LM76 Blogger

Linear Bearings that EXCEED the Challenge

Linear Motion Application Story – Minuteman Self Lube Linear Bearings™ Are: All Weather/All Theatre Compatible!

March 26th, 2026

Editor

Linear Motion – Why are LM76 Minuteman Linear Bearings™ the 1st choice when failure under poor environmental conditions is simply, “NOT AN OPTION?” Because Minuteman Self Lube Linear Bearings™ are exceptionally tough and All Weather/All Theatre Compatible! Unlike linear ball bearings which employ re-circulating balls, LM76 Minuteman Self Lubricating Linear Bearings™ offer a tough ceramic coated shell featuring LM76’s industry leading Minuteman Green Self Lubricating Liner™.

Since there are no balls or mechanical mechanisms in the Minuteman Linear Bearing™, there is no mechanical failure mode. Dirt, dust and debris get wiped away whereas with a linear ball bearing, they get trapped under the seal, filling the ball raceways and freezing the balls – destroying the bearing and grooving the shaft. Minuteman Self Lube Linear Bearing™ can take a pounding from recoil, shock/vibration, vicious environments and high heat.

For this reason the US Navy and the US Army have installed LM76 Minuteman Linear Bearings™ in gun mounts on ships and vehicles.

US Navy – The Navy’s MK95 Mod 2 Machine Gun Mount is for mounting two .50 Caliber M2HB Modified Machine Guns (resulting in a weapon system firing rate of about1,000 rounds per minute). Each weapon is “soft-mounted” and installed with a shock absorber system using LM76 Minuteman Linear Bearings™ to reduce transmitted weapon recoil and to increase gunner controlability and hit probability.

US Army – Here you can see sand/dust build-up on the weapon, mount and tripod. These mounts provide platform stabilization, improve accuracy, and increase hit probability while decreasing the time and effort to install and interchange weapons.

Recent testing at SAIC Surface Platform Integration
Small Arms led to this comment:
” We feel that your (LM76) products will improve our mounts in regard to performance, life and cost.”

Below – Here you can see sand/dust build-up on the weapon, mount and tripod. These mounts provide platform stabilization, improve accuracy, and increase hit probability while decreasing the time and effort to install and interchange weapons.

” You need a linear bearing that can stand-up to sand, heat, shock and overall abuse. This environment (desert) plays havoc with all our systems. Your bearings meet or exceed mission requirements.” Andral, Bob US Army – Iraq Vet

The LM76 Minuteman Linear Bearings™ at the heart of this application.

Read more about the differences Minuteman Self Lube Linear Bearings™ & Linear Ball Bearings.

Founded in 1976, LM76 has been a leading designer/manufacturer of linear bearings, slides and linear motion systems. LM76 is renowned for its industry leading Minuteman Teflon® Composite linear bearings. LM76 is a leading supplier of precision linear shafting: RC60, 300 Series Stainless Steel, and ceramic-coated aluminum shafting. LM76 also offers several FDA/USDA compliant linear bearings and slides for the food processing, pharmaceutical, medical, and packaging industries.

For additional information contact John Tarbell at: LM76, 140 Industrial Dr., E. Longmeadow, MA 01028; Telephone: 413-525-4166, Fax: 413-525-3735 or E-Mail: mquinn@lm76.com or visit the website at http://www.lm76.com

When others think catalog … … LM76 thinks solution!

To follow the Series from LM76, THE ENGINEERING EDGE! and learn about interesting Outside-of-the-Box solutions developed by LM76 to solve some interesting linear motion problems! CLICK HERE

About LM76

Founded in 1976, LM76 has been a leading designer/manufacturer of motion control linear bearings, slides and linear motion control systems. LM76 is renowned for its industry leading Minuteman PTFE Composite linear bearings. LM76 is a leading supplier of precision linear shafting: RC60, 300 Series Stainless Steel, and ceramic-coated aluminum shafting. LM76 also offers several FDA/USDA compliant linear bearings and slides for the food processing, pharmaceutical, medical, and packaging industries.

For additional information contact John Tarbell at: LM76, 140 Industrial Dr., E. Longmeadow, MA 01028; Telephone: 413-525-4166, Cell: 617-538-8756, Fax: 413-525-3735 or E-Mail: JTarbell@gmail.com or visit the website at http://www.lm76.com

See this and other Motion Control Components from LM76 featured on:

The LM76 Blog

LM76 Catalogs

http://MotionShop.com

http://MotionControl-XYZ-Theta.com

http://LinearMotionBlogger.com

http://AllMotionBlogger.com

http://Automation-Blogger.com

http://MotionControlBlogger.com

http://motioncontrolBuyersGuide.com

http://MotionControlWeb.com

http://MotionShop.net

http://Catalogs-MotionControl.com

Motion Control – The Engineering Edge – History of Ceramic Bearings.

March 19th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – LM76 offers innovative solutions to problems!

Motion Control – THE SOUL OF A NEW IDEA In 1976, Warren Hamilton, The General Manager of J.C. Tarbell Associates, an internationally recognized designer of plain (sleeve) bearings was asked by a customer to solve a linear ball bearing failure. At the time, Warren and his team spent most of their efforts on traditional rotary, sleeve bearing design. Applications like a revolutionary sintered, high temperature (700F+), self-lubricating aircraft engine stator vane bushing made from nickel, chromium and cobalt – eventually used in every F404 engine employed on the new F-18 Hornet – America’s new topline fighter. Getting back to the linear ball bearing issue… Warren studied the linear ball bearing failure and set-out to find a solution. Read more »

LM76’s Black Racer Bearings Are the Bearings of Choice for Mattress Manufacturer!

March 12th, 2026

Editor

The high speed, short stroke, and the dust & debris of a mattress stitching machine proved too much for linear ball bearings! The contamination and short stroke length did not allow the bearing to circulate and caused premature failure.

E. Longmeadow, MA – — LM76’s solution to problem was to replace the linear ball bearings with the ceramic coated “Black Racer Ceramic Linear Bearings” linear bearings. These linear bearings have a Coefficient of Friction of just .04 (lubricated). LM76 offers 5 of the the 6 Lowest Coefficient-of-Friction bearings and bearing systems available. Follow the links below and contact LM76 for help in selecting the best bearing or bearing system for your application. Read more »

Motion Control – Low Cost, FDA/USDA/3A-Dairy Compliant Water Dog Linear Slides!

March 5th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – Low Cost, FDA/USDA/3A-Dairy Compliant Water Dog Linear Slides!

Motion Control – Components – Linear Motion – E. Longmeadow, MA – FDA/USDA/3A-Dairy compliant, Water Dog Sliders from LM76 feature Corro-SlickTM coated 300 series stainless steel rails and contoured WDX Polymer blocks. Water Dog Sliders can be washed down with the most aggressive chemicals and caustic foaming agents and have an operating temperature range of – 400 degrees to +180 degrees F. Quiet, low maintenance Water Dog Sliders can be used: Dry, submerged in liquids, and in refrigerated and frozen environments. Read more »

Motion Control – The Engineering Edge – Application – ETX Pillow Blocks!

February 26th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – Application – Radioactive Environment

ETX Pillow/Block Bearings for Radioactive Environments

Motion Control – Application – This was a troublesome application. This system is completely submerged in radioactive water at a nuclear power plant. So no Teflon, no seals, no lubrication – nothing that will degrade in a radioactive environment. The majority of components are stainless steel – except for our ceramic coated/supported shafting and our special, designed for this particular application/never made before, ETX self-lubricating linear blocks. Read more »

Motion Control – The Engineering Edge – Jet Rail Linear Roller Blocks – Bearing Specifications and Loading Instructions

February 19th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – the Engineering Edge – Jet Rail

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Motion Control – Stainless Steel And Self Aligning Linear Ball Bearings Are Easily Lubricated Right Inside of “New Design” Pillow And Flange Blocks!

February 12th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – “New Design” Pillow and Flange Blocks!

E. Longmeadow, MA — Motion Control – Linear Motion – Lubricating Stainless Steel and Self-Aligning Linear Ball Bearings has never been easier! “New Design” pillow blocks and flange blocks from LM76, features a lubrication fitting, and an alignment set screw in the pillow blocks and flange blocks, and the Stainless Steel and self aligning linear bearings are modified by having an alignment flat ground on the bearings’ outer shell and drilling a hole through the outer shell. Read more »

Linear Motion Control Components – FDA/USDA/3-A Dairy Compliant

February 5th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – FDA/USDA Compliant Bearings

Motion Control – Linear Motion – LM76 FluidLine Linear/Rotary bearings are FDA/USDA & 3A Dairy Complaint. They are also caustic wash down inert. FluidLine bearings one piece construction has benefits over traditional Teflon Composite lined aluminum bearings: if you have a wear situation, Teflon Composite Bearings have a .035″ Teflon Composite Liner. Once you wear through the liner, you are into the aluminum shell. FluidLine bearings will simply wear more and more until they are too sloppy and can replaced at your convenience. They are also less expensive in volume because there are fewer manufacturing operations. We can easily design and produce special ID’s, OD’s, Lengths and features such as flanges.
Read more »

The Engineering Edge – What’s the Difference?

January 29th, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – Linear Bearings Compared

E. Longmeadow, MA – LM76’s high speed, “Black Racer,” ceramic coated linear bearings out perform linear ball bushing and linear polymer bearings in high speed and high acceleration/deceleration applications. These drop in replacement linear bearings are designed to be used in standard open and closed pillow blocks. “Black Racer” linear bearings are ideal for: Rocket sleds, crash test systems, and other high speed, high acceleration application. Read more »

Motion Control – ZrO2 Zirconia Ceramic Radial Ball Bearings For High Loads available from LM76 are FDA/USDA/3A-Dairy Compliant!

January 22nd, 2026

Editor

Motion Control – Zirconia Ceramic Radial Bearings

E. Longmeadow, MA — Motion Control – LM76 has announced the release of their new line of Radial Ball Bearings featuring ZrO2 (Zirconia) Ceramic balls. To Complement LM76’s broad range of Linear Bearings that are FDA/UDSA/3A Dairy compliant, as well as linear bearings for extreme environments; they have added Deep Groove bearings which accommodate radial and axial loads, Angular Contact bearings for simultaneously handling radial and axial loads, Spherical Bearings which are self aligning, and Thrust Bearings for high axial loads. Each of the four types of metric bearings are available in a wide range sizes. Read more »