Bearing steels are intended primarily for manufacture of ball or roller bearings, an application which places high demands in terms of wear resistance, strength and resistance to fatigue. These steels can therefore also be used for other parts with similar requirements on the material.
Hollow bars of bearing steel are traditionally used for races in ball and roller bearings but could be an alternative if the application necessitates a steel capable of attaining equivalent or similar properties at the same time as the component has a central hole. In such a case, the part can either be through hardened or, if a softer, tougher core is needed, induction hardened.