The running behavior of ball bearings is highly affected by the surface topography of the bearing rings. Radial deviations in form of waviness lead to vibrations and thus, noise disturbance. The surface roughness is highly affecting the life time of a ball bearing. The parameters of the Abbott-curve are describing the tribological behavior of the surface. The core roughness depth R_k and reduced peak height R_(pk) are supposed to be small. These parameters characterize the roughness peaks of the topography which are removed during the first application hours of the ball bearing, leading to particles which further enhance the ball bearing wear. The reduced valley height R_(vk) should have a comparatively higher value, because the valleys are keeping the lubricant in the friction zone. Today, bearing rings are made of hardened bearing steel 100Cr6. The last two process steps are grinding and superfinishing. The superfinishing process is conducted at a separate machine using honing stones [1, 2]. This requires a new clamping of the bearing ring, reducing the form accuracy and increasing the non-productive time in production.
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