Linear Bearing

Why Choose Us

Production Market

SUN AUTOMATION GROUP LIMITED was founded in 1986 and had been focusing on exporting high bearing ever since. Our products have been exported to North America, Europe, the Middle East, Brazil, South Africa, and Mexico and were well acknowledged by clients worldwide.

Our Certificate

We cooperate with the bearing branches and some authorized. Our bearings are new and genuine. Certificates signed and stamped by the chamber of commerce certify that all of them are original. To get more information, please kindly contact us.

Production Equipment

The production line has much equipment, including manufacturing and testing machinery. We have an annual output of 5 million sets of bearings. We will check the production equipment regularly to ensure that we can produce higher-quality bearings.

Our Service

We have a 7*24-hour professional sales consultant team to deal with your needs as quickly as possible. We know that time is money, and we will provide you with the best products, best suggestions and services, and the fastest shipping Ways to give you a high-quality and low-cost purchasing experience.

What are linear bearings?

Linear bearings are a type of bearing designed to provide linear motion. Their applications are diverse, from manufacturing equipment to aerospace systems. Linear bearings are an important part of many mechanical systems because they enable smooth, precise motion.

Types of linear bearings:

Several types of linear bearings are available, including ball bearings, roller bearings and sleeve bearings. Each type has its own unique features and benefits, depending on the application requirements. Ball bearings are the most common type and are best suited for high-speed, low-load applications. Roller bearings are ideal for heavy loads and are often used in conveyor systems. Sleeve bearings are self-lubricating and have a low coefficient of friction, making them suitable for low-speed, high-load applications.

Advantages of linear bearings

Linear bearings have several benefits, including high accuracy, low friction and smooth motion. They are designed to provide precise positioning and are often used in applications that require high accuracy. Linear bearings also have low friction, which minimizes wear on the system and reduces energy consumption. Finally, the smooth motion provided by linear bearings ensures quiet and efficient operation of the system.

Applications for linear bearings

Linear bearings are used in a wide range of applications, including robotics, manufacturing equipment, aerospace systems, and medical equipment. They are an important part of systems that require precise positioning, smooth motion, and low friction. Linear bearings are also used in linear motion guides, linear actuators and linear platforms, which play a key role in the performance of these systems.

Installation and maintenance of linear bearings

Linear bearings require careful installation and regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. During installation, it is important to pay attention to external load conditions such as axial thrust that can affect the quality of the movement. Also, make sure all parts are aligned and perform as expected.
Regular maintenance also helps keep the system in top condition. This includes checking all parts for signs of wear or damage, regular lubrication, regular cleaning and replacement of worn or defective parts. Proper care for linear bearings helps to extend their life and ensure long-term reliable operation.

What is Linear Bearing

Linear bearings are a type of bearing that "bear" or support the load of the carriage during its single-axis linear movement and provide a low friction sliding surface for the guide rails. In a linear guide, the carriage is the component that travels in a straight line curved line, back and forth, along the length of the guide rail, which is fitted and inserted into the linear bearing.

The various types of linear bearings are a rolling element or fluid device that reduces friction. They offer excellent precision, better mounting, and much smoother even motion. Linear bearings are used in 3D printers, sliding doors, and several automated applications where guiding rail motion is required.

Advantages of Linear Bearings

Precision: Hiwin Linear Bearings offer high precision, enabling precise linear motion.

Load capacity: Due to their superior design, Hiwin's bearings can accommodate burdens from multiple directions, significantly boosting their load capacity.

Rigidity: The circular four-row design of Hiwin's linear guideways provides increased rigidity, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications.

Self-Lubricating: Certain Hiwin Linear Bearings have self-lubricating packages that reduce maintenance needs and increase bearing life.

Versatility

Hiwin provides a vast selection of linear bearings suitable for various applications, ranging from small electronic devices to large industrial machinery.

Noise reduction

Linear bearings can also contribute to the quieter operation of machinery. Since they generate less friction and vibration, they typically generate less operational noise than other bearing varieties.

Efficiency

Their design allows linear bearings to operate at high speeds with minimal energy loss. It makes them a viable option for numerous motion control systems.

Typical Linear Bearing Specifications

Bearing includes Sliding Bearing Block (Additional sliding blocks can be purchased separately).

Standard length blocks and different Rail Lengths. Add Rails together to make very long Linear Bearings.

750 lbs Max Loading per sliding block for the heavy duty Linear Bearing, down to 220lbs load for the mini series. Add more sliders to reduce weight if required.

Temperature range -20 ~ 80℃.

High load capabilities.

Carbon steel rails as well and carbon steel bearings.

Tapped mounting holes on the sliding block.

Frequent through holes for rail mounting.

Very affordable and versatile, ideal for many applications from Home Automation to Industrial Automation.

Linear Bearing Components

Bearing Block: The guiding block's rolling elements make contact with the guide rail. These rolling elements provide a smooth, low-friction path for the guide block as it is pushed or dragged along the guide rail. Reduced Friction Utilizing rolling elements significantly reduces friction between the guide block and guide rail. This friction reduction enables finer motion, greater efficiency, and less component wear and tear. The system's load capacity is determined by the size, shape, and quantity of the rolling elements, as well as the size and material of the guide rail and block. Typically, a more significant number or larger dimension of rolling elements can support a more substantial load.

Guide Rail: The fixed component of a linear guide system is a linear guide rail, also known as a track or a path. It provides the guide block with a precise linear way to travel along. Typically, guide rails are made of hardened steel or other materials with superior rigidity and abrasion resistance. They are available in various shapes, including square, round, and profiled rails, each suited for applications. The intended travel distance and system configuration determines the guide rail's length and mounting configuration.

Types of Linear Bearings

Rolling linear bearings
The most common type of linear bearing is a rolling linear bearing, which has a minor frictional surface for linear motion. The rolling elements are balls or rollers housed between the mating grooves in the bearing and guide rails.
The linear guide's linear speed is related to the ball or roller diameter; as the ball diameter grows, so does the linear guide's linear speed. The linear bearing's loading capacity in a specific direction is affected by the contact angle, which is measured on the horizontal.
The radial loading capacity is directly proportional to the contact angle, while the lateral loading capacity is proportional. A 450-contact angle can support weights in all three directions: radial, reverse radial, and lateral.

Plain linear bearings
Without rolling elements, plain linear bearings rely on the sliding contact of two surfaces. They have a simpler structure, simpler functioning mechanisms, and significantly less expensive than linear roller bearings. Because the contact area is larger, the surface pressure is reduced. They have a higher load capacity, are lighter, and better absorb shocks and damp vibrations.
They have more friction., reduce he linear guide's speed and increase its wear. Lubrication must be maintained. Various sliding materials or materials with a self-lubricating coating are typically utilized to minimize the friction coefficient. They also have a lesser travel accuracy, making them unsuitable for high-precision applications.
Plain linear bushings, also known as linear sleeve bearings, are hollow cylinders with the journal (shaft guide rail) sliding on their inner surface. The inner surface is typically treated with self-lubricating compounds (e.g., PTFE). At the same time, linear sleeve bearings can tolerate both axial and radial loads as they are employed in light to medium-duty applications because they have a lesser load capacity and rigidity than box-way and dovetail slides.

7 Tips for Selecting a Linear Bearing

Determine your requirements and priorities
All engineering involves trade-offs. Before starting to specify your linear bearing, understand the requirements of the system, including accuracy, size, smoothness of travel, lifetime, duty cycle, and cost. Develop an error budget for the system and determine the allowable contributions from the bearing. Be sure to prioritize all metrics so you can make effective decisions.

Understand error sources
A basic linear bearing system consists of a carriage riding on one or more rails. Precision motion systems typically use rolling elements such as balls or rollers to reduce friction. The two primary error sources in a linear bearing are:
Running parallelism: Bearings have some deviation from absolute straightness as a result of machining and assembly tolerances, and mounting errors.
Deflection: Excess clearance in the bearing can cause the load to deflect from intended position.
To improve running parallelism, machine mounting surfaces to tolerance and include alignment features. This can slightly increase cost but is generally well worth it. To decrease deflection, increase the preload; the trade-off is increased running friction, which can decrease motion smoothness and potentially reduce lifetime.

Don’t overlook the effects of orientation
Selecting a linear bearing starts with the layout, including the number of axes of motion, packaging constraints, etc. In combination with the load and the performance requirements, the layout drives the choice of rail and, ultimately, bearing. Be sure to take into consideration the effect of orientation. A Cartesian system hanging on the wall will be exposed to significantly different forces than one laid flat.

Include all loads
Proper sizing of the bearing is essential to achieving lifetime specifications. Loads can be classed as static or dynamic.
• Static requirements
Determine the number of axes in the system and evaluate the loads for each axis (see figure 2). Start with the load type:
Axial (thrust load): The load applies a force in the direction of travel.
Radial load: The load applies a force orthogonal to the direction of travel.
Moment load: The load applies a force at a distance, or torque around the axis. The moment direction may be described as Ma (pitch), Mb (yaw), Mc (roll).
Calculate the force vectors (magnitude and direction) on an axis-by-axis basis and also for the assembly as a whole. Don’t forget to take into account both the applied load and any force introduced by the components of the machine itself. A patient bed, for example, might involve two or three stacked axes, so that the load on the lower axis includes not only the patient but the weight of the components that form the axes above. Start at the applied load and work through the stack.
• Dynamic requirements
Dynamic loads include the static load of the mass, plus dynamic loads due to acceleration. In some cases, the machine itself may apply a load. Loads interact with one another. This particularly holds for complex motion stages, for which the dynamic forces change rapidly as various components reposition.
Again, start at the top layer and work your way through the stack. Try to keep the top layer as light as possible because the forces will be summed. This information will help determine the best choice of bearing.

Consider a dual-rail configuration
A single-rail might work well for a small, light load, even when it has an applied moment load. Heavier loads, particularly heavy moment loads, typically call for dual-rail systems (see figure 3). Widening the distance between rails reduces the reaction forces on the bearings, enabling them to better handle the applied moment.
If the load is centered on the carriage, there is a greater possibility that a single-axis system will be enough. Wide square-rail designs increase the distance between the raceways, once again lowering the reaction forces and increasing the moment load that the single-rail bearing can support compared to conventional square-rail bearings. Perform a detailed mechanical analysis to gain the best understanding of system requirements.

Use caged bearings
Ball-type linear bearings can be specified with a ball cage, or separator. Molded to closely fit the surface of the balls, ball cages help ensure orderly movement for better high-speed performance. They minimize metal-to-metal contact, reducing wear and noise. The cages also do a better job of retaining grease, which increases bearing lifetime and maintenance intervals.

Design for duty cycle
How many cycles will the motion system run through over device lifetime? Thousands? Millions? Will there be a preventive maintenance program? Lower duty cycles may allow the use of low-cost, non-caged, single-row ball-type bearings bearing or even ball bushings. Higher duty cycles should use caged-ball-type bearings and may require the addition of a self-lubricator. Don’t forget that higher preloads can affect lifetime by increasing friction.

How Does a Linear Bearing Work Across Industrial Applications?

In the automotive industry, linear bearings are used for the precise positioning of components in assembly lines, as well as in robotic systems for tasks such as painting and welding.

In the aerospace industry, linear bearings are used in aircraft landing gear systems and satellite deployment mechanisms, where reliability and accuracy are critical.

In the medical field, linear bearings are used in imaging equipment and surgical robots to ensure smooth and precise movement during procedures.

In 3D printing, linear bearings are used to guide the movement of the print head along the X, Y, and Z axes, allowing for accurate positioning of the print head as it deposits layers of material to create three-dimensional objects.

CNC machines utilise linear bearings to facilitate the movement of cutting tools, workpieces, and other components along multiple axes with high precision and repeatability, ensuring smooth and accurate motion during machining operations such as milling, drilling, and engraving.

Our Factory

SUN AUTOMATION GROUP LIMITED nearly 40 years of bearing support and industrial service experience. We have a stock warehouse and provide a variety of stock bearings. For special and rare ones, we can distribute the goods to the agents in the country of origin of each brand, and the MOQ is as low as 1 set. SUN AUTOMATION GROUP LIMITED has the ability to provide customers with professional bearing solutions. Quality, value and service are the industry that our company is based on.
Our warehouse has one of the largest stocks. We can guarantee direct delivery, and timely delivery and ensure the primary source. If special bearings are not stocked, we can allocate cargo from the agents of original countries such as Sweden, Germany, the U.S.A., and Japan.

FAQ

Q: What is a linear bearing?

A: A linear bearing is a low-cost linear motion system that is used with cylindrical shafts for unlimited travel. It is widely used in sliding parts of industrial machinery such as precision machine tools, textile machinery, and food packaging machinery.

Q: What types of linear bearings are there?

A: Linear bearings mainly include standard linear bearings, clearance adjustment linear bearings, open linear bearings, flange linear bearings, etc. They can also be divided into metal linear bearings and plastic linear bearings based on the material.

Q: What is the difference between metal linear bearings and plastic linear bearings?

A: Friction mode: Metal linear bearings are rolling friction, and plastic linear bearings are sliding friction.
Load capacity: Metal linear bearings are suitable for low-load high-speed motion, and plastic linear bearings are suitable for high-load medium and low-speed motion.
Noise: Plastic linear bearings have lower noise, especially in medium and high-speed conditions.
Lubrication and maintenance: Metal linear bearings require regular lubrication, while plastic linear bearings do not require additional oil supply and maintenance due to their internal self-lubricating sliding film.

Q: Can linear bearings be used for rotational motion?

A: Generally not. Linear bearings are designed mainly for linear motion, and forcing them to be used for rotational motion may cause accidents.

Q: What should I do if the linear bearing is noisy?

A: Use bearing types with less noise, such as engineering plastic linear bearings.
Ensure installation accuracy and avoid friction and collision between the bearing and the shaft.
Check and replace worn parts regularly.

Q: What should I do if the linear bearing is prone to rust and corrosion?

A: Choose stainless steel linear bearings.
Perform anti-corrosion treatment such as nickel plating on the metal surface.
When used in a humid environment, strengthen ventilation and dehumidification.

Q: What are the reasons for the shedding and damage of linear bearing balls?

A: Too fast speed and excessive load.
Foreign matter enters the inside of the bearing.
Ball fatigue.

Q: How to prevent the linear bearing ball from falling off?

A: Ensure the correct installation angle and avoid using improper angles for installation.
Use special tools to press the bearing seat evenly and smoothly to avoid direct impact on the outer cylinder side end retaining ring and oil seal.

Q: What are the precautions for installing linear bearings?

A: Before installation, make sure the shaft core and the inner hole of the linear bearing are parallel.
Use special tools for installation to avoid damage to the bearing.
After installation, check whether the bearing is installed in place and whether it runs smoothly.

Q: What factors affect the life of linear bearings?

A: Bearing material and manufacturing process.
Use environment and conditions, such as temperature, humidity, load, etc.
Installation and maintenance accuracy and frequency.

Q: What are the lubrication methods for linear bearings?

A: Grease lubrication: Use lithium soap grease, etc.
Oil lubrication: Oil is supplied through the oil supply pipe or the oil hole on the outer bearing seat.

Q: How to choose a suitable linear bearing?

A: Consider the product quality and professionalism of the brand.
Choose the appropriate specifications and models according to the specific production environment requirements.
Ensure that the selected bearings meet the working environment requirements, including load, speed, accuracy, etc.

Q: How to ensure the accuracy of linear bearings?

A: Choose high-precision bearing types and specifications.
Ensure installation accuracy to avoid accuracy loss caused by installation errors.
Regularly check and maintain bearings, and replace worn parts in time.

Q: How to calculate the load capacity of linear bearings?

A: The calculation of load capacity needs to consider factors such as the material, structure, size and use conditions of the bearing. For specific calculation methods, please refer to relevant standards or consult professional manufacturers.

Q: In which industries are linear bearings widely used?

A: Linear bearings are widely used in precision equipment or special machinery industries such as electronic equipment, food machinery, packaging machinery, medical machinery, printing machinery, textile machinery, etc.

Q: What is the sealing performance of linear bearings?

A: The sealing performance of linear bearings depends on their sealing structure and materials. Some linear bearings are equipped with sealing devices such as sealing gaskets and sealing felt rings to improve the sealing performance and prevent dust and moisture from entering the bearing.

Q: Is it difficult to repair and replace linear bearings?

A: The difficulty of repairing and replacing linear bearings depends on their type and installation environment. Generally, as long as the correct operating steps and precautions are followed, repair and replacement are not difficult.

Q: What are the requirements for the storage and preservation of linear bearings?

A: The storage environment should be dry, ventilated, and free of corrosive gases.
Avoid direct sunlight and rain.
When storing, they should be placed flat to avoid deformation or damage caused by stacking too high.

Q: How strong are linear bearings?

A: Linear Bearing Slides
Capable of holding the heaviest of objects, our Linear Slide Rails are available in different styles and sizes capable of carrying up to 750 lbs weight capacity per carriage or add more to double your weight carrying capabilities.

Q: What are the criteria for linear bearing selection?

A: Important specifications to consider when selecting linear bearings include the bearing width, length, inside diameter, and dynamic load capacity. The bearing housing can be flanged, none or open, rectangular, and pillow block. The bearing may be open or closed.

We're well-known as one of the leading linear bearing manufacturers and suppliers in China. If you're going to buy high quality linear bearing with competitive price, welcome to get more information from our factory.

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