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Motion Control – One Piece ETX Linear Bearing/Pillow Blocks Can Be Used In Radioactive Environments!

Motion Control – ETX Pillow Block/Bearings for Radioactive Environments

motion control pillow blocks/bearings

E. Longmeadow, MA Motion Control – Components – Linear Motion – LM76 now offers one piece ETX Linear Bearing/Pillow Blocks that will not degrade in a radioactive environment! Machined from a solid block of self lubricating ETX, linear bearing-blocks have high strength, excellent wear resistance, low coefficient of friction, and excellent dimensional stability at higher temperatures As there is no other materials such as PTFE seals or lubricants these bearing-blocks are maintenance free.
motion control - lm76
Custom designed for use in a nuclear power plant these linear bearing/pillow blocks travel on ceramic coated shafting (also supplied by LM76) completely submerged in radioactive water.
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Motion Control – Sleeve Style Linear Bearings and Precision Linear Shafting

Motion Control – Shafting and Bearings
motion control - shafting and Bearings

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Motion Control – Application – In “Off-Roading” LM76’s Black Racer Bearing is a Winner!

Motion Control – Application – Ceramic Linear Bearings

motion control - linear bearings

Motion Control – Anyone who’s worked on cars knows how critically important ball joints are to steering and suspension. They also know what happens when ball joints fail!

motion control - lm76 products

E. Longmeadow, MA – — Motion Control – Application Story – When an aftermarket manufacturer of off-road steering and suspension systems needed an upper ball joint bearing, they called LM76. These systems are purchased by off-road vehicle owners who want to upgrade their OEM steering and suspension units for hard-hitting environments. Pounding, shock, sand and debris are all part of the mix when it comes to extreme off-roading and LM76 Black Racer bearings are right at home. According to company engineers, after a year of brutal testing, Black Racer met all design goals and exceeded expectations. Read more »

Application Story – FDA/Washdown System Excels with Special Linear Motion Shaft Assembly from LM76!

Motion Control – Solenoid Drivers

motion control - gimbal mount
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Van Nuys, CA – Motion Control – Designed for larger cameras, tracking devices, telescopes, optics, and other devices, four new, high resolution, three axis gimbal mounts have been released by OES (Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc.). This new series of Three Axis Gimbal Mounts are 588 mm wide by 463 mm high, and handle loads up to 10 kg. The AU400-AER (Azimuth, Elevation, and Roll) Series of Three Axis Gimbal Mounts feature high precision 180:1 worm gear driven “V” groove rotary stages. Read more »

Motion Control Bearings – Adhesive Dispensing Rotary Bearing Assembly

Motion Control Bearings – Custom Assembly

At LM76, we embrace challenges that push boundaries. While competitors stick to selling standard products, we thrive on designing and manufacturing unique, low-volume specials. Ready to take on the extraordinary? 
motion control bearing assembly
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Motion Control Application – Polishing Machine’s Linear Ball Bearing Failures Solved by LM76!

Motion Control Application – Truck Wheel Buffing Machines

motion control - lm76 application

motion control - linear motion products

 

The Application –

Motion Control – Polishing Aluminum Truck Wheels is done with a polishing machine that has a 36″ vertical stroke indexer, having a 2500 pound load moving @ 4″ per second. The polishing media is like toothpaste with glass in it. It is extremely abrasive, and sticky/tacky.
motion control - wheel buffing

The Problem –

The industrial buffing system is chewing-up motion control linear ball bearings and spitting them out every 2 weeks! This is the situation one of customers found themselves in while for years accepting lost production and costly maintenance shutdowns. When LM76 got a call from a proactive new maintenance manager, we were eager to try a scraper seal design we had recently had success with on another application.

Originally, these systems came with protective bellows which helped keep polishing media from contaminating the 2″ linear ball bearing pillow blocks. According to our maintenance manager, once a bellow was damaged, it was removed and thrown away. Maintenance personnel so disliked having to take off and reinstall bellows that they mysteriously disappeared. Even with protective bellows, aluminum dust mixed with polishing media formed what one mechanic termed, “toothpaste with glass in it.”This abrasive “lapping compound”would stick to shafting, dry and semi-harden. As a bearing rolled along, polishing media would penetrate it’s seals “sliming” balls and clogging ball tracks. This would quickly lead to bearing failure and shaft brinneling (grooving). Needless to mention, routinely replacing linear ball bearings and more costly shafting was too much for the new maintenance manager who called LM76 for help.

The Solution –

motion control - black racer bearing

For this application, we chose our motion control Black Racer Ceramic Coated Linear Bearing. This bearing is extremely tough, is of one piece construction (no mechanical components, no catastrophic failure mode or shaft grooving) and has the longest life test we know of on record. Like linear ball bearings, Black Racer requires lubrication.

John Tarbell (President of LM76), specified a zero clearance beryllium copper scraper seal. Beryllium copper is exceptionally ridgid, extremely hard and wear resistant. The Beryllium copper would trap lubricant and distribute it as a fine, uniform film on the shaft. This film reduces friction, disperses heat and wets shafting. The wetted shaft surface forms a barrier between media and steel – keeping polishing media from cleating into disparities on the shaft (remaining peaks and valleys). Tarbel, said, “A Zamboni doesn’t lay down an inch of ice, it fills in the skate marks.” When the scraper travels on the shaft, it easily lifts the media and moves it along to the end of the stroke. Unlike linear ball bearings, Black Racer has no balls so some residual “slime” is easily accommodated. (Seen below, the beryllium scraper seal is captured between the bearing counter-bored face and the machined steel end cap.) Admittedly, a heavy interference fit dramatically raised system friction but was mitigated because the system is hydraulically driven – driving force is not an issue.

Staying within the form factor of the original OEM design–standard roundway pillow block and shafting–we chose our direct drop-in 2″ closed pillow block and Black Racer Ceramic Coated bearing coupled with our 2″, Class L Rc60 Case Hardened Shafting. Tarbell then designed a steel end cap retainer ring that pinned the beryllium scraper seal against the bearing face.

Note: The bearing leading and trailing faces have machined counter-bores to locate and capture the back of the scraper seal. To keep the retainer ring secured to the pillow block, set screws were positioned on both sides and driven into a slot machined into the OD surface.

motion control - blackracer pillow block

motion control - pillow block bearing assembly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To follow the NEW 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

motion control - engineering edge

About LM76

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 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 Mike Quinn 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

And say, “I saw it on MotionShop.com, “The Motion Control Home Page.”


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 - linear bearings

 

Motion Control – The #1 Choice for X-axis Linear Motion CNC Plasma Cutter Tables

Motion Control – Roller Blocks
motion control - roller block application

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Motion Control – Linear Guide Systems Move 1200 Lb. Loads At Speeds Of 30 Feet Per-Second!

Motion Control – High Speed Block and Rail Sets
motion control - linear block & rail

motion control - linear motion products

 

 

E. Longmeadow, MA – Motion Control – Two new series of high speed, low cost, compact linear guide systems called, “Speed Guides,TM” have been introduced by LM76. The Speed Demon OSG type and Speed Demon SG type linear guide systems are designed for speeds up to 10 m/sec. (32.8 ft/sec.), accelerations to 50 m/sec.2 and loads up to 5600 N. (1259 lbs.). These quiet, low profile guide systems are ideal for: High speed assembly and sorting operations, pick and place robots, industrial, office, and packaging machines, vacuum applications, and medical equipment (including patient care devices). Read more »

Motion Cotrol Application Story – LM76’s JET Rail Linear Bearings and Engineering Exceed the Challenge!

Motion Control – JetRail Linear Bearings Application

Motion Control – Because LM76 understands workplace environments, manufacturing processes, and offers a complete line of linear bearing systems, LM76 was able to solve a problem and eliminate downtime!
motion control - linear bearings
motion control - linear motion products

 

 

E. Longmeadow, MA –  Motion Control — When profile rail guides fail within a week bring production to a standstill LM76 was called on to supply a linear bearing system that would stand up under extreme conditions. This application story is not claiming that LM76 Jet Rail Systems are superior to profile rail guide systems. However, in this harsh environment the LM76 Jet Rail System proved to be the correct engineering option. Read more »

Motion Control – Pegasus Linear Bearings – For the Time A Linear Bearing Simply Cannot Fail!

Motion Control – Hybrid Ceramic Ball Linear Bearings

For those times when a Linear Bearing “CANNOT” Fail!

motion control - hybrid bearings
motion control - linear bearings


motion control - linear motion products

 

 

E. Longmeadow, MA –Motion Control – LM76 has developed the most corrosion resistant linear bearing available. In space, deep under the sea, or in the harshest environments, when there can be no “Plan B,” Pegasus Series 1 Linear Ball Bearings can be counted on to perform. In some applications linear bearings will not move for days, weeks, months or even years, however, when called on to perform they must work as if they just came out of the box. LM76’s Pegasus Series 1 Linear Bearings feature Silicon Nitride (SiNi) Ceramic Balls in a shell with retainer and end caps all made from 440 Stainless Steel and then ArmorloyTM coated. Read more »