Simplicity® Plain Bearings Building Credibility Within The Woodworking Industry

Problem:
Woodworking requires bearings capable of withstanding heavy vibration and shock, while also standing up to the dirtiest environments.

Solution:
Simplicity plain bearings withstand high vibration applications and function in the most extreme environments.

Antifriction linear bearing systems are crucial to the production output, accuracy, and repeat-ability of today’s modern CNC routers and water-jet cutters. The woodworking industry relies on these machines to rapidly mass produce products ranging from door panels to structural framing for cabinets. A prominent byproduct within the industry is sawdust.

The sawdust problem

Sawdust build-up can cause premature failure in rolling-element, antifriction linear bearing systems. It finds its way through their best sealing systems and quickly clogs the ball tracks of conventional linear ball bearings. When the ball tracks jam, they start spalling the shafts (grooving) that bearings are run along, causing a faster ingress of sawdust through the shaft groves, and eventually resulting in the complete failure of the system.

Generally, sawdust and other common environmental factors pose several problems in rolling element bearings. Contaminants and debris can become stuck in the bearing cage and cause the system to seize up and fail. Vibration causes the bearings to shift off their track or become dislodged. Both outcomes lead to catastrophic failure and unplanned downtime, creating lost profits and increased production time for the manufacturer.

The PBC Linear solution

Simplicity plain bearing products can handle up to 20-times the load of a traditional rolling element bearing. The proven technology of their proprietary Frelon® liner supports an even disbursement of forces, while rolling element bearings provided limited point of contact and cannot effectively disburse heavy loads. Simplicity products also excel in rotary and oscillating tasks, and resist binding in dirty workshop environments like wood chips and sawdust.

For this particular application, PBC Linear designed an optimized bearing assembly that would rock along with the motion of the cam system—completely eliminating misalignment issues. An internal, periodic lubrication system has been used to facilitate smooth oscillating motion. This extended the life of the system from one week to over a year of smooth, non-stop and maintenance-free performance. In general the new Simplicity bearings will enhance an optimized system integration, quieter operation and cost savings.

The benefits of Simplicity within the woodworking industry

Linear motion technology from PBC Linear is designed to last, in part due to its patented FrelonGold® liner, and also because it contains no moving parts. The liner helps to greatly increase load and speed capacities, tolerate a variety of different environments, and avoid catastrophic failure. Extreme heat and cold, contamination, debris, submersion, and shock vibration do not affect the performance of the bearings. The patented, self-lubricating design also requires virtually no need for further lubrication. For the woodworking industry, the liner helps the bearings to harmlessly absorb wood shaving debris and continue optimal function even in high vibration areas such as water-jet cutting or sawing.