Schaeffler Group Offers Wide Product Range

Bearing Solutions for Medical Technology
Medical technology is a worldwide, dynamic growth market and it demands the most stringent standards in terms of quality and reliability. Its comprehensive expertise and wide product portfolio make Schaeffler Group Industrial an ideal development partner and supplier for this industry. With its brands INA, FAG, Barden and Lacey, it is the only manufacturer worldwide to offer all bearing solutions, from miniature bearings for dental applications through to large-size thin section bearings for CT scanners, supplemented by solutions for linear motion and direct drive technology. Schaeffler Group Industrial is showcasing its wide range of innovative bearing supports for medical engineering applications at the Compamed trade fair, scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf from 14-16 November 2007 (Hall 8A, Booth F12).

Mechatronic bearing support system for CT scanners
Schaeffler Group Industrial has developed an integrated mechatronic bearing support system for CT scanners. It consists of a highly accurate and quiet hybrid thin-section bearing with direct drive as well as high-precision adjacent parts. The bearing is a further development from the Schaeffler Group’s Aerospace division and therefore has all the characteristics that take highest priority in CT scanners: 100% operational reliability with the highest level of running accuracy as well as low noise. With more than 300 rpm, this Schaeffler development also meets the demands for ever increasing speeds. Moreover, CT manufacturers benefit from time and cost advantages. They can directly mount a pre-assembled and tested bearing and drive system without the need for additional mounting and testing efforts.

Needle roller bearings ensure higher safety during operations
Classic mechanical components play an important role in the development of medical technology. Ball and roller bearings guide movable parts – even in strong magnetic fields. They hold entire operating apparatus and swivel x-ray cameras, vibration-free and with low noise. Ceiling stands in operating environments must be capable of safely holding ever more numerous and heavier equipment units. Here Schaeffler Group Industrial supplies for instance, formed angular contact needle roller bearings. Compared to conventional ball bearings these have a much smaller bearing cross section while offering higher static load carrying capacity and tilting rigidity. Due to the relatively large bearing bore, supply lines and wires can easily be passed through. The outer rings are protected against corrosion by means of a powder-coating which is approved for medical applications.

Compact designs for C-arms
The comprehensive range of modular and ready-to-fit linear guidance systems permits the quick and cost-effective combination of solutions for different applications. Leading manufacturers can thus achieve more compact designs and reduce the number of mechanical components. One example is the C-arm: Here the Schaeffler Group developed a curved guidance system that enables the x-ray tube to be positioned above the C-arm smoothly and precisely. In addition, the solution is resistant to radiation and operates with a minimum of noise. It is based on an aluminum extruded section with hardened shafts made of corrosion-resistant steel. An especially innovative feature is the integrated locating/non-locating bearing solution which compensates for any dimensional inaccuracies of the adjacent structure. The non-locating bearing is designed as a profiled track roller with a movable inner ring. This solution offers the benefit of constant displacement resistance, irrespective of the x-ray tube’s position.

Smooth operation, precise positioning
To ensure the smooth adjustment of patient couches for CT, C-arms or magnet resonance therapy equipment, the Schaeffler Group offers smooth-running monorail guidance systems with high load carrying capacity. These are also available in a non-magnetic version. A truly innovative product is the four-row ball bearing and guideway assembly where spacers between the balls considerably reduce the running noise. The low displacement resistance enables the couch to be moved with high positioning accuracy. A lubricant reservoir, integrated immediately adjacent to the loaded raceways, ensures freedom from maintenance.

Miniature linear ball monorail guidance systems are used wherever linear movements of high position and repeat accuracy are called for. They are suitable for use in production and technical mounting systems as well as for microelectronic and medical engineering applications and other precision machines. KWEM double-row miniature ball monorail guidance systems are available in four sizes with corresponding guideways (TKDM). They are designed for medium load carrying capacity, medium to high moment loads and accelerations of up to 50 m/s2 or speeds of up to 180 m/s.

In order to move dentists’ chairs smoothly into the correct position, the shaft guidance systems in the vertical adjustment mechanism must be stick-slip free and robust. Here Schaeffler Group Industrial offers a sophisticated range of linear ball bearings, housings, shafts and accessories. The bearings come in light-weight designs with plastic cages or in solid sleeve designs and with anti-corrosion surface coating. They require little installation space and maintenance. Furthermore, they are resistant to cleaning and sterilization processes.

Solutions for analysis devices
Advancing automation in the laboratory environment also requires an increasing number of innovations for machine elements. Here the Schaeffler Group offers corrosion-resistant systems that ensure smooth, precise and quiet operation and offer steady displacement resistance for continuous movements. One such application: A 3-axis movement and positioning system for automatic pipette handling is equipped with a four-row linear recirculating ball bearing and guideway assembly with Corrotect® coating for the main axis and two corrosion-resistant double-row miniature guidance systems of different sizes for the transverse axis and the stroke axis. Angular contact ball bearing units from Schaeffler Group Industrial are incorporated in the main drive as well as in the unit’s drive system used for drawing up the liquid into the pipette. This has enabled the mechanical design to be simplified, the device has become more compact and the number of mechanical components was reduced. Incidentally, comparable innovations and precision solutions are also available for grinding machines for glasses, for the phoropter (eye testing system) as well as for modern dental technology.

Precision for surgery, x-ray and dental applications
Lacey and Barden are two more brands belonging to the Schaeffler Group. Lacey has manufactured finished assemblies, subassemblies and precision components for the surgical and orthopedic markets for more than 80 years. This includes quality metal stampings and injection molding components as well as wire implants.
Barden stands for high quality and super-precision when it comes to rolling bearings for x-ray and CT technology which are assembled under clean room conditions. Used to support the spinning x-ray anode, these bearings reach speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm. They must operate under conditions of high stress – in a vacuum environment down to 10-9 kPa and at temperatures of 400–500°C. Barden dental ball bearings are high-precision components in the miniature range. They reach limiting speeds of up to 500,000 rpm. Further advantages are low-noise operation and long life – even with repeated sterilization processes.

High dynamics with direct drives
Direct drives for linear and rotary movements of Schaeffler’s IDAM brand (INA Drives & Mechatronics GmbH & Co. oHG) are particularly recommended for medical technology where maximum precision and dynamics as well as a long operating life are required – from patient couches and collimators for treating tumors (linear accelerator for radio therapy) all the way through to drive units without gearboxes for computer tomography. In medical analysis units, IDAM linear systems enable samples to be positioned in the single-digit μm range. The virtually wear-free drives develop an enormous power density in the smallest of spaces. The advantages include high speed variance, excellent dynamics and rigidity, high final speeds, high acceleration and braking capacity as well as high positioning and repeat accuracy. With low-impedance windings and a low number of poles, the HSR rotary drive reaches relative speeds of 50 m/s and is therefore the obvious choice for high-speed applications. It is specifically tailored to customer requirements, as is the low-vibration HSRV drive which is used in CT scanners.

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