Combined bearings are a cost effective guide solution for all kinds of lift systems, platforms and cantilever loads.
The combined bearing system involves a radial bearing – to take out high moment loads – and a smaller, axial roller to eliminate side movement. They are often used to guide screw jack lifting and sliding systems, and to isolate the screw jack drive from all side forces and moments.
This allows for smaller and more cost effective sizing of the screw jacks, especially under compressive buckling situations.
These combination bearings are usually available welded to a mounting flange plate, for ease of fitment and replacement whatever the application. The flange plates come as a standard size, with tapped and thru holes – but square plates and special plates are available for ease of mounting, and can be sourced on request. Sealed and greased as standard, they offer robust guidance for fabrication mounting and, with no external grease or oil required, they are a clean and efficient component often utilised in nuclear and other clean industrial environments.
The bearings are designed to run in a hot rolled steel section in both U and I configurations. These soft steel profiles are easy to machine, weld and integrate into fabrications and, thanks to the high rigidity of the sections, can be used as structural members.
If you require more precise applications or guidance, complete precision rail and bearing combination is available by machining the inner radial bearing faces and back of the rail together with a larger diameter main radial bearing.
This reduces the running tolerance, adding more finely tuned precision to the guidance. To add to this, our experts here in the Drive Lines team have successfully implemented a number of high profile projects which utilised precision machine rails to customers’ drawings.
These sections are fine straightened and de-twisted before machining with counter bored, tapped, doweled or clearance holes, any of which can be precision machined along the rail lengths for mounting with fixings, offering a complete, ready to use solution to your specific needs.
We have also produced rail section extrusions and materials for a number of special applications, where a unique profile or a different material such as stainless steel is required.
We can offer these bespoke, short run extrusions for minimum quantities, offering the exact rail you need to suit your application with steel traceability, UT and other requirements available on request.
If you are looking for the components for difficult or corrosive applications, we can also provide Armoloy® TDC coating for the bearings external parts, or full set of outer and inner needle roller components, and customers can then hot dip galvanise or paint the rails, creating cost effective corrosion resistance.
Our range of combined bearings are a popular, cost-effective and versatile linear guide system for heavy duty fabrications and automation projects, anywhere that robust, high load and sometimes bespoke solutions are required. If this sounds like something you need, call our sales engineers today on 01234 360689 and let’s talk through your options.