If you’re looking for information on bearings, then check out the latest from motioncontroltips.com Design World sister site bearingtips.com. This site covers rotary bearings that take the form of ball and roller bearings as well as thrust bearings — in addition to the issues of bearing lubrication and integration.

The following is a sampling of bearing features we’ve posted there recently.

A conversation with NSK Canada’s Dale Woitte

Recently our own Paul Heney talked with Dale Woitte of NSK Canada at the PTDA Canadian Conference in Ottawa. Heney asked Woitte a little about the company’s current focus and what the future holds. Woitte said that the OEM and automotive markets are strong segments for the company.

“But obviously we’re being hurt right now with mining, with the prices, nickel prices, steel … it’s in turmoil, shall we say …” Read the rest of Heney’s chat with Woitte here.

What is a pillow block bearing?

This is one FAQ from a series by editor Mike Santora. A pillow block bearing consists of a mounting bracket (pillow block) that houses a bearing and is used in low-torque, light load applications.

With this configuration, the pillow block is bolted to a foundation, securing it, while the shaft and the inner ring of the bearing are free to rotate … read the rest …

Are bearings with fluoro-rubber seals safe?

Fluoro rubbers have high thermal, chemical, ageing, ozone, wear and gas permeability resistance, and are safe as long as the material is not overheated. But there are some other caveats … read the rest …

What are self-aligning ball bearings?

This piece by Joyce Laird, contributing editor on bearingtips.com, outlines how the inner ring on a self-aligning bearing has two raceways and the outer ring has a single spherical raceway with its center of curvature coincident with the bearing axis.

This allows the axis of the inner ring, balls, and cage to deflect around the bearing center to automatically correct misalignment caused by housing and shaft machining or installation error.

“In contrast, a ball bearing only has one raceway groove on both the inner and outer ring and is the most common type of rolling bearing,” explains Paul Brda, Application Engineer at NSK Americas. Read this bearings piece — including a section on mounting and handling procedures — here.

Tips for selecting the proper bearing radial shaft seal

Another piece from Joyce Laird, contributing editor on bearingtips.com, explains the primary function of a radial shaft seal and how one matches the proper radial shaft seal for a bearing. Application conditions to consider include temperature, speed of the shaft, and environmental concerns — including exposure to chemicals.