High Speed Thin Section Bearings

High speed thin section bearings can save systems a lot of money on size, space and weight while improving performance. This is particularly important in critical applications where a low tolerance for shaft or housing roundness and absolute precision are essential.

Due to their cross sections not increasing as bore sizes increase, thin section bearings also show little change in overall weight as application diameters rise.

Cost

Bearings are a crucial component in most equipment, and high speed thin section bearings help reduce friction in everything from aircraft to office machinery. They are often a cost-effective option when compared to traditional bearings for the same application.

SSB offers a wide variety of regularly available thin section bearings and will also work to develop custom-engineered solutions to fit your specific needs. Whether your design requires vacuum-compatible or dry film lubricants, precision tolerances up to ABEC 5F or higher running accuracy, or special radial play required for shaft or housing materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion, we can make it happen.

Kaydon’s Reali-Slim thin section bearings, for example, save weight and space, while reducing friction and providing excellent running accuracy. These benefits, along with the significant capacity savings possible in comparison to a standard inch-standard bearing, help you to optimize your manufacturing process and improve efficiency. To learn more, watch our video below.

Performance

Thin section bearings can accommodate a range of applications. They are typically used in instrumentation, robotics, aerospace, medical equipment and cameras.

These specialized bearings deliver several key performance benefits for manufacturing processes including; increased speed, reduced friction, savings on space and weight, and enhanced rotational accuracy.

Unlike standard bearings, thin-section bearings have smaller cross-sections and are less bulky. This allows designers to fit them into tight spaces and can also reduce the overall weight of a design. Their size also means that they are able to resist unwanted moment loads without compromising on the integrity of the system.

Silverthin’s range of thin-section bearings includes the Angular Contact RBC 6700 Series which is ideal for high speed applications. It’s important to match bearing size and material to the application in order to achieve optimal performance. These include selecting the correct radial play, shaft and housing roundness, and roller-contact types and materials. 52100 vacuum-gassed chrome steel is commonly specified for thin-section bearings as it is corrosion resistant, has good fatigue properties and can withstand moderate axial loads (with a limit on the reversing axial load capacity). Other options are 440C martensitic stainless steel and 17-4PH tool steel.

Space

As a manufacturer, you are always looking for ways to streamline your production process. The right type of bearings can help make a big difference in speed, precision and space. Thin section bearings are a great option for minimizing friction, increasing speeds and saving space.

One of the most important factors in deciding which thin section bearings to use is what types of loads you need them to manage. For instance, angular contact thin section bearings are well suited for environments with axial load in one direction. However, they may not be a good choice for applications with moment or reversing axial loads. If you need to accommodate these loads, it is advisable to choose duplex angular contact thin section bearings instead.

Silverthin offers a wide range of duplex angular contact bearings to meet your specific needs. Carter can provide application advice on radial and axial bearings with combined moment or reversing axial loads, as well as advising on limiting speeds and separator selection.

Load Capacity

In high speed applications like aerospace, robotics, medical equipment and airborne optical and infrared scanning systems, weight and space savings are critical to design efficiency. Thin section bearings are a cost-efficient choice that can reduce the overall size of a system, without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Their smaller cross-sections allow them to fit where standard bearing sizes can’t. They also have the ability to accommodate a range of bore diameters, so that as an application’s overall size increases, there’s no increase in the space required for the bearings.

This flexibility allows engineers to save significant space, reduce weight and optimize the dimensions of their designs. Kaydon Rodriguez offers a complete line of thin section bearings, including around 250 storage types, providing the optimal solution for every application. These specialized bearings provide several benefits to manufacturing operations, from reducing friction to increasing speed to saving space and enhancing precision.