Bearing cages play the roles of positioning and separating rolling elements, guiding their movement, and optimizing internal lubrication of bearings. Their precision, strength, wear resistance, and material stability directly affect the bearing's rotational accuracy, operating noise, service life, and reliability under heavy-load conditions.

ESG Bearings is committed to developing and manufacturing high-end rolling mill bearings of superior quality that can replace those from international well-known brands. In 2024, we began recommending manganese brass cages to long-term customers, who have all expressed recognition and support for this material after usage. Now manganese brass cages have become the standard configuration for ESG Bearings.

The following is a comparative analysis of the composition and mechanical properties between manganese brass cages and common brass cages:

1. Main Chemical Composition

Manganese Brass (ZCuZn38Mn2Pb2)

Common Brass (ZCuZn40Pb2)

2. Mechanical Properties

Manganese Brass (ZCuZn38Mn2Pb2)

Common Brass (ZCuZn40Pb2)

3. Analysis

Key Difference

The addition of manganese provides solid solution treatment and grain refinement effects in manganese brass. Compared to common brass (ZCuZn40Pb2), its tensile strength is increased by approximately 25-30%, significantly improving the strength, hardness, and wear resistance of the manganese brass cage.

Higher Strength and Hardness

High strength and hardness are among the most critical properties for bearing cages. Under complex operating conditions such as high-speed rotation, centrifugal forces, impacts from rolling elements, and friction, manganese brass cage will maintain structural stability, avoid plastic deformation or excessive wear, and reliably withstand dynamic loads to extend service life.

4. Conclusion

Manganese Brass (ZCuZn38Mn2Pb2), with high strength and excellent wear resistance, this material is suitable for harsh operating conditions such as high speed, heavy load, impact, and vibration. It is a high-performance material particularly well-suited for applications requiring high reliability.

Common Brass (ZCuZn40Pb2), is suitable for general-purpose applications.

The advantages of ESG Bearings' cages lie not only in the material selection, but also in precision machining, manufacturing and tight dimensional control. These factors deliver a comprehensive improvement in cage performance, further reducing friction and heat generation during bearing operation, thereby extending the service life of the bearings. Manganese brass cages are applied to the work roll bearings (like four row cylindrical roller bearings) of steel mill rolling mills. They can operate stably for a long time under high-speed, heavy-load and shock working conditions, significantly reducing bearing maintenance frequency and downtime risks, and helping steel mills achieve efficient production.