A bearing component composed of a chromium-molybdenum-vanadium alloyed tool steel is produced by a process that includes: (i) performing a first preheating within a temperature range of 600-650 C., (ii) performing a second preheating within a temperature range of 850-900 C., (iii) austenitizing in vacuum at 1000-1180 C. for 20-40 min, (iv) gas quenching at a minimum of 4-5 bar overpressure, and (v) tempering by performing either a double temper at 520-560 C. for 1.5-2.5 hours in each temper, or a triple temper at 520-560 C. for 0.5-1.5 hours in each temper. The steel alloy may be composed (in mass percent) of 1.32-1.45 C, 0.32-0.50 Si, 0.26-0.48 Mn, 4.0-4.85 Cr, 3.35-3.55 Mo, 3.55-3.85 V, 0-0.13 W, 0-0.20 Ni, 0-0.15 Cu, 0-0.8 Co, 0-0.03 P, and 0-0.03 S, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities. Mo may be replaced with W or vice versa in a replacement ratio Mo:W of 1:2.

A member for guiding an element mobile in oscillation or rotation is presented. The member has a body made of a hardened metallic material, provided with a bore for assembling the mobile element, having cavities that are distributed discontinuously in the bore and capable of acting as grease reserves, and having optional grease supply. In the bore are defined a bearing surface outside of the cavities and the grease supply, and a non-bearing surface in the cavities and the grease supply. The bore includes at least one zone with: cavities having a depth of between 2 and 5 mm, and a quantity of grease in the cavities per bearing surface of between 0.05 and 0.3 g/cm.sup.2. A mechanical system having such a member and a method for manufacturing such a member is also contemplated.

The present invention relates to a bearing assembly that provides a magnetic sensor; a shaft; and a bearing. One of the shaft and the bearing is provided with a surface having a bearing steel and including a magnetic pattern disposed thereon for indicating a rotation of the shaft relative to the bearing. The magnetic pattern is provided by the microstructure of the surface; and the sensor is arranged to sense the pattern and output a signal indicative of a rotation of the shaft relative to the bearing.

A stack bearing assembly is provided having stacked bearing rings and bearing balls located between the rings in races. The bearing balls are formed from 100Cr6 steel that is carbonitrided. After carbonitriding, the bearing balls are polished. The carbonitrided and polished bearing balls are assembled in the races of the bearing rings to provide increased resistance to wear from the debris traveling through the bearing assembly in use, and increase toughness in order to withstand the wear caused by debris in a drilling rig. A method of producing a stack bearing assembly is also provided.

A method for surface hardening at least one part of a surface of a metal component is provided. The steps include a) enriching the at least one part of a surface of a metal component with at least one of carbon and nitrogen, and b) induction hardening the at least one part of the surface of the metal component.

A method for cost effectively case hardening a component formed from a martensitic stainless steel material with a desired metallurgical condition for high temperature, high rolling contact fatigue, corrosion and spall initiation and propagation resistance bearing performance. The method describes a method to significantly reduce the carburization or carbo-nitriding process times for appreciable reduction in manufacturing cost. The Method includes the steps of: forming the component from a martensitic stainless steel material having an ASTM grain size of 9 or finer; and subjecting the component to one of a carburization and a carbo-nitriding treatment with significantly lower case hardening times for manufacturing cost-effectiveness.