The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held this past January at the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of the highlights of the show was the focus on robot personal assistants. Inspired by the show, Mr. Chris Johnson, Managing Director of SMB Bearings, a precision bearings company, is now exploring the different ways that robotics can be used in the industrial and manufacturing sectors assisted by the companys bearing portfolio.
Throughout the United States collaborative robots and automatic guided vehicles are being used alongside people on factory floors. In some cases, robotic exoskeletons are enabling warehouse workers to lift heavier weights greatly reducing risk of injury.
Chris states that,These developments have been made possible by advancements in motor, bearing, actuator, and sensor technology as well as software and communications. Hybrid chrome and steel bearings, ceramic bearings and slewing bearings are all common in robot applications, but thin section bearings are the option most commonly chosen by SMB Bearings’ customers. Thin section bearings deliver higher speed, improved efficiency and high levels of accuracy as well as reduced friction and impressive design flexibility. Because there is very little difference in size between the internal and external ring, they also reduce the weight and bulk of an application, making them an ideal choice for robotics, where both footprint and weight are premium items.
He further explains that the manufacturing process has to be extremely precise to ensure the highest possible degree of roundness in both rings. Therefore fine grinding and machining, complimented by a very high level of quality in both the process and the raw materials is called for. If the rings are not perfectly formed, even a minute discrepancy will stop the bearing running as smoothly, producing excess noise. These thin-section ball bearings can be supplied open, shielded or sealed in SAE52100 chrome steel or 440 grade stainless steel and are designed to withstand radial loads as well as moderate thrust loads in both directions. Some of the smaller thin-section bearing sizes are available with a fibreglass reinforced nylon high-speed synthetic retainer. A grease with a wide temperature range, perhaps -40 degrees centigrade to +150 degrees centigrade would be most suitable. This allows for the variety of applications in which a robot is most likely to be used.
Image courtesy of SMB Bearings