Thrust bearings

[CactusChip]

I finally received my ballscrews and ballnuts. Now, I'm at the point of planning on a good thrust bearing arrangement. I'm working with a micro mill (Harbor Freight), and I'm trying to replace all of the cheap assemblies with something that I can count on.

Now to the question: What kind of thrust bearing arrangement is suited to such a small mill? I know I need radial and axial support from the bearings. Can anyone recommend a cheap (read: inexpensive but functional) bearing arrangement? Pictures are good, too

Would opposing timken (sp?) bearings work, or do I need to go with the $20/each bearings that dually support axial and radial loads?

Thanks,

Billy Byler

[smabhyan]

Dear CactusChip,

The Ideal Bearings for supporting Ballscrews are made by INA. The Type of bearings are ZKLF & ZKLR. These are Readymade assemblies with a pair of Angular Contact Bearings, put in a housing back to back.

This arrangement is space saving and faster to assemble.

Kindly check the following Link:
http://www.ina.com/inaupdate/news/pu...specken_gb.asp

Smabhyan

[HuFlungDung]

Very nice little units that I've never heard about. Thanks for posting that info link, Smabhyan

[tsalaf]

I spent several hours fabricating bearing supports for my small router. Those INA beatings sure look like time and cost savers. Any idea on price?

[ToyMaker]

I just spent a little while checking out the INA website (www.ina.com). They are a German company with distribution partners in many European countrys, South Africa, and Australia. Nothing I could find in North America (or the western hemisphere for that matter ). And nothing I could find gave prices. So, while the unit price may or may not be attractive, the shipping charge from where ever to N.A. is going to be ruinous.

robotic regards,

Tom
= = = = =
You can sometimes count every orange on a tree but never all the trees in a single orange.
- - A. K. Ramanujan, poet (1929-1993)

[HuFlungDung]

Toymaker,

I never buy direct from the bearing companies, either. You just need to find a local distributor that handles that line, and let them worry about ordering it in.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the names of such general bearing suppliers in the US marketplace.

[CNCnUtZ]

Just use 2 single row deep groove ballbearings preloaded against eachother...this should work well for your application and very cheap in price.
I used this arrangement on my mini mill convesion and havent had a single problem with since

Look HERE they have the INA brand as well...but its usually hard to find angular contact w/tapered race's in a diam. that small, and if you do they are very pricey.

[kenbeth]

looking at support bearings for ballscrews also
got a quote from uk INA Bearing distributor for ZKLR2062rs offer @£61.47
ex UK BRT Bearings Ltd

link showing bearing

http://medias.ina.de/medias/en!hp.ec.br.pr/ZKLR...2RS*ZKLR%202060.2RS;ab-hqJIn8wCe?clrsb=1

still not sure what way to go .

[routerman]

Use a 3200 series double row bearing. They have zero backlash and are fully sealed.