Description SOCARE® Wire-race bearings were originally designedfor military turret applications, where space and weight are at a premium andcorrosion resistance is essential. They consist of wire raceways inserted inlightweight support rings, allowing for a high load capacity and large diameterin a bearing that can be 60% lighter than one made entirely ofsteel.
Design Features
The bearing¡¯s support rings are typicallyaluminum, with contoured grooves for supporting, positioning, and alignment ofsteel wire raceways. The rolling elements are typically stainless steel, with upto three rows of rollers to fit individual requirements. This internalconfiguration allows Wire-race bearings to be more tolerant of non-rigid andout-of-flat mounting structures. Irregularities can be accommodated by therelative movement of the wire inserts in their supporting grooves.
Gearteeth or other drive mechanisms can be provided on the inner or outer supportring, and a variety of hole patterns can be added for bearingretention.
Wire-race bearings can often be rebuilt -a substantial savingswhen compared to complete bearingreplacement.
Applications
Wire-race bearings have been usedsuccessfully in applications requiring a lightweight, corrosion-resistantbearing including:
*Turrets
*Radar
*Sonar
Contact SOCARE toinquire about custom features such as different mounting holes, internalclearance, pilot diameters, drive arrangements, or HMS plating.