Rolling bearings are comparatively simple components in rotary tables, but they are decisive for the performance of the overall system. The following applies to use in rotary tables: as stored - as positioned. No compromises are made in this regard in countless applications. With the highest demands on precision and compact designs, thin section bearings from Rodriguez have proven themselves. Due to their design and high performance, they convince in many other areas of application such as in rotary tables from Owis.

From comparatively filigree applications in medical technology or precision mechanics to the somewhat "more difficult" areas of application - the Eschweiler drive specialist Rodriguez supplies the slim bearing technology with bore diameters and performance features for every need. Its origins lie in a special development for mounting naval guns for the US Navy over 60 years ago. This has resulted in a differentiated product range with currently over 250 Kaydon thin section bearings. Compared to similar products from this bearing segment, they are characterized by a particularly small cross-section that remains the same for all sizes in a series with a large bore diameter. In addition, they have a 3,5 times longer service life than conventional thin section bearings. This is the result of the design method, the functionality of which Rodriguez can guarantee thanks to decades of experience, even for large series. Special know-how is required here, because the manufacture or processing of the narrow rings and their assembly become more demanding as the bore diameter increases due to the flexibility and deformability of the material. "Every production step has to be of the highest quality so that a precision bearing can be delivered in the end," says Rodriguez managing director Gunther Schulz from experience.

Construction of turntables

This also benefits the engineers of Owis GmbH in Staufen im Breisgau in the design and development of turntables. The company develops, manufactures, markets and services optical beam guidance and high-precision positioning systems used in information technology and communications, semiconductor, biotechnology and medicine, imaging and printing, and engineering.

In-house development in combination with ultra-modern production makes Owis a high-performance system partner for the connection of macro, micro and nano worlds and enables short-term adaptations of the catalog products as well as customer-specific special designs. The six business areas also include manual and motorized positioning systems. These are used in research, in laboratories and in the industrial sector to automate precise and complex movement sequences. A construction kit with different automation components enables the construction of complete, coordinated systems. This enables multi-dimensional positioning, adjustment and shifting of different loads at variable speeds.

In the DMT rotary table series with high resolutions and very small repetition errors, corresponding Kaydon thin section bearings of the "Reali-Slim" series are used in the respective sizes. With bore diameters of 38 to 152 mm, the flexibility or deformability of the material is not an issue in production, the focus here is on durability and precision. “The highest level of precision is the top priority,” emphasizes Dirk Schschuhe from Owis business and sales management. “That applies to our products, and the bearings must also do justice to this.” For test subjects or mirrors in optical systems, for example, high-precision rotational movements are required over the long term for both horizontal and vertical axes of rotation.

Resolution less 1 arcmin

DMT precision turntables allow unlimited rotation angles at resolutions of less than an angular minute. The precision ball bearings used are preloaded and the worm drives are also designed for this purpose with little play. "We deliver our bearings very rigid with extremely low rotational resistance," says Ulrich Schroth, Head of Rodriguez South Branch and Head of Business Unit Precision Bearings. Maintaining guidance accuracy also enables higher speeds, which are required on some turntable models.

Further demands on the storage technology are best quality, longevity and low wear. There were already installed camps of another provider. "But that was not the same quality. We have had the best experience with Kaydon storage technology, "says Schuh. Material, production and processing - the design of the bearing components enables a significantly longer service life and low wear than other products. Due to the manufacturing process, there are indeed more economical components. "But you have to decide where to set the priorities." If a system does not work as intended, the bill will ultimately look very different.

The particularly small cross-sections - in a bearing type, for example, only 4,7625 x 4,7625 mm - also favor a compact as possible, weight-reduced design of the turntables. In this way, even the smallest application areas can be covered like in an optical bench, without making the devices larger than absolutely necessary.

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