What is a thin section ball bearing?
An annular bearing, also called a thin section bearing is characterized by its optimized design: a large diameter and an extremely thin ring thickness. Unlike standard bearings, the thin section bearing has a wide bore, freeing up valuable central space allowing the passage of complex wiring, optical fibers, or laser beams. It is the ideal solution when space must be reduced to an absolute minimum without sacrificing mechanical performance.
These bearings are lightweight which is a major advantage for embedded applications. Despite their slim profile, they offer exceptional radial and axial rigidity.
This stability guarantees perfect repeatability of movement, even under extreme conditions. ADR offers ball bearings with bore sizes ranging from a few milimeters up to 450 mm outer diameter.
These thin section bearings are found in demanding sectors such as defense and security. They are essential in the aeronautics sector: integrated into optronic pods and high-precision viewfinder, they ensure perfect image stabilization despite vibrations.
As such, these bearings fitted in optronics pods allow helicopters, airplanes and drones to carry out intelligence, protection, search and rescue missions in all weather conditions, thanks to its long-range observation and high-precision targeting capabilities.
ADR currently offers five different version of thin section ball bearings:
- Inch series
- Super duplex inch series
- Metric series
- Super duplex metric series
- Ultra-thin four-point contact section
Super duplex ball bearings offer improved operation, better performance and an extended lifespan. These bearings also have an improved rotational accuracy and friction torque compared to conventional bearings.
