Schaeffler UK has published a free reference guide to its range of shaft guidance systems, including linear bearings, housed units, shaft support blocks and rail guidance units. As well as providing technical data on individual products, the 175-page ‘Shaft Guidance Systems’ catalogue also includes useful information for mechanical engineers and design engineers on load carrying capacities, friction, lubrication, design of bearing arrangements, operating clearances and the fitting of shaft guidance systems.
Shaft guidance systems comprise shafts or shaft and support rail units combined with low friction linear ball bearings or Schaeffler’s Permaglide plain bearings. The shafts can be either solid or hollow, while shaft and support rail units are always solid. For easy mounting, the guidance systems are also available as complete linear bearing and housing units.
Linear bearings can support high radial loads, while having a relatively low mass and enable the construction of linear guidance systems with unlimited travel. The bearings come in ‘closed’ versions with a segment cut out for supported shafts. The radial clearance can be adjusted on certain versions, which means the user can achieve clearance-free or preloaded guidance systems. Depending on the application, linear bearings are unsealed or are fitted with contact seals on both sides.
With linear ball bearing housed units, the bearing is integrated into a strong, rigid housing, which comes in closed, open, slotted or tandem versions. These units are suitable for reduced mass applications with high loads and where higher acceleration and travel speeds are required.