Pelonis Technologies Blog

Ball bearings and sleeve bearings are used extensively in DC fan manufacturing to provide effective cooling solutions.  Both have advantages and disadvantages all of which should be considered in the design application phase. 

Comparative Characteristics of Ball Bearing and Sleeve Bearings

Life span

Most ball bearing fans operate for approximately 50,000 hours or more.  A conventional sleeve fan will operate for more than 30,000 hours.  There are a variety of factors that determine the overall life of a fan such as ambient temperature, fan mounting position, amount of friction, and bearing lubrication used.

Under some conditions ball bearing fans and sleeve bearing fans have comparable life spans.  However, when ambient temperatures or friction increase, or when mounted in a non-vertical position, the life of sleeve bearing fans decreases significantly.  Sleeve bearings have broad line-contact between the shaft and bearing during the back-and-forth sliding motion which generates more friction than the point contact of ball bearings.

RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) is a directive from the European Union (EU) that restricts the use of six hazardous materials commonly found in electrical and electronic products. In particular, it specifies maximum levels for lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

All companies that sell electrical or electronic products or components to RoHS countries must adhere to these regulations. The EU will grant a company RoHS certification after reviewing its documentation, completing a thorough audit and performing on-site