Reasons to consider air bearings

  Air bearings are easy to miss. In most cases, mechanical bearings work well enough for motion applications. Most, but not all. Sub-micron bearing noise not an option? Are geometric performance and angular repeatability paramount? Here are some tips to make the spec process easier. Air bearings offer several advantages in precision positioning, including no backlash or traction. It is also suitable for most high-speed applications. However, some conditions do not help with the use of air bearings. Knowing the parameters of an air bearing can be key to applying a truly optimized bearing system. Friction is less Friction-free bearing and drive technology is a prerequisite for vibration-free precision movement with nano-scale resolution, repeatability and induction precision. There are several ways to achieve frictionless movement. Piezo drive and flex guide are suitable for short strokes. Other principle is based on magnetic bearings.   These motion systems are more exot...