New Way Air Bearings ® does more than simply produce cutting edge porous media air bearings. We also act as a prototyper and systems integrator, working with industry partners to produce bespoke solutions for our customers. Today we want to talk about the benefits of precision epoxy surfaces produced by our sister company, Devitt Machinery.
Flexible, Affordable, Powerful Surface Solutions
Poured epoxy surfaces may not be your first instinct when you’re investigating a new guideway, but the benefits are more substantial than one might expect. Self-leveling epoxy surfaces are highly economical. For a 10 foot long, 3 foot wide surface, an equivalent steel or granite solution can exceed $20,000 with a 10 week or longer lead time.
An equivalent epoxy solution would be quoted well under $10,000, with a lead time in the area of 3 to 4 weeks. Additionally, self-leveling epoxy surfaces can be repaired as well as produced on site. This makes them ideal for specialty applications that are difficult to reach, or in the field usage cases.
Superior Materials Deliver Superior Results
Devitt Machinery produces their epoxy surfaces with Diamant Moglice, a moldable low friction wayliner for which they have been the exclusive North American distributor for over 20 years. Devitt has had great success with Moglice and thanks to the close collaboration between New Way and Devitt Machinery, we can work hand in hand to develop the poured epoxy surface and air bearing solution to meet your exact needs.
New Way Air Bearings treats Devitt Machinery as we would any other supplier we work with, which is why we retain our stringent 0.002” per foot flatness requirement, which Devitt’s Moglice easily meets and exceeds, allowing for the incredible straightness of motion our Porous Media Technology™ is known for.
Proven Results
Epoxy surfaces with Diamant Moglice aren’t just a speculative product in our catalog, but a proven solution for meeting the needs of our customers. We partnered with Devitt machinery to help Keystone Tower Systems manufacture wind turbines on site in the field. This this end they needed an accurate surface to float air bearings, and be confident in the planarity of the surface.
The portable nature of Keystone’s machine presented an interesting combination of design considerations:
- Precision
- Surface flatness within 0.0002” per foot to meet New Way’s standard specifications for floating the bearings.
- Environment
- Capable of withstanding different environmental changes.
- Longevity
- Minimize the cost and complexity of potential repairs in the field.
New Way engineers noted the similarities between Keystone’s project and a satellite simulation application where a precision epoxy was used to create a flat surface for floating air bearings. They suggested Keystone contact Devitt Machinery for their expertise in utilizing epoxies in precision machine applications.
“We utilized the same process as we do for our other epoxies and it came out great,” remarked Cody Reeves, mechanical/sales engineer for Devitt Machinery Company. The Steel Casting Epoxy contains special additives to force any bubbles to group together, making them easy to pop and create a surface precise enough for the air bearings. This self-leveling feature of the epoxy “gave us a better surface finish,” commented Reeves.
Following the creation of the steel epoxy-coated plate Field Alignment and Services Training (F.A.S.T), the operational arm of Devitt Machinery, installed the plate on-site utilizing their standard DWH epoxy.
Continual Innovation
Moglice based air bearing platforms are far more than a legacy product for either New Way or Devitt Machinery. As seen below, Devitt is continually testing the limits of this material, here floating 600 lb worth of test weight on a 72” x 96” platform with virtually no exertion on the part of the technicians.
Contact Us
If you want to learn more about either porous media air bearings or precision epoxy surfaces for your application, please contact us, and our engineering sales team will get back to you!
