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New Way Adds 1.5 Inch Size to Air Bushing Line

New Way® Air Bearings Adds 1.5 Inch Size to English Air Bushing Product Line

Aston, Pennsylvania, USA, March 13, 2003 – New Way® Air Bearings has expanded its line of porous media air bushings with the addition of a 1.5-inch bushing. New Way bushings are designed to make air bearing technology readily available to engineers who have existing designs based on round shaft guides.

Air bushings are perfect bearings for voice coil linear motor driven stages, or any motion application that requires very low friction, very smooth motion, or oil-less operation. These bushings run on standard precision steel shafting and are directly interchangeable with most rolling element bearings.

One main advantage of New Way® air bushings is that the porous carbon lining of the internal diameter is itself a precision plain bearing surface which enables the bushings to run without air and not damage the shaft. In addition to not requiring lubrication, another benefit of air bushings is that the positive airflow keeps dust away from the bearing surface, allowing operation in dusty environments.

The bushing mounts inside a housing, or bore, on o-rings designed to be compliant enough to allow the bushing to self-align. Standard mounting housings are available for easy assembly of custom stages, and complete stages are also available.

In applications where higher stiffness is required, the bearing may be set in-place by a precision potting procedure. The potting procedure is only effective in relatively short travels because in most applications over one inch in travel, the air film and o-rings are stiffer than the bending strength of the guide rod.

The Advantages of Porous Media

New Way’s modular air bearing products are inexpensive, robust, and easy to use. Unlike conventional orifice air bushings, New Way® Porous Media Technology controls the airflow across the entire bearing surface through millions of holes in the material. More consistent air pressure distribution provides for superior performance, and the bearings still fly even after severe surface damage.

Porous media technology has been in use for 15 years in precision applications such as coordinate measuring machines, precision machine tools, and test equipment. One advantage is that the bearing does not damage the surface it runs on should the air supply be inadvertently lost. Having no friction or wear problems, and with no lubrication requirements, air bushings are ideal for applications in demanding environments that wreak havoc on traditional contact bushings.

Air Bushings Are Part of a Broader Line of Standard New Way Air Bearing Products

This new 1.5 inch air bushing is the latest addition to the complete line of porous media air bearing products from New Way Air Bearings, including flat round air bearings, flat rectangular air bearings, and air bearing slides.

New Way delivers total air bearing solutions starting at their website www.newwayairbearings.com, which includes the specifications for the full product range, design and installation guides, mounting hardware, air specifications, technical support, and a full range of accessories.

For more information, contact Tim Claffey, VP Sales at 610.494.6700.

New Way Air Bearings

New Way® Air Bearings, Inc. is the market leader in the design and manufacture of modular air bearings and is the recognized provider of porous media air bearing solutions. Founded in 1994, New Way is located in Aston, Pennsylvania, USA, just fifteen minutes from Philadelphia International Airport.

Date:
Thursday, March 13, 2003

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