New Way® metric air bushings make air bearing technology readily-available to engineers who have pre-existing designs based on round shaft guides. These bushings run on standard metric precision steel shafting and are directly interchangeable with most rolling element bushings.

These air bushings consist of a porous carbon sleeve encased in an aluminum housing. They typically mount inside a bore. Standard metric mounting housings (pillow blocks) are available for easy assembly of custom slides. In applications where higher stiffness is required, the bearing may be set in-place by a precision potting procedure.

Two o-rings, mounted on the outside of the housing, position and support the bushing, allowing it to self-align. Once the bushing is mounted, these O-rings also create the sealed chamber by which pressurized air is introduced through the outer housing to the porous carbon liner, which evenly distributes a thin film of air between the inside diameter of the bushing and the guide shaft.

Load-carrying capability is greatly dependent on the size of the air film (or the diametrical difference between the guide O.D. and the bushing I.D.). Other critical factors impacting bushing performance include: Input air pressure, surface finish of the guide, bushing-guide alignment, and geometry of the guide itself.

Contact the New Way Sales Department for more information or Technical Support.