Since Lianyu Co., Ltd. invested in Luoyang AVE, a leader in the precision bearing industry, becoming its major shareholder on September 23rd, the two parties have engaged in intensive strategic planning regarding the R&D direction and commercialization of precision bearings. As the backbone of the Luoyang bearing industry cluster, Luoyang AVE's precision bearings are considered the "critical link" in high-precision bearing equipment in the high-end manufacturing sector—they directly determine the accuracy, stability, and core performance of the equipment.
Luoyang AVE, with P5, P4, and P2 precision products and above as its core, has built a comprehensive product portfolio. From crossed cylindrical roller bearings and specialized bearings for robot harmonic reducers to YRT turntable bearings, hollow rotary platform bearings, and robot joint module bearings, its products are widely used in cutting-edge fields such as precision machine tools, automation equipment, robotics, aerospace, radar, medical, and high-end precision equipment. This article will explore the technology behind these precision bearings, which are used in real-world applications.
1. Industrial Robot Joint Module Bearings: The "Precision Core" of Flexible Joints
(Including RA/RAU/CRBT Series Thin-Wall Crossed Cylindrical Roller Bearings)
Crossed cylindrical roller bearings, with their unique 90° cross-arranged roller structure, achieve a "triad" load-bearing capacity for radial loads, axial loads, and overturning moments, making them the "rotational core" of high-end equipment. Luoyang AVE has designed five product series and thin-walled styles to meet the diverse needs of high-precision applications. These differentiated solutions precisely meet the joint operation requirements of industrial robots and other equipment.
(I) Series Division: Precisely Matching Application Requirements
ØThin-Wall Crossed Cylindrical Roller Bearings: With precision reaching P4/P2 and above, they achieve "high performance in a small space" in light-load precision applications. They are particularly suitable for joints in equipment with strict size and weight restrictions.
ØRA/RAU Series:
RA type: Utilizing an ultra-thin "inner ring, split outer ring" construction, this design minimizes the thickness of the inner and outer rings of the RB type bearing, resulting in a compact design. It is ideal for applications requiring lightweight, compact design, such as rotating parts in robots and manipulators.
RA type: Dimensionally identical to the RA type, the inner and outer rings are integral, significantly simplifying installation and enhancing ease of use.
ØCRBT Series:
CRBH type: Both the inner and outer rings are integral and feature an ultra-thin design. The outer and inner rings lack mounting holes, requiring mounting via flanges and support brackets. This integral construction is unaffected by the installation process, ensuring stable rotational accuracy and torque. It is suitable for applications where both the outer and inner rings must rotate and where miniaturization is critical.
The RB type: As the "basic" cross roller bearing, it features a "unitary inner ring and split outer ring" structure. Compared to the RA type, it is thinner, smaller, and lighter, making it ideal for applications requiring high inner ring rotation accuracy.
(II) Core Application: Flexible Joints for Industrial Robots
This series of bearings is a key component in the joints of industrial robots. Their high load capacity and high precision support the flexible rotation and precise positioning of the robot's joints, ensuring stability and accuracy during complex movements and laying the foundation for precise operation.
II. Specialized Bearings for Robot Harmonic Reducers: The "Core" of the Reducer
(Including flexible bearings and matching bearings for harmonic reducers)
The reducer is the "movement center" of the robot, and specialized bearings are the "core" of its stable operation. To meet the stringent precision and rigidity requirements of harmonic reducers, Luoyang AVE has developed customized bearing solutions that achieve ultra-high precision of P2 level and above, enabling robots to achieve "precise movement."
(I) The Logic of Harmonic Reducer and Bearing Compatibility
A harmonic reducer primarily consists of three core components: a harmonic generator, a flexspline, and a rigid pulley. The supporting bearings include a rigid bearing (a crossed roller bearing) and a flexible bearing (a thin-walled deep-groove ball bearing), each with a clear division of labor:
Ø The inner bore of the flexible bearing mates with the outer ring of the elliptical cam. The outer ring, after elastic deformation by the ball bearings, conforms to the inner diameter of the flexspline opening. A gear is engraved on the outer periphery of the flexspline opening, meshing with the teeth of the rigid pulley (which has slightly more teeth than the flexspline). When the cam rotates, the flexspline and rigid pulley mesh at the major axis and separate at the minor axis. The bottom of the flexspline is fixed and connected to the output port, enabling power transmission.
Ø The rigid bearing is installed at the output port of the reducer, responsible for connecting to external equipment and stabilizing the output.
Because harmonic reducers are widely used in robotics, machine tools, aerospace, and other fields, they demand extremely high precision, rigidity, and load-bearing capacity. Therefore, not only are strict standards imposed on the machining and assembly accuracy of internal components, but even more stringent performance requirements are placed on the supporting bearings:
Ø Rigid bearings: Core requirements are high rigidity, high reliability, and high rotational accuracy. They are preloaded at the factory to ensure stable rigidity during operation.
Ø Flexible bearings: Core requirements are large radial deformation, requiring them to withstand cyclical elastic deformation to operate with the harmonic generator.
(II) Core Product: Flexible Bearings - "Elastic Dancers"
Luoyang AVE's flexible bearings feature a thin-wall design, with a wall thickness of only 2-5mm. They can withstand cyclical deformation of 5%-8% of their diameter. They achieve P4 precision, radial runout ≤2μm, and a fatigue life exceeding 10,000 hours, making them an indispensable "core component" of harmonic reducers.
(III) High-Precision Applications: "Precision Operation Assurance" for Robots
In the field of collaborative robots, harmonic reducers supported by flexible bearings can enable a robotic arm carrying a 10kg load to achieve a transmission error of less than 1 arc minute, ensuring that the robot can accurately perform operations requiring extremely high precision, such as inserting and removing electronic chips and fine jewelry engraving, providing reliable support for precision manufacturing scenarios.
III. Crossed Roller Bearings: A "High-Rigidity Rotation Solution" for Multiple Scenarios
Crossed roller bearings (also known as "crossed roller bearings") feature rolling elements (typically cylindrical or tapered rollers) arranged in a cross pattern on a single raceway, separated by retainers or spacers. This structure combines the advantages of high rotational accuracy, large load capacity, compact dimensions, high rotational speed, and high rigidity. They have a wide range of applications and offer performance advantages unmatched by traditional bearings.
Thanks to its cross-roller layout, a single crossed roller bearing can withstand multi-directional loads, including axial, radial, and overturning moments. Compared to conventional bearings, its rigidity is 3-4 times greater. Furthermore, its overall dimensions are minimized to the maximum extent possible, with its ultra-thin structure approaching "extreme miniaturization," making it an ideal choice for applications with comprehensive requirements for size, weight, and rigidity.
(I) Core Series and Suitable Applications
ØCRBH Type (Integrated Inner and Outer Rings, Ultra-Thin): Its ultra-thin design lacks mounting holes, requiring installation via flanges and support blocks. Its integral structure is unaffected by mounting, ensuring stable rotational accuracy and torque. It is suitable for applications requiring both the outer and inner rings to rotate and miniaturization is essential.
ØRB Type (Integral Inner Ring, Split Outer Ring): This basic model features a two-piece outer ring and a monolithic inner ring. It is ideal for applications with stringent requirements for inner ring rotational accuracy.
ØRU type (integrated inner and outer rings with mounting holes): Both inner and outer rings have mounting holes, eliminating the need for additional fixing flanges and support blocks. The integrated structure ensures stable performance after installation and is suitable for applications where both the outer and inner rings need to rotate.
ØXSU type (integrated inner and outer rings): Features pre-set mounting holes and utilizes an integrated inner and outer ring structure with a housing. This eliminates the need for flanges and support blocks, minimizing performance impact during installation and making it suitable for applications where both the outer and inner rings need to rotate.
(II) Typical Application Scenarios
With the maturity of domestic high-precision machining equipment, crossed roller bearings are gradually replacing traditional designs and are widely used in:
Ø Industrial robot joints/rotating parts, machining center rotary tables, and manipulator rotating parts;
Ø Precision rotary tables, turrets, and medical instruments;
Ø CNC indexing tables, vertical machining centers, vertical machine tools, grinders, and other high-precision CNC machining equipment.
IV. YRT Turntable Bearings: The "Benchmark" for Precision Positioning
Turntable bearings are the "coordinate origin" of precision positioning equipment. Luoyang AVE's YRT series turntable bearings, with their high load capacity, high precision, and high rigidity, have become the "benchmark" in measurement, testing, and high-end manufacturing, providing stable and reliable positioning support for equipment.
(I) Structural and Performance Advantages
YRT turntable bearings utilize a thrust-radial combination structure, consisting of a thrust/radial seat washer, a thrust/radial shaft washer, a thrust washer, two needle roller cage assemblies, and a set of radial cylindrical rollers. Both the seat washer and shaft washer are equipped with mounting screw holes. Its core advantages include:
Ø Multi-load bearing capacity: Can simultaneously withstand bidirectional axial loads, radial loads, and overturning moments;
Ø High precision and high rigidity: Factory preload is preset, eliminating the need for clearance adjustment after installation, ensuring high rotational accuracy and high tilting rigidity;
Ø Convenient installation: The bearings have built-in mounting holes for direct bolt fastening, simplifying the installation process;
Ø Clearly applicable applications: Suitable for applications with low speeds, short operating cycles, and high rigidity and precision requirements (such as rotary tables and dividing heads).
(II) Scope of Application
YRT series rotary table bearings are widely used in:
Ø Precision rotary tables, vertical grinders, dividing heads, hobbing machines, gear milling machine workpiece shafts, and other precision equipment;
Ø Applications with high requirements for precision and combined load bearing capacity, such as direct-drive motors, rotary milling heads, coordinate measuring machines, and radar component inspection equipment.
Furthermore, this series of bearings offers a full range of sizes to accommodate turntables of varying sizes. The appearance and mounting dimensions of each series are consistent, allowing for flexible selection based on environmental requirements.
(III) High-Precision Applications: Precision Positioning from Millimeters to Microns
In aerospace parts processing workshops, vertical machining center rotary tables supported by YRT rotary table bearings achieve P2-level 2-arc-second angular measurement accuracy, ensuring turbine blade cylindricity ≤0.003mm, fully meeting the stringent requirements for aircraft part accuracy. In the field of precision inspection, coordinate measuring machines rely on the stable support of YRT bearings to achieve micron-level inspection of precision parts, safeguarding the assembly accuracy of radar components and aerospace structures.
V. Hollow Rotary Platform Bearings: An "Efficient Solution" for Integrated Rotation
The hollow rotary platform is a high-precision rotary device that integrates a "servo motor + precision transmission system." Its most significant feature is its central through-hole structure, which allows for the passage of air pipes, cables, optical fibers, coolant lines, and other components, achieving "synchronous rotational motion and power transmission." The platform is typically equipped with high-precision gears or harmonic reduction mechanisms, coupled with high-resolution encoders, to achieve high-precision angular control and repeatable positioning. The hollow rotating platform bearing is the core support for the stable operation of this system.
(I) Core Application Scenarios
Ø Industrial Robots and Collaborative Robots: Provide precise rotational support for robot end effectors, adapting to complex operational requirements;
Ø Laser Cutting and Welding Equipment: Ensure the accuracy of laser head rotation, improving cutting and welding stability and yield;
Ø Visual Inspection and Measurement Equipment: Support the rotation of the inspection platform, enabling comprehensive, high-precision inspection of parts;
Ø Semiconductor and Electronics Manufacturing Equipment: Suitable for scenarios such as semiconductor wafer processing and electronic component assembly, meeting micron-level operation requirements.
Empowering Global High-End Manufacturing with "Chinese Precision"
From flexible joints in robots to precision components in aerospace; from micron-level operation in medical equipment to technological breakthroughs in laser engraving—Luoyang AVE, with P5, P4, and P2-grade precision bearings at its core, builds a solid "precision foundation" for high-end manufacturing. In China, its products support surgical robots in precision medical procedures and enable micron-level machining of aerospace parts. Globally, its cross-cylindrical roller bearings and specialized bearings for robotic reducers, with their stable, high-precision performance, have successfully entered the international high-end equipment supply chain, becoming a crucial link in the globalization of "Made in China."
Going forward, with continued technological advancement, Luoyang AVE will further leverage "Chinese Precision" to penetrate more high-tech applications both domestically and internationally, driving the Chinese bearing industry from a "follower" position to a "leader," injecting more Chinese wisdom and strength into the global high-end manufacturing upgrade.
