Case studies

Below is an introduction to a bearing that has been adopted for use in a conveyor system. This product was considered for use in equipment where sterilization is performed using high-temperature cleaning showers or chemical agents. In such harsh environments, components contained in tap water—such as calcium, magnesium, and silica—tend to crystallize as the water dries and easily adhere to the bearing surfaces. To facilitate the cleaning and removal of these crystallized contaminants, we proposed a full-ball design without a cage. This structure allows foreign matter to be more easily flushed out during cleaning. However, because the balls in a full-ball design are in direct contact with one another, its[…..]

For use in chemical liquids or environments (Caustic Soda, Sulfuric Acid, Boric Acid / Special Shapes / Special Combinations) exposed to chemicals, we typically supply bearings in which the race rings and cage are made of plastic, while the balls are made of ceramic. Plastic Bearings for Cleaning with Hydrofluoric Acid Phosphoric Acid Resistant Plastic Bearing In such environments, plastic bearings—ranging from standard sizes to special shapes—can generally be used without issue. In this article, however, we introduce a self-aligning bearing with a special geometry and a special material combination. Plastic self-aligning ball bearings have a significantly lower load capacity compared with metal self-aligning ball bearings. Therefore, when higher loads[…..]

In seedling tray washing processes, components are used in harsh environments involving a combination of water and mud. With conventional metal pillow block bearings, the following issues were encountered: Occurrence of rust Wear of sliding surfaces Abnormal noise and frequent lubrication requirements By adopting our UKB plastic pillow block, the following improvements were achieved: Maintenance-free operation Significant reduction in wear In this application, a sleeve-less design was used due to the small shaft diameter. In muddy or dirty water environments, bearings are typically provided with grooves to allow contaminants to be discharged. For grooved plastic bushings, please refer to the following application example: ▶Pillow Block Bearings for Conveyor Rollers in[…..]

Our bearings were used as test components for electrostatic motor parts. Although electrical insulation is generally required in such applications, there was a specific request to allow electrostatic charges to be partially dissipated from the shaft to the outer ring, while also reducing weight. Based on this requirement, we were asked whether it would be possible to manufacture the bearing from a conductive plastic material. As the requested dimensions were not a standard size, the bearing was manufactured according to the customer’s specified dimensions. Since we manufacture our bearings using machining processes, we often use rod or pipe stock as raw materials. Therefore, even when electrical conductivity is required—as in[…..]

These are bearings with tapped threads on the outer diameter. We received an inquiry from overseas regarding the use of plastic bearings for a new development project. Since the parts would be exposed to or submerged in salt water, metal bearings could not be used. The surrounding components also seemed to be designed using plastic for the same environmental reasons. The reason for tapping the outer diameter was that the customer wanted to bond and fix the bearing to the plastic housing. In general, plastic is non-adhesive, so most materials (except for some, like phenolic resin) cannot be bonded effectively. (Strictly speaking, bonding is not entirely impossible — the surfaces[…..]