Koyo Seiko Co. Ltd. (Japan) has launched a new line of high-precision bearings targeted to its recovering semiconductor and LCD manufacturing equipment customers. Koyo's bearings in that market are used in applications such as spindles and robotic arms. The company's existing lineup of thin section bearings are also used in robotics, but aimed more toward standard manufacturing equipment.
Currently, Koyo claims approximately 25% market share worldwide for the bearings found in those specialized robots and the precision manufacturing equipment used to produce semiconductors and similar components.
As the global market for semiconductors rebounds, investments in new equipment to produce those chips is also rebounding; as that happens, Koyo hopes to boost its market share from 25% to as high as 40% within the next three years. The switch to large-wafer manufacturing and the need to replace older fabricating equipment will also help sales.
The new line of bearings are produced to tighter tolerances than its current lineup, and with a parallel increase in service life.
Koyo accomplishes this two-pronged improvement during the assembly process by first immersing the finished races in a new fluorine gel lubricant. The races are then heated and assembled.
The fluorine gel, in place of the standard solid fluorine lubricant, helps Koyo hold tighter tolerances on the assembled bearings. Once in service, the gel stays in place and remains more evenly distributed than the standard solid lubricant, also extending the bearing's service life.
In all, Koyo says the new line of bearings not only have higher load ratings, but also offer service life up to ten times longer than the comparable units using solid fluorine lubricants.
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