Kaydon Thin Section Bearing Catalog

Kaydon’s portfolio of standard thin section bearings saves space, reduces weight and increases design flexibility. Their use is common in aerospace and manufacturing equipment, medical systems, rotary tables and robotics.

Various configurations are available including radial, angular and four-point contact ball bearings with alternative materials, cage designs, seals and lubrication options. The bearings can also be customized to your specifications.

Sizes

Designed with a large bore diameter and a small bearing cross section, thin section bearings save space and lower equipment weight. They can be used in a variety of applications including robots and construction equipment. These smaller, lighter and more compact designs help reduce frictional torque for smooth rotation.

While most radial ball bearings increase in width and thickness as the bore size increases, thin section bearings are manufactured with a limited number of primary widths and heights (cross sections). Rings can be made from standard SAE 52100 chrome steel or 440C stainless to provide corrosion resistance. In addition, the rings can be coated with platings like nodular thin dense chrome to provide improved lubricity and alternative load capability.

Kaydon has expanded its Reali-Slim thin section line to include sealed metric versions in the JU series with bore sizes down to 8 mm. These new metric sizes, along with the expansion of existing imperial sizes in the JG series, provide designers with more options than ever.

Materials

In contrast to a standard bearing series which increases in width and thickness with bore diameter, thin section bearings have extremely small cross sections. These miniature designs help reduce overall equipment size, weight and space.

Using a wide variety of materials, platings and retainer types RBC offers a broad range of thin section bearings in both radial contact and angular contact configurations. Standard offerings include 440C stainless steel and 52100 chrome steel with a variety of finishes to suit your application.

Depending on the specific design, bearing speed ratings can be adjusted to accommodate operating temperatures up to 350degF continuous or intermittent (consult your RBC Sales Engineer). Also, bearing performance can be improved by selecting an appropriate lubricant. Unsealed thin section bearings are thoroughly coated in MIL-L-3150 oil and drained, while sealed bearings have an external surface lightly coated with grease.

Seals

Bearing shields and seals keep lubricant in, dirt and other contaminants out. They also help to reduce vibration, noise and power loss in applications requiring a high level of performance.

Thin section ball bearings are highly accurate, quiet and have a very high load-carrying capacity. They are available in three different designs and have an extremely small, mostly square cross-section. This special feature distinguishes them from the ISO series standard deep groove ball bearings.

RBC thin section bearings are available with a variety of contact and non-contact seals as well as cage designs, ball types (including ceramic) and alternative lubrication choices. They are ideal for saving weight, space and cost in a range of equipment from medical devices to aerospace telescopes. These compact, low friction bearings are the perfect way to save weight and space in your equipment design. They provide a solution for moving or controlling almost any mechanism that requires movement at a fraction of the size and weight of conventional bearings.

Radial Preload

Kaydon’s portolio of thin section bearings helps save space, weight and increases design flexibility in equipment such as robots, construction equipment and industrial machinery. Since the size of the bearing ring doesn’t change with bore diameter, there is little or no increase in the overall space required for the bearing and this reduces the weight.

Thin section bearings can be mounted in split inner and outer rings to allow the preload of the bearing to be set by the shaft and housing fit. This can reduce the need to request special preload settings and can lower the cost of a system.

RBC also manufactures many custom thin section bearings designed to optimize performance in specific applications. Contact a Sales Engineer to discuss your application needs.