Rolling bearings with housing parts made from 3D printing. Our lightweight bearings enable substantial weight, energy and space savings. The Franke principle of inserted wire raceways ensures that rigidity and maximum precision are nevertheless maintained - over the entire service life. It also guarantees optimum adaptation to your application.
Innovation in lightweight bearings
There are various approaches to realizing 3D-printed ball bearings. Here are two common methods:
Assembly of printed components: In this method, the individual components of the ball bearing, such as the inner ring, outer ring and balls, are printed separately and then assembled together. For example, the inner ring and outer ring can be printed with a matching fit to allow for low-friction rotation. The balls can also be printed separately and then inserted into the printed inner and outer ring.
Printed ball bearings with integrated balls: In this method, the balls are integrated directly into the printed ball bearing cage. The cage is designed to hold the balls and enable low-friction movement. The cage structure and the geometry of the balls are designed accordingly to ensure smooth rotation.
It is important to note that 3D printed ball bearings usually cannot compete with conventionally manufactured ball bearings in terms of precision, load capacity and durability. 3D printing processes often have limitations in terms of surface finish, dimensional accuracy and material strength, which can have a negative impact on the performance of the ball bearing.
In addition, the production of 3D printed ball bearings requires specialized knowledge and experience in design and the 3D printing process. It is important to consider the loads and requirements of the application and to select suitable materials for 3D printing that offer sufficient strength and wear resistance.
Overall, 3D printing technology is not yet advanced enough to deliver ball bearings with the same performance as conventionally manufactured ball bearings. Conventional ball bearings are therefore still used in most industrial applications. However, 3D printing is being used in other areas of mechanical engineering and prototype development.