cadSet/SimpleCADAPI/docs/stdlib/make_ball_bearing_rassembly.md

make_ball_bearing_rassembly

API Definition

def make_ball_bearing_rassembly(bore_diameter: float, outer_diameter: float, bearing_width: float, ball_diameter: float, ball_count: Optional[int] = None, raceway_clearance: float = 0.02, edge_chamfer: float = 0.0, assembly_id: str = 'ball_bearing', drive_angle_degrees: Optional[float] = None) -> Assembly

Source: std/bearing.py

Import Surface

• standard library: import simplecadapi as scad then scad.std.bearing.make_ball_bearing_rassembly(...); direct submodule import: from simplecadapi.std.bearing import make_ball_bearing_rassembly

Description

Create a parameterized radial ball bearing assembly.

This factory returns an Assembly, not a merged Solid, because a bearing has useful internal structure. The returned assembly contains stable component ids outer_ring, inner_ring, and ball_00, ball_01, ... . The inner and outer rings each carry an axis connector, and the assembly includes one revolute constraint named inner_outer_revolute between those two axes. Use bearing.get_component("inner_ring").item.body to access the inner-ring geometry directly, or use connector refs such as make_connector_ref_rconnectorref("inner_ring", "axis") when adding shaft or housing constraints to the same assembly.

The returned bearing assembly also forwards public assembly-level connectors inner_axis and outer_axis from inner_ring.axis and outer_ring.axis. Parent assemblies can constrain to those connectors without depending on the bearing's internal component structure. These public axes are offset to the bearing center plane.

The returned bearing is not grounded. Ground the parent assembly's housing, shaft, or fixture components explicitly; the standard bearing assembly does not emit GroundedJoint objects that would lock a parent mechanism.

Parameters use explicit SDK-style names rather than compact catalog labels: bore_diameter maps to common id, outer_diameter maps to od, bearing_width maps to axial bearing thickness, ball_diameter maps to ball size, raceway_clearance maps to print clearance around the balls, and edge_chamfer maps to edge break/chamfer. There is intentionally no Python keyword-only * separator in this signature so the function remains callable with either positional or keyword arguments.

ball_count=None lets the factory infer a conservative visual ball count from the pitch circle. Explicit ball_count is accepted when you need to match a real bearing or a printed cage design. Balls are direct sphere primitive solids, and the inner and outer rings are revolved from arc-groove profiles to create continuous toroidal raceway grooves. Balls are visual rolling elements fixed at their authored positions; the currently modeled kinematic degree of freedom is only the inner-ring-to-outer-ring revolute joint.

For printable bearings, the classic checks from many parametric generators are still useful: ((outer_diameter - bore_diameter) / 2) - ball_diameter should leave enough radial wall thickness, and bearing_width - ball_diameter should be positive so balls do not protrude axially.