Bearings are used in almost every industry as these are an integral part of many machines. By facilitating the functionality of the machines and improving their performance, these bearings can make a significant difference to their production capacity. The type of the bearings used can vary from one machine to another. Among the wide range of bearings available for various purposes, the thin section bearings are used extensively. This kind of bearings is known for its high precision, high capacity of carrying load and efficient working, along with being very quiet while operating.
Apart from enhancing the functionality of the machine and process, where they are used, these bearings are also known to help reduce the total cost of a system considerably. This is because of their ability to increase design efficiency, which is regarded as much better than other bearings available in standard sizes. It is also a prime reason why these bearings with thin section are more preferred and extensively used for a number of purposes in comparison to most of the other varieties available. In order to know the role that thin section bearing variety plays in reducing the expenses more clearly, it is better to first understand their configuration and specifications.
Thin section bearings are designed in some particular thicknesses and widths according to the purpose which they are supposed to serve. Every cross section is manufactured in various diameters. While most of the radial ball bearings are designed in a way that when bore size is increased, the thickness and width of bearing also change proportionately. However, in these type of bearings, even when we increase bore diameter, the cross section does not change and remains same.
Thin section bearings
Primarily three contact styles are used for manufacturing thin section bearings, which include radial contact, four point contact and angular contact. Presence of these options, besides the various retainer and ball types, ensures an extensive range of different parts, although the cross sections remain limited. The variety available of these bearings is manufactured using twelve cross sections primarily, which can be up to one inch and the bore size might vary from one inch to above forty inches. These bearings appear to be thinner when compared to the standard sized ball bearings, because of their proportion of the big bore diameter and smaller cross section. Generally these bearings are manufactured using stainless steel and chrome steel, with a variety of coating using platings, such as thin and dense chrome.
As these bearings have the cross sections, which do not change even if the bore size is increased, thus there is no change required in space requirements. Although slight change might occur in the bearing’s weight, while the application’s diameter gets increased.
In plenty of cases, the thin section bearing’s price might seem higher as compared to standard bearings of the same bore size. However, the savings in design and application, which occur due to reduction in space and low weight, help to lower the total expenses involved in a particular application.