How to Design a Ball Bearing With SelfCAD

Learn how to design a ball bearing with SelfCAD

How to Design a Ball Bearing with SelfCAD

Welcome to this tutorial on designing a ball bearing using SelfCAD. Ball bearings are essential components in various mechanical systems, enabling smooth rotation and reducing friction between moving parts. With SelfCAD, a powerful and user-friendly 3D modeling software, you can create intricate designs with ease, making it an ideal tool for engineering projects like designing ball bearings.

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of designing a simple ball bearing from scratch using SelfCAD. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced designer, you'll find SelfCAD intuitive and versatile for your 3D modeling needs.

To access the interactive tutorial to this article, check out https://www.selfcad.com/tutorials/71582s3lm4u2b1r3z50w6x356c4tzy11z471

Once you’ve launched the editor; 

From the Drawing category on the Toolbar choose 3D Sketch

From the Tool panel choose Rectangle. Set Symmetry to true

Set Snap to Grid Vertices to true

Click on highlighted point to draw rectangle

Click on highlighted point to draw rectangle

Click on highlighted point to draw rectangle

From the Tool panel choose circle

Set Symmetry to false

Click on highlighted point to draw Circle

Click on highlighted point to draw Circle

Click ‘x’ to close 3D Sketch panel

Click to activate Edge Selection

Click on highlighted region to select it

Click Delete button to delete selected object

From the Tools category on the Toolbar choose Revolve. Set Segments to 50

Click to finalize Revolve

Click Rotate on the Toolbar. Set x to 90

Click ‘x’ to close Transformation panel

Click Move on the Toolbar. Set x to 0. Set y to 0. Set z to 0

Click ‘x’ to close Transformation panel

From the 3D Shapes category on the Toolbar choose Sphere. Set Radius to 70, Position x to 145, Position y to 5

Click to finalize Sphere

From the Tools category on the Toolbar choose Copy offsets

Set Operation to Pivot. Set Amount of copies to 5. Click Copy button to create copies

Click ‘x’ to close copy offsets panel

From the Edit Menu on the Top Toolbar choose Group

Click on revolved mesh 1 to select it

Click Color picker button to change color of selected object

Click silver button

Click OK button to confirm color change

From the right panel choose Materials

Set Material type to Physical material

Set Metalness to 0.7

Click to finalize Materials

Click Inverse selection button to inverse selection

Click Delete button to delete selected object

As you continue honing your design skills, remember that SelfCAD offers a wealth of resources to support your learning journey. To deepen your understanding and explore more advanced features, consider checking out the interactive tutorials (https://www.selfcad.com/tutorials) available on the SelfCAD website. The tutorials page provides a treasure trove of guides, tips, and tricks that cater to designers of all levels.

More structured learning experience can also be accessed at the SelfCAD Academy (https://www.selfcad.com/academy/curriculum/), https://www.youtube.com/@3dmodeling101, and 3D Modeling 101 series (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL74nFNT8yS9DcE1UlUUdiR1wFGv9DDfTB). This comprehensive resource offers in-depth courses taught by industry experts, allowing you to master the intricacies of SelfCAD at your own pace.