EFFECT OF INTERFERENCE FITTING ON CLEARANCE

The solution to this problem may be obtained by using elastic thick ring theory. Consider the
ring of Fig. 3.3 subjected to an internal pressure p per unit length. The ring has a bore radius
Ri and an outside radius Ro. For the elemental area RdRd the summation of forces in the radial
direction is zero for static equilibrium:

d d r
r Rd 2 t dR sin r dR R dR d 0 (3.1)
2 dR

d d
Since d is small, sin and, neglecting small quantities of higher order,
2 2

d r (3.2)
r t R 0
dR
Corresponding to the stress in the radial direction, there is an elongation u and the unit strain
in the radial direction is

Figure 3.3.

du
r (3.3)
dR
In the circumferential direction the unit strain is
 u (3.4)
c
R
According to plane strain theory,

r
1
r t (3.5)
E

t
1
t r (3.6)
E
Combining equations (3.3-3.6) yields

E du u
r 2
(3.7)
1 dR R

E u du (3.8)
t
1 2 R dR

Substituting equations (3.7) and (3.8) into (3.2) yields

d 2u 1 du u
0 (3.9)
dR 2 R dR R 2
The general solution to equation (3.9) is
(3.10)
u c1 R c2 R 1

Substituting in equations (3.7) and (3.8) from (3.10) gives

(3.11)
1
c1 1 c2 R 2
E
r
1 2

1
c1 1 c2 R 2
E (3.12)
t
1 2
At the boundary defined by R = Ro, r = p = 0; therefore,

1 (3.13)
c1 1 c 2 2
Ro
At R=Ri , r = p and, therefore,

p1 Ri2 Ro2 (3.14)

c2

E Ro2 Ri2
Substituting equations (3.13) and (3.14) into (3.11) and (3.12) yields
 Ro / R 2 1 (3.15)
r p
Ro / Ri 1
2

Ro / R 2 1 (3.16)
t p
Ro / Ri 1
2

Similarly, for a ring loaded by external pressure only,

1 R / Ro 2 (3.17)
r p 2
1 Ri / Ro

1 R / R o 2 (3.18)
t p 2
1 Ri / Ro

From equations (3.15), (3.16), and (3.5), the increase in the internal radius of a ring loaded by
internal pressure p is given by

pRi Ro / Ri 1
2
(3.19)
ui
E Ro / Ri 1
2

Similarly, the decrease in the external radius Ro of a ring loaded by external pressure p is given
by

pRo Ro / Ri 2 1
uo (3.20)
Ro / Ri 1
2
E

If a ring having elastic modulus E1, outside diameter D1, and bore D is mounted with a
diametral interference I on a second ring having modulus E2, outside diameter D, and bore D2,
then a common pressure p develops between the rings. The radial interference is the sum of the
radial deflection of each ring due to pressure p. Hence the diametral interference is given by

I 2u1 u2 (3.21)
In terms of the common diameter D, therefore,

1 D / D 1
1 D / D2 2 1

2
(3.22)
I pD 1 1 2
E1 D1 / D 1
E 2 D / D2 1
2 2

It can be seen that equation (3.22) can be used to determine p if I is known; thus,
I
(3.23)
p D
1 D1 / D 2 1 1 D / D2 2 1
1 2
E1 D1 / D 1
2
E 2 D / D2 1
2

If the external ring is a bearing inner ring of diameter D1 and bore Ds as shown in Fig. 3.4, then
the increase in D1 due to press fitting is

D
2 I 1
s Ds (3.24)
D D / D 2 1
2
Eb D / D2 2 1
1 1 1 b s
Ds D1 / D 1 E s D / D2 1
2 2

Figure 3.4.Schematic diagram of a bearing inner ring mounted on a shaft.

If the bearing inner ring and shaft are both fabricated from the same material, then

D D / D 2 1
s I 1 s 2 2 (3.25)
Ds D1 / D2 1
For a bearing inner ring mounted on a solid shaft of the same material, diameter D2 is zero and

D
s I s (3.26)
D1
By a similar process it is possible to determine the contraction of the bore of the internal ring
of the assembly shown in Fig. 3.5. Thus,

D
2 I h
h D2 (3.27)
D
2
D / D 1
2
Eb D1 / Dh 1
2

h 1 h 2

Dh / D2 / 1 E h D1 / Dh 1
b h
D2
2 2

 Figure 3.5.Schematic diagram of a bearing outer ring mounted in a housing.

For a bearing outer ring pressed into a housing of the same material, as in aircraft, however,
the bearing may be mounted in a housing of a dissimilar material: Bearings are usually mounted
at room temperature; but they may operate at temperatures elevated T above room
temperature. The amount of temperature elevation may be determined by using the heat
generation and heat transfer techniques indicated in Chapter 15. Under the influence of
increased temperature, materials will expand linearly to the following equation:

u T Ta (3.34)

in which is the coefficient of linear expansion in mm per mm per C and is a characteristic

length.
Considering a bearing outer ring of outside diameter do at temperatures To -Ta above ambient,
the increase in ring outside circumference is given approximately by
utoc bd o To Ta (3.35)

Therefore the approximate increase in diameter is

uto b d o To Ta (3.36)

The inner ring will undergo a similar expansion:

(3.37)
uti b d i Ti Ta

Thus the net diametral expansion of the fit is given by

(3.38)
T b d o To Ta d i Ti Ta

When the housing is fabricated from a material other than steel, the interference I between the
housing and outer ring may either increase or decrease at elevated temperatures. Equation
(3.39) gives the change in I with temperature:
 I b h Dh To Ta (3.39)

In which b and h are .the coefficients of expansion of the bearing and housing, respectively.
For dissimilar materials the housing is likely to expand more than the bearing, which tends to
reduce any interference fit. Equation (3.30) therefore becomes

Pd T s h (3.40)

If the shaft is not fabricated from the same material (usually steel) as the bearing, then a similar
analysis applies.