A lot of people ask of the role of Bearings in systems and the reason they are made for.
Let’s start first by explaining what bearings are used for in the first place. Bearings are industrial components belonging to a system or a machine that has the purpose of moving in general. The main reason for the use of bearings is to reduce friction between 2 separate moving bodies or one moving body and another static in one system.
Bearings system is a simple one consisted of 2 surfaces (an internal and external one) known as the races separated by balls of metal or rollers that roll between these 2 surfaces and transform the taken charge to a spinning one that let the 2 surfaces roll freely and smoothly.
Making a linear bearing consists of combining a transport system whether it is a big scale like a steel slab or a small one like a steel carrier and a sort of rail that can have a circular or a square shape.
These ultimately easy manufactured systems can carry big loads and transport them smoothly from a considered point A to a point B in a given working or a manufacturing space, reduce damage by taking these forces and keep the components in their right position. Bearings increase the sustainability, durability, and the smooth run of systems, hence their efficiency. We can find linear bearing systems in places we never thought they would be there. Your dentist’s clinic is one example and the food industry, like the Krispy Creme where the glazing of your favorite donuts is done thanks to linear bearing systems. Add to these, robotics and other fields where linear bearings play a vital role in securing the run of systems, processes, and the provident of services.
What are the two main types of bearings?
We can define 2 main types of bearing:
The thrust bearing or push bearing allows a rounded shape material to rotate when a push or a thrust is applied to the system. This is an example of the lazy Susan table that allows diners at the same table to share food and dishes smoothly and efficiently without them having to move the platters themselves with their own hands. A little push to the table can rotate the rounded table and move the dishes to different people sitting near the edges of the table, for this reason, they came up with its name as a lazy table, probably made by a woman called Susan who was too lazy to move dishes across the table.
The radial bearing is the bearing that has the role of spinning the system while moving it linearly, just like the skateboard that when its rollers are rotating the skateboard can move the skater in space. Did you ever see skateboarding this complicated before?
Choosing a Linear Bearing: A Quick Reference Guide:
Choosing a linear bearing can be a hectic job. Usually, the selection criteria are based on the job that the linear bearing is going to play in the system.
Are you looking for precision? Speed? Firmness?
All these are factors for choosing the right linear bearing. Besides, the care for the temperature and corrosion resistance, the price, and how environmentally efficient the linear bearing is, are all major features when choosing the right linear bearing.