An antifriction bearing, also known as a rolling contact bearing, is justified over a journal or fluid film bearing when very little friction is needed for low differential surface speeds. Of course, the extra mechanical complexity of antifriction bearings drives up their cost when compared to similar journal bearings.

Antifriction bearings can be categorized to two different configurations: axial ball and roller bearings, as illustrated in the following two figures respectively.

1.	Rotary Axial Ball Bearing:
	A Typical Rotary Axial Ball Bearing
2.	Rotary Axial Roller Bearing:
	A Typical Rotary Axial Roller Bearing

Various rolling elements of antifriction bearings are illustrated in the figure below.

Rolling Elements of Antifriction Bearings

For a typical axial bearing, its nomenclatures are annotated below.

Axial Ball Bearing Nomenclatures

Thrust bearings do what their name implies: they provide load capacity axially while still rotating.

Rotary Thrust Ball Bearing

One form of roller bearing that deserves its own section is the tapered roller bearing.