Roller bearings are central components in many technical applications that require precise and low-friction movement. Franke GmbH is a leading supplier of wire race bearings, which can be designed as both ball bearings and roller bearings. These bearings are characterized by their compact design, high load capacity and adaptability.
The Franke principle
With Franke wire race bearings, the rolling process does not take place directly between the rolling elements and the enclosing structure, but on special races. This design significantly reduces friction and ensures even load distribution. The four-point geometry of the bearings offers maximum design freedom and allows the material, geometry, size and other specifications to be adapted to the respective application.
Features of Franke roller bearings
Franke roller bearings offer a number of advantages:
High precision: Ground raceways made of hardened steel ensure maximum load capacity and load carrying capacity from all directions.
Compact design: The bearings are extremely compact and lightweight, making them ideal for confined installation spaces.
High load capacity and rigidity: Due to the crosswise arrangement of the rollers, the bearings can support high loads and are very rigid.
Low rotational resistance: Even under high torque loads, the bearings exhibit very low rotational resistance.
Specific products from Franke GmbH
1. bearing element type LEW
The LEW bearing element is a single-row crossed roller bearing that is characterized by its high load carrying capacity and rigidity. The crosswise arranged rollers support equally high loads from all directions. Thanks to the hardened and CNC-ground raceway and the ideal geometric adaptation of the rollers and raceway radius, the LEW offers outstanding bearing properties. These bearing elements are available in various sizes, such as
- LEW7-0400: With a diameter of 400 mm, a weight of 1.9 kg and a load rating of 350 kN.
- LEW7-0500: With a diameter of 500 mm, a weight of 2.3 kg and a load rating of 440 kN.
2. slewing rings type LVG
Type LVG slewing rings are double-row angular contact roller bearings with aluminum housing rings. They offer maximum load ratings with low weight and high rigidity. LVG slewing rings are ideal for applications that require high torque loads and low sensitivity to shocks and vibrations. Examples of this product range are:
- LVG0200: With a diameter of 200 mm, a weight of 4.1 kg and a static load rating of 309 kN
- LVG0300: With a diameter of 300 mm, a weight of 9.3 kg and a static load rating of 617 kN.
Areas of application
Franke's roller bearings are used in many areas, including
- Medical technology: for example, in ceiling lights for suspending X-ray units, where high load capacity and compact installation space are crucial.
- Navigation and antenna systems
- Vehicle construction
- Aerospace
Technical data
Franke roller bearings are made of high-quality materials:
- Race rings: Made from hardened 67SiCr5 steel.
- Track rollers: Made of hardened steel 100Cr6, ensuring minimum friction.
- Cage: Made of PA12, which ensures the crosswise arrangement of the rollers.
The bearings are designed for operating temperatures from -20 °C to +80 °C, up to +100 °C for short periods, and can achieve circumferential speeds of up to 4 m/s. They are also provided with Shell Gadus S3 V220 grease and can be relubricated via grease nipples.
Example of an application
A practical example of the use of a Franke roller bearing is the integration into a medical ceiling light. This is where the LEW7 bearing element demonstrates its advantages: high load capacity, compact installation space and uniformly low rotational resistance under high torque loads.
Conclusion
Franke roller bearings offer innovative solutions for the highest demands on precision, load capacity and flexibility. Their robust yet compact design makes them an ideal choice for a wide range of industrial and technical applications. Thanks to their adaptability and the high quality of the materials, they contribute to the efficiency and reliability of modern machines and systems.