The main functions of rolling bearing cages are the separation and distribution of rolling elements. The cage is not directly affected by the loads acting on the bearing but by the dynamic interaction with other bearing components. Critical conditions for the cage can occur during operating conditions with shock loads or vibrations. For the strength assessment of the cage, a dynamic simulation is often necessary. One option is a dynamic FEA of the whole bearing, however, that can be very expensive. A model reduction is possible by means of adequate connector elements. An alternative to that is a multi body simulation (MBS) of the bearing and a subsequent dynamic FEA of the cage for a single impact with the impact speed result of the MBS. This allows an effective fatigue analysis for the cage. The outcome could be verified by measurement of cage motion and strains on different test rigs. As a result, this shows that Abaqus/Explicit is a powerful tool for the analysis of dynamically loaded cages.
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