What is a thin-section angular contact bearing?
Aug 06,2025

What is  thin-section angular contact bearing?

 A thin-section angular contact bearing is a high-precision rolling bearing with an ultra-thin wall structure. The raceways of its inner and outer rings are at a certain angle (usually 15°, 30° or 40°), which can bear both radial and unidirectional axial loads. It is a core component of lightweight and compact transmission systems. Through the optimized thin-section design, it greatly reduces the volume and weight while ensuring high rigidity, and is widely used in precision equipment sensitive to space and weight.

Characteristics of thin-section angular contact bearings

1.Ultra-thin and lightweight: The wall thickness is only 30%-50% of that of traditional bearings, and the weight is reduced by more than 40%, which is suitable for space-constrained scenarios such as robot joints and UAV transmissions.

2. Composite load-bearing capacity: The angular contact structure design can bear both radial load and unidirectional axial load. The larger the contact angle, the stronger the axial load-bearing capacity (for example, a 40° contact angle is suitable for heavy axial load scenarios).

3. High precision and low noise: The raceway is precision ground, with rotation accuracy up to P4/P5 grade and radial runout ≤ 0.01mm; the optimized cage design ensures a low friction coefficient and noise ≤ 55dB during high-speed operation.

4. Flexible installation and adaptation: It provides outer rings with mounting holes (direct bolt fixing) or integral outer ring designs, which can be interference-fitted with bearing housings, simplifying the equipment assembly process and improving installation efficiency. 5. Wide working condition adaptability: Optional bearing steel (GCr15) and stainless steel (SUS440C) materials, which can withstand a temperature range of -40℃ to 120℃, and adapt to complex environments such as humidity and dust.

Applications of thin-section angular contact bearings

With the characteristics of lightweight and high precision, thin-section angular contact bearings are widely used in the following fields: Industrial robots: shoulders and wrist joints of six-axis robots, which bear composite loads and ensure motion accuracy.

Medical equipment: rotating frames of CT scanners and robotic arms of surgical robots, meeting the requirements of low vibration and sterile environment.

Precision machine tools: high-speed spindles and CNC turntables, suitable for high-speed cutting scenarios (rotating speed up to 15,000rpm).

Aerospace: UAV transmission systems and satellite attitude adjustment mechanisms, with lightweight design to reduce energy consumption.

New energy equipment: rotating shafts of photovoltaic tracking systems and wind power pitch bearings, which can withstand harsh outdoor working conditions.

What factors need to be considered when purchasing thin-section angular contact bearings?

1.Size matching: Accurately measure the inner diameter (d), outer diameter (D) and width (B) of the installation space, and reserve a 0.01-0.03mm gap considering thermal expansion and contraction caused by working temperature.

2. Load parameters: Select an appropriate contact angle according to the ratio of actual radial load to axial load of the equipment (for example, 15° is suitable for radial-dominated scenarios, and 40° is suitable for axial-dominated scenarios).

3.Precision requirements: Choose P4 grade for high-precision equipment (such as machining center spindles), and P5 grade is sufficient for general transmission scenarios.

4. Environmental adaptation: Give priority to stainless steel materials in humid environments, and use high-temperature grease in high-temperature scenarios (>80℃).

5. Installation method: Choose models with mounting holes (direct bolt fixing) for space-constrained scenarios, and integral outer rings (interference fit with bearing housings) for high rigidity requirements.

6. Supplier qualifications: Choose suppliers that can provide material certificates, precision inspection reports and after-sales technical support to ensure product reliability.

A high-quality supplier of thin-section angular contact bearings - NewBee Transmission

NewBee Transmission is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D and production of precision bearings. It has been deeply engaged in the field of thin-section bearings for many years and is a well-known supplier of thin-section angular contact bearings in the industry. We provide a full range of thin-section angular contact bearings (covering 15°/30°/40° contact angles, with inner diameters ranging from 10mm to 1000mm). The product precision covers P5-P4 grades, and we can customize stainless steel materials, special lubrication and sealing structures according to needs. Relying on advanced precision grinding equipment and ISO9001 quality system, we provide customers with full-process services such as selection calculation, installation guidance and failure analysis. Our products are widely used in robots, medical treatment, aerospace and other fields.

Precautions for using thin-section angular contact bearings

1. Use special tools to evenly apply pressure to the inner and outer rings during installation to avoid raceway deformation caused by knocking.

2. Inject an appropriate amount of grease before operation (the filling amount is 1/3-1/2 of the internal space of the bearing). For high-speed scenarios, synthetic grease is recommended.

3. Regularly check the bearing temperature (normal operating temperature ≤70℃) and vibration value. Stop the machine for inspection in case of abnormalities to avoid failure caused by overload or installation deviation.

For detailed parameters, customization plans or the latest quotations of thin-walled angular contact bearings, please feel free to contact us through the following ways:
Email: paul@newbeetrans.com
Official website: www.newbeetrans.com

WhatsApp sales@newbeetrans.com +8615090185276