Method of manufacturing a rolling element bearing with improved rolling contact surfaces

A method of manufacturing a roller element bearing comprising an inner ring, an outer ring, and a series of rolling elements, a rolling surface of each rolling element in contact with a raceway surface formed in each of the inner and the outer rings, at least one of the raceway surfaces of the inner and outer rings and the rolling surfaces of the rolling elements being provided with a topography comprising recesses which are generally isolated by lands, the method comprising:

• forming the recesses by shot peening the at least one of the surfaces,
• wherein an average angle α between a wall of each recess on the at least one surface is less than 5 degrees, α being the angle between the tangent to the wall, at the intersection of the wall and the adjacent land, and the adjacent land.