World's first thin-section turntable bearings
Customer demand for a more compact design of turntable bearing has prompted a bearings supplier to design a miniature unit that still offers the same performance and operating life, writes Dean Palmer
New bearings have been developed that not only saved weight and reduced the size of the customer's product design envelope, but also offer the same performance and operating life as the original design.
The miniature thin-section turntable bearings, the 'Custom Reali-Slim TT Series' from Kaydon, offer significant advantages over conventional bearings. UK distributor for the bearings, RA Rodriguez, said that the units are significantly smaller, enabling greater design flexibility. The smallest bore is 1.5 inches, the largest 6 inches and despite their size, the accuracy is better.
The Reali-Slim bearing is a single, four-point contact ball design, which consists of a single row of balls with a unique 'gothic arch' raceway and one-piece separators for low frictional torque. It is capable of supporting radial, axial and moment loads. The units are despatched pre-lubricated, ready to use.
According to Rodriguez, installation is fast and straightforward - the bearing is positioned on the mounting face and tightened down by mounting screws. Versions are available with optional internal or external spur gear, or in non-geared designs. The geared versions are 64-diameter pitch with 20° pressure angle, AGMA Class 10 and offer low backlash operation. The bearings are cleaned and packed in a Class 10,000 clean room and up to Class 100 standards are available.
