usually take to obtain and despatch the item. "Shipping Times" must be added to this.

We do not automatically provide you with a tracking number for your parcel. We do however send you a final copy of our invoice upon shipment. Open the pdf file that we send and it will have details of the freight method and the shipping date. The shipping date on the final invoice will usually be no later than the following day. Australian customers should receive their parcel within the next few days. 

If you don't receive your parcel within the estimated shipping time shown in the shipping times table please e-mail us for a tracking number. Shipment tracking can be checked at the relevant courier web site in the "Recommended Links" section to the left of any page.. 

Freight Rates and Shipping Times

Gift Vouchers

To use a gift voucher, simply place an online order. During checkout check the box that says you have a gift voucher, then send the voucher to us with a copy of the online order. Once received, the value of the voucher will be credited to your credit card.

Gift vouchers are used as prizes when we sponsor events.

GST

GST is a tax applicable to orders delivered to Australian addresses only. International orders will not be charged GST. When you checkout of the online store, the shopping cart will not add GST to your order if you have not selected an Australian delivery address. GST is still shown for other currencies in our Freight Rates page because we sometimes have orders from foreign guests working in Australia, and GST is still payable if the delivery is sent to an Australian destination regardless of the currency used to pay.

Insurance

Insurance is available for all orders. The current rates are shown during the online checkout process. If you wish to place an order by fax. you can find out the current insurance rate by partially entering an online order up until the stage where the insurance rates are shown.

Whilst our parcels are traceable, that does not necessarily mean that they won't be lost in transit.

If insurance is not selected, the purchaser will take sole responsibility for lost or damaged parcels. 

Limiting Speed (Bearings)

Limiting speed is the speed at which a bearing can operate at light loads and normal operating conditions without failing prematurely. It is a guide only. Application speeds can vary widely.
Bearings in Dental Handpieces for example often run at speeds up to 3 times their limiting speed, however they are not expected to last as long as bearings in less demanding applications. 
Listed limiting speeds apply to applications involving a rotating shaft. Speeds for applications involving a rotating housing can be up to 30% lower.
Many factors combine to affect the attainable speed and expected life of a bearing. Factors affecting speed and life include ... 

  • Load
  • Vibration
  • Lubrication
  • Cage Type
  • Operating Temperature and Internal Clearance
  • Moisture and Contaminants
  • Mounting
  • Precision
  • Closures

More information relating to the above factors is available on the SPB web site.
http://www.smallparts.com.au/technical/bearings/speed/

Noise Levels (Bearings)

The noise levels of bearings depend essentially on the following factors

  • geometric precision and quality of the tracks and balls 
  • cleanliness of the bearings and the lubricant 
  • precision with which the play is taken up when mounting the bearings 
  • value and direction of loads 
  • rotation speed

Some steps that can be taken in selection of bearings for low noise applications include

  • Select a high precision bearing 
  • Increase the viscosity of the lubricant used 
  • Select standard clearance (too high clearance can result in impact contacting of the balls on the races, whilst too low clearance may result in squealing due to binding).
Non Standard Parts Quotations

If you find a product category that you are interested in but the particular size you require isn't listed, we may be able to assist with having the item made. To have a special part quotation would require you to provide us with a drawing of the part required. Quantities must also be sufficient to be an economical production quantity. Economical production quantities vary with each product, but they can be anywhere from 100 to 100,000. Each case is looked at on it's own merits.

Order Confirmations

When you first place an online order you will receive and automatically generated confirmation. This should be regarded as a simple receipt to acknowledge that you have placed an order. During business hours your order is checked for any problems and processed. A final confirmation will then be e-mailed to you to advise that the order has been accepted and processed. Usually no changes need to be made. Occasionally there may be a problem with the order and we will contact you to rectify the problem.

Packaging

All parcels are supplied in protective packaging. Items are wrapped in a combination of bubble wrap and/or sturdy boxes suitable to provide adequate protection. Long items such as allthread, rod and tubing are supplied attached to wooden backing board. 

Part Numbering

Why do we not always use the part number of the manufacturer? We offer products from so many different manufacturers that often we find groups of product overlapping or complementing each other. This enables us to offer a far greater range than most other suppliers. It is more consistent to generate our own part numbers consolidating all available items under a common system.

Phone Orders

Our store is based around online ordering as this greatly simplifies the ordering process. We are happy to process phone orders, but please note that .... 

  • The most efficient way to order by phone is to have our part number ready, and to have already purchased from us before with no changes necessary to your details.
  • If you have not ordered from us before it may take some time to set up your details by phone. Be prepared to wait.
  • If we are busy you may not get through immediately on the phone - online orders take priority.
  • We do not provide technical assistance.
  • We take no responsibility for phone order errors. Verbal communication is less reliable than written communication.

Fax orders are processed at the online price. Please fax orders to 07 3349 1003. Please include your full contact and payment details when faxing an order.

Phoning for Information

Please refrain from phoning us for general or technical information. Our store is based around online communication. We prefer online orders and online enquiries. With over 100,000 items in the catalogue, you are not going to receive a quick answer by telephoning us. It is much more efficient to document your enquiry in a short e-mail. This gives us time to process your enquiry properly and provide the most accurate response.

Post Office Box Delivery

Goods can be delivered to a post office box instead of a street address for deliveries within Australia only. A street address must be supplied for deliveries to all other countries.

Privacy

Customer details are not shared with any third party. Customer payment details supplied via the secure server are stored in encrypted format until such time as the order is processed. Once the details are decrypted they are removed from the server completely.

Quantity Pricing

All priced items show 5 quantity breaks. You can e-mail us if the quantity you require is more than the largest quantity break shown. We can usually do something if the quantity you require is at least double the highest break. There is a simple link on each item page to contact us for this purpose. It is found below the last quantity price. Please don't telephone with enquiries for special pricing as we may need to contact the manufacturer before we can get back to you.

Quicker Delivery

Is it possible to get items any quicker if they are marked with a usual delivery of 10-14 days or 21-30 days? 

Sometimes. Items marked as longer than a few days delivery are normally in stock at one of our suppliers overseas. If you require a particular item to be expedited, the cost to do so is usually around A$80.00 (+GST) but will need to be confirmed. You will first need to confirm with us if the item is indeed available to be expedited, by e-mailing us the part number with your request. Once we confirm that the item is available, you will need to make a written note on your faxed order, or in the special instructions area of your online user profile to alert us to the fact that you require an expedited delivery and accept the additional delivery charge.

Important points to note

  • Expedited deliveries can take anywhere from 4 to 8 days depending on many factors beyond our control including but not limited to processing methods at the factory, delays by the shipping company, customs processing etc.
  • Once the item arrives in Brisbane, you still need to allow for shipping time from Brisbane to you. If you have not selected Express Shipping on your order, travel time within Australia may equal or exceed the travel time from overseas.
  • Our products come from over 30 factories worldwide. If you require urgent shipping on more than one item there may be additional urgent freight charges. We will confirm these details when you contact us before placing the order.
Samples

Please do not request free samples. We are unable to supply free samples under any circumstances.

Free gifts are sometimes supplied with online orders as a token of our appreciation.

Special Prices

From time to time we run special discounts or reduced pricing on parts or all of our range. If you register for our Specials Newsletter you will be kept informed of all offers. Some of the special offers are only available by using a coupon code in the online order. If you don't have the coupon code you will miss out. So register today to take advantage of all special offers. 

Several hundred items are usually marked as surplus in our catalogue, and these items automatically show a reduced price. All special offer discounts may be used in conjunction with reduced price surplus items.

Surplus items change regularly so check them often. You can find them under "Surplus" in the online catalogue, or through the link towards the bottom  of every category page

Special Quotes

Some items listed in our store are unpriced. These items are either for reference only or are deleted items. You will find a link in the items page to send us an enquiry for such items, however please understand that most unpriced items will require a very large quantity to produce. You may enquire even if you only need a few, but it is not very likely that we will be able to offer small quantities. Sometimes we will offer an estimate rather than a firm quotation for these items. This is to give the customer an idea as to what to expect so that we don't put our suppliers to a lot of unnecessary work quoting parts that the customer expected to be a lot cheaper. Please see clause 5 of our terms and conditions for more information on this process.  

Specially Quoted Items - How to Order

If we provide you with pricing for an item where no price is shown in the online store, or special pricing for large quantities, these items can still be added to your online order simply by using the Special Items order form. Simply enter the part number and pre GST price that we quote. The item is added to your cart and becomes eligible for all online discounts.

Stainless Steel Grades

We often get asked for the equivalents to various stainless steel grades. The most common grades when it comes to fasteners are

303 / 304 : Similar to 18-8 and A2
316 : Similar to 18-10 and A4

For more information on Stainless Steels see the following...
http://www.smallparts.com.au/technical/materials/

There is also some additional materials information available using the Recommended Links to the left of every page.

Using the Online Store - Overview

Using the online store is simple.

If you are not a registered user you can do your shopping first and log in later, but your cart will not be saved if you unexpectedly close your browser. It is best to register first.

  • Click the "Log In/View cart" button towards the top right of most pages. 
  • Click the "sign in here" section and follow the instructions to log in or register.
  • Select your currency (towards the top right of most pages).
  • Browse the category pages for categories that interest you.
  • Click a category to open it and see a list of subcategories with small pictures.
  • Click the subcategory (or picture) you require.
  • Locate the item you require in the list of products which are listed numeric/alpha by the sizes or information shown in columns 1 through 3.
  • For large categories there is an index towards the bottom of the table that shows which items begin and end on each page.
  • There is also a search function at the bottom of the page which allows you to search by columns 1 to 3 or any combination of them. You need to click the "Show Search Boxes" button to enable searching. This function is disabled by default as it draws on extra system resources to fill the search boxes.
  • Pricing is shown against each item in the table and can be ordered ordered by clicking the "add to cart" button.
  • Quantity pricing can be shown by clicking on the part number.
  • When you finish adding items you simply view your cart, select "secure checkout" and then fill in the final information.

Do you have to pay by credit card? No (Payment Options)

Can you pick up from us? No. There is now another distributor operating a counter service from the MBA building. If you prefer to deal in person please visit Hobby Engineering Supplies. They have access to the entire MBA product range as well as some additional hobby specific parts.

Technical Data Sheets

Many technical data sheets can be found in our ftp directory.

Less technical information sheets are also available.

 

Shop at the SPB online store.

Tables and information on this web site should be read as a general guide only. The relevant standards should be consulted to ensure the accuracy of information presented.

There are no further parts to this document.

SPB Terms and Conditions of Sale

SPB Freight Rates
Site Summary:
Small Parts and Bearings offers over 100,000 products including small bearings, timing pulleys, timing belts, seals, o-rings, gears etc - see the full listing in the Online Catalogue. Our main business is handled primarily through our internet store or via phone, fax or mail order. To keep our prices low we have minimised overheads by not having a storefront. If you would like to deal through an MBA distributor with a showroom and counter service you can contact Hobby Engineering Supplies.

Using the links at the top of this page you will find extensive information including catalogues (Products and Store link), technical data, and other product specific information. We sell our product worldwide through our online store and have quite low overseas freight rates.

The Small Parts and Bearings online store is linked directly to the Miniature Bearings Australia online catalogue, so all new MBA products are added automatically. Recent additions include full ceramic bearings in Silicon Nitride and Zirconia, and ceramic hybrid bearings for pushbikes and other applications. New products are being added every week. We also suggest that you may want to take a look at the technical information sites - Shafting Information, Couplings Information, Gearboxes Information and General Engineering Parts Information.

© Copyright Small Parts and Bearings Pty Ltd 1997. All rights reserved.