In the vast system of industrial manufacturing, although the plastic cage may seem like just a small component, it plays a crucial role. Wuxi Zhongtian Plastic Cage Manufacturing Co., Ltd., as an outstanding representative in the industry, its products are widely used in multiple key fields due to their excellent quality and performance.
1.Industrial robots
Industrial robots help with workplace health and safety by performing tasks in hazardous environments. They can assist workers with some monotonous or highly demanding jobs.
Slewing bearings, known as the "joints of machines", can withstand comprehensive loads in axial, radial, overturning and other directions, and have high-precision slewing positioning. Based on the requirements of being able to withstand radial and axial loads and work at relatively high speeds, angular contact bearing cages can be used, and spacer blocks can also be used for other accessories. These two types of products have high load capacity, can increase the service life of robots and reduce the failure rate.
Material recommendations: For general applications, use PA66+GF25 (BASF). When the long-term operating temperature of the bearing is above 120°C to 160°C, use PA46+GF30 (DSM).
The isolation block is used in the raceway of the slewing bearing to separate the rolling elements. It is widely applied in the application fields of large slewing bearings such as construction machinery, metallurgical machinery, excavators, and industrial robots. Generally, materials with good toughness such as PA66+GF25, PA66, and PA1010 are used.
2.Home appliances
The requirements for bearing noise in the household appliance industry are strict. When the bearing noise exceeds the allowable range, the bearing can no longer be used. In household appliances, the magnitude of the preload and the tolerance fit between the inner and outer rings of the bearing will both affect the noise of the household appliance motor. Therefore, one-way bearing cages with high speed and low noise are suitable for the household appliance field.
Material recommendations: For general applications, use PA66+GF25 (BASF); when the long-term operating temperature of the bearing is above 120°C to 160°C, use PA46+GF30 (DSM).
One-way bearings are a type of bearing that can rotate freely in one direction and lock in the other direction. They are generally also known as overrunning clutches. They are widely used in fields such as textile machinery, printing machinery, automobiles, and home appliances. The application of engineering plastic cages is relatively widespread. In general situations, PA66+GF25 (BASF) is used, and when the long-term operating temperature of the bearing is greater than 120°C to 160°C, PA46+GF30 (DSM) is used.
3.Car
The bearing cage is an important component in automotive bearings. Its main function is to support the mechanical rotating body, reduce the coefficient of friction during its movement, and ensure its rotational accuracy. It is mainly used in transmissions, drive shafts, engines, and wheel hubs.
The cage needs to have good corrosion resistance. The lubricating oil in the bearing is prone to oxidation at high temperatures, generating corrosive substances that accelerate the fatigue failure of the bearing and thus shorten its service life. The normal operating temperature of an automotive engine is generally between 80°C and 90°C, and the operating temperature of some highly enhanced engines can reach above 90°C - 100°C. For example, the normal operating temperature of a gasoline engine used in a car is generally between 95°C and 105°C. Therefore, the cage should be able to work stably for a long time at temperatures within 105°C without melting or softening. It is recommended to use deep groove ball bearing cages, self-aligning ball bearing cages, needle roller bearing cages, one-way bearing cages, angular contact bearing cages, etc.
Material recommendations: For general applications, use PA66+GF25 (BASF). When the long - term operating temperature of the bearing is between 120°C and 160°C, use PA46+GF30 (DSM).
The cages for needle roller bearings can withstand large radial loads and occupy less space, which is beneficial for the compact design of machinery. They are widely used in various fields such as automobiles, home appliances, power tools, and machinery. For this type of bearing, engineering plastic cages, copper cages, and cages made by stamping and welding of steel plates are often used. In general situations, PA66+GF25 (BASF) is adopted, and when the long - term operating temperature of the bearing is above 120℃ to 160℃, PA46+GF30 (DSM) is used.
4.Machine tools, construction machinery
Rolling bearings are components used to determine the relative motion position of the rotating shaft of a machine tool and other parts, and play a supporting or guiding role in the machine tool. The quality of their performance directly affects the spindle of the machine tool. The cage, as one of the main internal components of the bearing, has an important impact on the stability of the entire bearing. Currently, many machine tool spindles are scrapped due to the insufficient load - bearing capacity of the rolling bearings within them. The wear and fracture of the cage are one of the main reasons for the failure to meet the toughness requirements. It is recommended to use cages for deep - groove ball bearings and self - aligning ball bearings with low noise, low load, and high toughness.
Material recommendations: For general applications, use PA66 + GF25 (BASF). When the long - term operating temperature of the bearing is above 120°C to 160°C, use PA46 + GF30 (DSM).
One type of angular contact bearings, characterized by high rotational speed and high precision, is widely applied in machine tool spindles, electric spindles, and power tools. Bakelite cages were commonly used, but now they have been replaced by engineering plastic cages in many fields. Using engineering plastic cages has advantages such as good lubrication, low noise, and low batch manufacturing costs. Additionally, materials with different properties can be selected according to different customer requirements. In general applications, PA66+GF25 (BASF) and NTE264B from Otsuka Chemical of Japan are used. When the bearing is used for a long time at a temperature between 120°C and 160°C, PA46+GF30 (DSM) is adopted.
5.wind power
As is well known, a remarkable feature of the wind energy industry is that wind turbines operate outdoors all year round. The working conditions are rather harsh, with significant variations in temperature, humidity, and bearing loads. Therefore, bearings are required to have good sealing and lubrication performance, impact resistance, long lifespan, and high reliability.
For example, in the case of the wind blade main shaft bearing, the wind blade main shaft is supported by two self-aligning roller bearings. Since the wind blade main shaft bears extremely large loads and is quite long and prone to deformation, the bearings must have good self-aligning performance. It is recommended to use a self-aligning roller bearing cage with self-aligning function and high load capacity.
Material recommendations: Generally, PA66+GF33 (dupont) is used, and reinforced and toughened nylon is adopted.
Self-aligning spherical roller bearings can automatically adjust the misalignment of the shaft center caused by the deflection or non - concentricity of the shaft and the housing. They can withstand radial loads and two - way axial loads, especially with a large radial load - bearing capacity. They are suitable for applications with heavy loads, impact loads, and relatively low rotational speeds. Correspondingly, the plastic cages of this type of bearing are not very widely used, but there are still applications. Generally, PA66 + GF33 (dupont) is used, and reinforced and toughened nylon is adopted.
3.Car
