There are three types of thin-section bearings: radial contact, angular contact, and four-point contact bearings. When compared with standard-section ball bearings, all three bearing types offer advantages in reduced space requirements, weight, and rolling resistance. These bearings are used to distribute the load over a greater number of small diameter balls for lower starting and running torque.
Applications include low rolling resistance requirements such as robotics, inspection equipment, medical devices, and semiconductor manufacturing, as well as aerospace controls-any situation in which weight and space must be kept to a minimum.
Careful consideration should be extended to the bearing installation, as thin-section bearings have thinner outer rings than standard bearings. The less mass present within thin section bearings result in bearing assemblies which are not as stiff and may be quite flexible. Under installation and running load, the bearing rings may follow the surface variations of shaft and bores, so the shafts and bores which the bearings are to be installed should be toleranced and manufactured to tight total runout, profile and orientation tolerances.
