Spherical Air Bearings for 3-Axis Frictionless Rotation
Spherical air bearings can be used in both research and industrial applications. One major application is zero-gravity and attitude-control testing for satellites and CubeSats. These bearings provide excellent load capacity and stiffness while allowing three axes of inherently frictionless rotational motion.
Commonly used for zero-g satellite research, spherical air bearings have also been used in systems for precision chip bonding and optical alignment. Extremely rigid spindles can be made using a spherical bearing at each end of the spindle shaft. This arrangement also allows precision alignment of the spindle shaft on the fly by moving one spherical bearing relative to the other.
Read the article with videos on spherical bearings in satellite testing.
Spherical Air Bearing
Custom Spherical Air Bearing
Features
Motion and Accuracy
- Freedom of rotation in 3 directions
- Center of rotation stability of ±5 millionths of an inch
- Range of motion up to +/- 45 degrees
Load and Construction
- Load capacity from 1 lb to 1500 lbs
- Operating pressure from 30 psi to 90 psi
- Hardcoat aluminum, stainless steel, bronze or other materials available
Application Examples
Low Inertia Spherical Air Bearings
Small diameter spherical air bearing with hollow center to reduce inertia. Used for small satellite testing.
Spherical Air Bearing for Planarization
Spherical air bearing assembly for planarization and assembly of critical optical components. A vacuum locking option allows the sphere to be locked in any orientation, and a precision theta adjuster allows controlled rotation of the sphere for alignment with other components.
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Satellite Attitude Control Testing with Pedestal
Spherical air bearing with mounting pedestal for satellite testing.
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Need a custom spherical air bearing, pedestal, or air handling system? Contact PI Nelson Air to discuss your application.