Linear Ball Bearings

Linear Ball Bearings

Linear ball bearings are a type of rolling-element bearing that uses spherical elements to separate two moving parts along a straight line. Ball bearings consist of an assembly with spherical balls. They are considered linear or axial when the moving parts they separate travel along a straight line, as in a drawer opening.

There are several different types of linear ball bearings, based on the balls and how the assemblies fit together. A flat ball cage, for example, is a bearing design where the balls are trapped in a frame that spaces them at equal distances apart. A ball bushing is similar to a bushing but has rows of balls that reduce friction. A ball spline bearing, in comparison, has balls that contact grooves in a matching spline shaft on at least four sides.

Linear ball bearings are popular for a very wide variety of industrial uses because they are inexpensive to manufacture and replace. They are useful in situations with light to moderate loads.