Every type of bearing can play a key role in specific situations. For some applications, thin section turntable bearings are the perfect parts for your system. As with each style, thin section turntable bearings offer some distinct benefits that can address key design issues. Let’s break down some reasons why it can make sense to turn to turntable bearings.

Turntable Mounting Capabilities

One of the most notable visual aspects of turntable bearings are the holes that run through both the inner and outer rings. Of course, those holes are there for more than just aesthetic purposes – they allow for easy mounting directly to a seating surface instead of a shaft or in a housing. This design gives turntable bearings a lazy Susan-like effect that can open your systems up to new possibilities.

Space Constraints

Turntable bearings are sometimes referred to as slewing ring bearings, but the thin section equivalent of these parts is significantly smaller than their slewing ring counterparts. While more compact in size and lighter in weight, thin section turntable bearings don’t lack in performance. That’s a major advantage for any applications that need to save on space or reduce weight, such as:

  • X-ray equipment
  • Antenna mounts
  • Bottling equipment
  • Food processing equipment
  • Instrument mounts
  • Medical equipment
  • Military equipment
  • Oil well equipment

Load Acceptance

While small in size, thin section turntable bearings offer ample load-carrying capacity in certain situations. A great example of this would be a Thin Section Turntable X-Type 4-Point Contact Bearing used at the base of a robotic arm. If the arm needs to pick up items, that would create a moment load for a bearing at the base of the shaft. The gothic archway of a turntable thin section bearing makes it capable of handling extreme moment loads.

In addition to moment loads, X-Type turntable bearings are excellent at handling reversing loads and good at dealing with axial/thrust loads. Turntable bearings do struggle with radial and combined loads, so you may need to find an additional solution to address those concerns if they are present in your system.

Are Thin Section Turntable Bearings Right for Your Systems?

If the benefits listed above apply to your applications, it may be time to invest in thin section turntable bearings. However, it’s not always easy to figure out which specific parts are perfect for your needs. Our experts can work with you to discuss your designs and identify a bearing solution that address your performance needs, whether that calls for a standard part or a customized bearing optimized for your systems.

Ready to invest in the right thin section bearings for your applications? Use our online product builder to select the parts you need or contact us today to talk to our experts about your bearing needs.