Higher precision and reliability are essential for better machine performance in robotics and mechanical design engineering. With the latest innovations in robotic automation, the robot bearing is a critical component that impacts the overall accuracy of the entire system. It is also one of the specific attributes that highly affects the movement of industrial robotic arms.
The robot joint bearing enables the smooth and frictionless movement of robotic parts in industrial robotic automation. Robot bearings are crucial for the precise and accurate movement of robotic joints. Therefore, they are widely used in various applications to perform robotic tasks efficiently.
The industrial robotic bearing design allows smoother motion and is intended for various applications. A specific and dedicated type of robot bearing from a reliable bearing manufacturer offers higher and optimal performance with smooth movement of robotic joints. This comprehensive guide examines the significance of robot joint bearing design, providing insights into its various types, importance, key design considerations, and emerging trends.
Robot bearings serve as the fundamental building blocks of industrial robot design with various applications. These include pick-and-place operations, industrial welding, assembly tasks, dispensing devices, and scanning machines.
They are specially designed to facilitate the rotational or linear motions in the robotic joints. They support loads, reduce friction, and maintain the alignment of robotic mechanical moving parts. Without bearings, robot machines cannot perform longitudinal and lateral movements, nor can they rotate along their axis.
Robotic bearings typically comprise critical components such as chromium steel, ceramic, plastic, or stainless steel. In most applications, different types of rolling bearings suitable for industrial robots include:
They are highly applicable and used in high-speed robotic assembly, operating at speeds of up to 10,000 RPM with add-on enhancements, requiring minimal maintenance and offering wear resistance.
The performance of a robot highly depends on the quality and the design of its bearings. Properly designed robot bearings include minimalistic features and functions as given below:
The robot joint bearing design includes the integration process that involves precise and accurate planning to ensure that bearings are physically strong. It also states that they function correctly under extreme and harsh environments.
Industrial robot joint bearing design should primarily contain two, three, six, seven, or even more joints or axes of rotation. The most common type of joint is the rotary joint, which allows the rotation of industrial robots along a single axis.
Designing robot bearings involves complex design considerations to ensure maximum performance.
They can withstand different types of loads and are classified into three categories: axial, radial, and moment.
Temperature: These bearings are designed to handle the operational temperature range of industrial robot bearing materials.
Contamination: The bearing bushings should be sealed or shielded enough to protect the industrial robot bearings from moisture, dust, and other contaminants in the surrounding atmosphere.
Designers can easily customize sealing or shielding solutions for the robot bearings. However, the metal shields do not have direct contact with the inner ring, reducing rotational torque and helping to maximize the bearing operating speed.
Compared to metal shields, rubber seals provide the maximum protection in contamination areas or zones. Seal resistance also boosts starting and operating torque.
For instance, glass-reinforced PTFE seals are highly resistant to wear and chemical exposures because they have high operating speeds and lower torque resistance than rubber seals.
For this purpose, precision bearings play a crucial role in high-performance industrial machinery applications.
Single Bearing
They are cost-effective bearings compared to others and are an ideal choice for low-load applications.
Duplex Bearing
These bearings are paired with other bearings that offer higher load capacity and rigidity.
A dedicated manufacturing process highly uses the materials, usually shaped into high-precision bearings, including the following steps:
Bearing races and rolling elements require extensive machining. This process is primarily performed on CNC machines with grinding, turning, fine-tuning, and honing. This process is essential for maintaining high precision in robotic joints.
The heat treatment of industrial robot joint bearings involves carburizing chromium steel at 900 degrees Celsius. After that, it is allowed to cool rapidly and tempered to create a hard outer shell with tough core components. This treatment improves the bearing surface hardness, which is crucial in preventing wear and fatigue.
Properly coating the surface with materials like titanium nitride during the surface treatment reduces friction by up to fifty percent and protects the bearing against corrosion and wear. By improving the durability and efficiency of the tiny mechanical component, these treatments contribute to the reliability and longevity of the robotic systems.
Automated assembly lines are highly controlled, ensuring consistent quality in the assembly process. At the same time, each bearing undergoes rigorous quality research and testing to ensure it meets the specifications required for controlling robotic applications, including practical dimensional accuracy, hardness, quality, and load capacity.
Selecting the correct bearings from a reliable bearing manufacturing company for your industrial robot joint requires various factors.
These parameters ensure optimal performance, efficiency, accuracy, longevity, and durability.
Engineers can make crucial decisions by considering multiple factors including:
The dedicated type of lubrication highly suitable for your application needs depends on the rotation speed. Lower speed requirements can directly benefit from an oil reservoir bath, but greasing or oil mist might be required with high-speed applications if the speed exceeds the maximum speed allowed by the grease.
The rotating speed of the bearing is the initial and crucial component in selecting the correct bearing type for your industrial robot application.
Roller bearings easily handle heavy loads in various applications, compared to ball bearings, which are suitable for handling small or average loads. For instance, you can easily consider the load capacity to decide which tiny mechanical component suits your robotics applications.
It is essential to know the application's tolerance and bounce deviations. Ball bearings are the perfect choice in industrial robotics applications that need small fluctuations.
When buying different types of bearings in a batch, you should expect them to be the same. However, this unique step can never be taken for granted.
Different tolerance levels, dimensional analysis, and accuracy vary depending on bearing material, size, type, and brand.
Any error in bearing measurements would impact the accuracy of the movements of robot bearings.
Navigating the complex environment of robot joint bearing design is necessary for manufacturing high-performance robotic systems. By understanding the different types, considering essential design factors through consultation with a bearing manufacturing company, and staying ahead of emerging trends, engineers can create bearing bushings that meet the demands of today's robotic applications and pave the way for future innovations.
Whether in industrial, medical, or exploratory robots, optimized mechanical components are the key to unlocking the full potential of robotics technology.