An auto assembly plant needed robust welding and assembly machinery that did not require a lot of unnecessary maintenance. This was especially important because the harsh environment within the auto assembly plant contained welding spatter, dust, and water. They needed a standard design system that included no-maintenance linear slides (guide bar slides) that were both cost effective and reliable.
Simplicity plain bearings, pillow blocks, and nonhardened shafting were specified for the new slide design for mulitple factors. The pillow block’s aluminum shell reduced the overall weight of the slide system. The bearings outperformed the linear ball bearing competitors by tolerating higher shock loads and temperatures. The welding spatter and other environmental hazards were kept out of the bearing by tough molythane seals.
The customer is pleased with the Simplicity® bearing’s higher performance and reduction in weight. Shock loading, temperature extremes, and contamination did not adversely affect bearing life. The result has been the low-cost implementation of thousands of bearings into slide systems that are now smooth, quiet, and reliable.