Flexible thermoplastic bearings

Thermoplastic rolling-element bearings are flexible enough to let pulleys, rollers, precision gears, and fixing clips integrate into the bearing races. Most of the bearings from Sarnatech BNL (USA) Inc., Foxboro, Mass., are POM (acetal), a semicrystalline material that forms a thin surface layer of ultrafine crystals when injection molded. Bearings can be manufactured with up to 150-mm OD. The bearings target applications needing high speed and precise motion control.