New Way® Radial Air Bearings are ideal for precision rotary applications, giving you all the differential advantages of air bearings built on our proven Porous Media Technology™.
Radial air bearings provide non-contact support for rotating, round artifacts using a thin (5µm) layer of air.
This thin air layer is amazingly stiff, creating a stable support for a ring or bearing surface, while allowing for surface speeds of up to 50 meters-per-second. Our convex L radial air bearings are configured to ride along the outer diameter (OD) of your rotating artifact, with a cut radiused along the length of the bearing.
The unique use of Porous Media Technology™ in radial air bearings makes them ideal for cleanroom use. Not only is less air used in radial air bearings when compared to orifice-based air bearings, but the air is evenly distributed by the porous media. Both of these features minimize the potential of currents or eddies in the cleanroom, and its damaging impacts on production.
Another benefit of the use of porous media is its ability to perform as a sub-micron filter for the air emitted. Testing indicates the bearing satisfies the requirements of Class 1 (ISO class 3) cleanliness, with airborne particulate concentrate limits of less than 1,000 x 0.1μm particles / m3.
While several standard sizes of radial air bearings are offered, New Way has more than 30 years experience developing custom solutions. Contact us to tell us more about your application!
New Way radial air bearings support a wide range of high-performance applications. The ability to use them in groups makes their solution space virtually limitless. Their non-contact nature makes them superior for high-precision applications. Frictionless Motion®️ virtually eliminates downtime for maintenance, all the while improving the overall manufacturing process.
Don’t see your application listed? Don’t worry! Tell us more about your rotary application so we can help find the right air bearing solution for you.
Radial Air Bearings Convex L Product Line
| Size (Diameter) | Part # (select for load/lift curve & drawings) | Ideal Load at 5μm Fly Height | Stiffness N/micron (lbs/μin) @ 0.41 MPa (60psi) | Flow NLPM (SCFH) @ 0.41 MPa (60psi) | Ball Socket Size | Bearing Height mm (in) | Bearing Weight grams (pounds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 x 300 mm150 x 300 mm | S33150L***S33150L*** | 2,350 lb10,453 N | 9.39 lb/μin1645 N/μm | 5.19 NLPM5.19 NLPM | 25 mm25 mm | 3.94 in100 mm | 26.06 lb11,822 g |
| 125 x 250 mm125 x 250 mm | S33125L***S33125L*** | 1500 lb6672 N | 5.76 lb/μin1009 N/μm | 4.96 NLPM4.96 NLPM | 25 mm25 mm | 2.95 in75 mm | 15.29 lb6937 g |
| 100 x 200 mm100 x 200 mm | S33100L***S33100L*** | 900 lb4003 N | 3.80 lb/μin665 N/μm | 4.25 NLPM4.25 NLPM | 25 mm25 mm | 2.76 in70 mm | 7.99 lb3628 g |
| 75 x 150 mm75 x 150 mm | S3375L***S3375L*** | 420 lb1868 N | 1.43 lb/μin250 N/μm | 19.0 - 22.0 SCFH8.96 - 10.38 NLPM | 25 mm25 mm | 1.97 in50 mm | 3.02 lb1372 g |
| 50 x 100 mm50 x 100 mm | S3350L***S3350L*** | 180 lb801 N | 0.63 lb/μin110 N/μm | 4.72 NLPM4.72 NLPM | 13 mm13 mm | 0.98 in25 mm | 0.65 lb295 g |
| 40 x 80 mm40 x 80 mm | S3340L***S3340L*** | 100 lb445 N | 0.33 lb/μin58 N/μm | 4.25 NLPM4.25 NLPM | 13 mm13 mm | 0.79 in20 mm | 0.32 lb145 g |
| 25 x 50 mm25 x 50 mm | S3325L***S3325L*** | 35 lb156 N | 0.13 lb/μin22 N/μm | 2.36 NLPM2.36 NLPM | 6 mm6 mm | 0.67 in17 mm | 0.11 lb48 g |
| 20 x 40 mm20 x 40 mm | S3320L***S3320L*** | 20 lb89 N | 0.08 lb/μin14 N/μm | 1.89 NLPM1.89 NLPM | 6 mm6 mm | 0.51 in13 mm | 0.05 lb24 g |
| 15 x 30 mm15 x 30 mm | S3315L***S3315L*** | 10 lb44 N | 0.04 lb/μin7 N/μm | 1.18 NLPM1.18 NLPM | 6 mm6 mm | 0.39 in10 mm | 0.02 lb8 g |
| 12 x 24 mm12 x 24 mm | S3312L***S3312L*** | 5 lb22 N | 0.03 lb/μin5 N/μm | 0.40 NLPM0.40 NLPM | 6 mm6 mm | 0.24 in6 mm | 0.01 lb6 g |
Keck Observatory, often considered the world’s most scientifically productive observatory, turned to New Way when they needed help replacing their rolling-bearing-based rotary encoder. A system built on radial and flat round air bearings allowed for a new 1-meter diameter rotary table, cutting acquisition time by 75% and reducing maintenance to near zero.
Magtrol Inc., a leader in torque measurement for small motors, recognized the unique capability of air bearings to provide frictionless torque measurements. They upgraded their calibration suits through radial air bearings and air bushings, providing a frictionless solution backed by engineering support they could trust.
B&B Manufacturing Company, Inc. is a global supplier of threaded fasteners and machine parts, serving numerous industries from power generation and aerospace to petrochemical and medical. When they found ball bearings added too much error to their in-house designed roundness checker, they used New Way Radial and Flat Round Air Bearings to build a turntable with maximum accuracy.
If you’re ready to get started on your retrofit project, or want to learn about how New Way can benefit your application, please reach out anytime!
