What Is a Crossed Roller Bearing?
There are two types of crossed rollers: crossed roller guides and crossed roller ways, which guide linear motion, and crossed roller bearings and crossed roller rings, which are a type of rolling bearing.
Both products use multiple rollers (mainly cylindrical parts made of steel). Adjacent rollers have a relative angle of 90 degrees to each other and are arranged in an alternating array.
The rollers are arranged in a straight line for those that guide linear motion.
A rolling bearing supports the rotational motion, so the rollers are arranged in a circle.
Uses of Crossed Roller Bearings
Guides for linear motion are mainly used in the drive units of precision machines and industrial robots. As the name suggests, they are used to guide linear motion, especially in fields where high rigidity is required.
Rolling bearings (cross rollers) are mainly used in industrial robots and construction machinery. Compared to other bearing types, they provide higher rigidity for the space required and are used in areas where particularly high rigidity is required.
Linear motion guides and rolling bearings are used in very different ways. Which one is used depends on whether the motion to be supported is linear or rotational.
Principle of Crossed Roller Bearings
In a linear motion guide, two pillars with V-shaped rolling surfaces at a 90-degree angle are arranged to align the rolling surfaces, and the rollers are placed in the space (square gap) between the two aligned V-shaped pillars. The rollers are arranged in a square-shaped clearance.
This arrangement makes it possible to have a smaller size and higher rigidity than similar products with built-in balls.
As a motion-guiding component, the columns with rolling surfaces have mounting holes for relatively easy installation. The mounting holes can be selected by checking the catalogs of various manufacturers.
Rolling bearings have rollers arranged alternately between the inner and outer rings, which have concave V-shaped transfer surfaces and guides for linear motion.
This arrangement makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the central axis of the shaft and housing against the force to tilt the shaft and housing compared to other bearings.
Thus, for example, they are sometimes used to support loads in areas close to the foundation of industrial articulated robots, such as a person’s arms and fingers.
Some rolling bearings come standard with various mounting holes for easy mounting. Selection can be made by checking the catalogs of multiple manufacturers.