A bearing assembly having an inner race ring (14) that defines an inner raceway and an outer race ring that defines an outer raceway on which the plurality of rolling elements (22) roll. The bearing raceways are machined using surface finishing operations to create preferred surface profiles and textures for improving lubrication performance. The profile of the raceway is initially created using a first grinding process to form a rough surface profile including a rough central band (34) and rough recessed side bands (38). A second grinding process is used to smooth the central band. This raceway surface profile increases lubrication performance.

An oil deflector is provided comprising a ring-shaped body having a first face and an axial projection extending from the first face. The projection has a radially inwardly facing deflection surface. An oil deflector-bearing assembly includes a bearing, the oil deflector, and a carrier with a plurality of radial oil grooves. The second face of the oil deflector is arranged adjacent to an axial face of the bearing and the carrier is arranged adjacent to the oil deflector so that the projection is at least partially received in one of the oil grooves for deflecting an axial flow of oil.

There is provided a gel lubricant including: a base oil containing an ester synthetic oil and a synthetic hydrocarbon oil in which the mass ratio (X:Y) of the ester synthetic oil (X) to the synthetic hydrocarbon oil (Y) is in the range of 35:65 to 75:25; and a gelatinizer which contains two kinds of styrene block copolymers and is included in the gel lubricant in an amount of 1.5% by mass to 10% by mass.

Wettable structures that retain liquid layers are defined at surfaces of substrates. The wettable structures include grooves or ridges that are spaced apart by between 10 nm and 10 m and can be defined in substrate or in a layer formed on a surface of the substrate. In typical examples, wettable structures are defined with hydrophobic materials or at hydrophobic surfaces and produce hydrophilic surfaces.

Wettable structures that retain liquid layers are defined at surfaces of substrates. The wettable structures include grooves or ridges that are spaced apart by between 10 nm and 10 m and can be defined in substrate or in a layer formed on a surface of the substrate. In typical examples, wettable structures are defined with hydrophobic materials or at hydrophobic surfaces and produce hydrophilic surfaces.

A bearing component such as a bearing ring includes a metallic base body and at least one alloy steel coating on the base body, the coating being applied to the base body by deposition welding. The base body is preferably non-alloy steel or cast iron, and the alloy includes at least one carbide-forming transition metal such as niobium, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, or manganese. The coating can form a raceway of the bearing component or a structural element such as a flange. Also a method of forming such a bearing component is provided.