Crossed Roller Bearings in Rotary Indexing Tables

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Crossed Roller Bearings in Rotary Indexing Tables

Crossed roller bearings in rotary indexing tables define the geometric reference the platter turns on, so every station returns to the same angular position cycle after cycle. The rollers sit at right angles inside integrated one-piece rings, which lets a single bearing react radial load, axial load, and the tilting moment of an off-center workpiece at the same time. The bearing is not simply a rotating support under the table. It is the surface that sets how true the table stays to the machine.

An indexing table rarely carries its load through the centre of rotation. Fixtures mount around the perimeter, so workpiece weight and process force both act on a moment arm, and any angular deflection at the bearing shows up as flatness and position error at the part. Line contact between the rollers and the raceways spreads that load across a wide area instead of concentrating it, which keeps deflection low without a larger envelope. Factory-set preload removes internal clearance before the table is assembled, so the platter resists from the first increment of load and does not settle over time. Available accuracy grades let the bearing be matched to the repeatability the station sequence actually requires.

The other advantage is what the arrangement replaces. A thrust bearing paired with a radial bearing handles the same combined load but stacks two bearing heights, two seats to align concentrically, and two preloads to set on the bench. Yuanhe supplies crossed roller bearings that collapse both duties into one ring set, cutting axial height, tolerance stack, and assembly steps at once. The same RAU series carries the rest of the cell, from the automation equipment that feeds the table to the robot joints that load and unload it.

Yuanhe delivers repeatable station positioning in indexing tables

• Line contact reacts the tilting moment of an off-center fixture, keeping the platter flat under load
• Factory-set preload removes clearance, so station-to-station repeatability holds through high cycle counts
• One bearing replaces a thrust and radial pair, removing a bearing height and a tolerance stack from the table
• RAU integrated one-piece rings arrive preloaded, with no shims, locknuts, or bench adjustment to set
• Large bore relative to outside diameter leaves the table centre open for coolant lines, wiring, and a draw bar
• Sealed variants protect the grease against coolant wash, chips, and dust through continuous shift work

Bearing Demands by Indexing Table Type

Sizing starts with three numbers rather than one: the worst-case static moment from fixture and workpiece mass on their real moment arm, the peak axial load through the platter, and the peak radial component of the process force. A bearing chosen on radial load alone will be undersized for the overturning moment an indexing table produces whenever the load is not centred. Where the table needs a non-standard bore, a specific bolt circle, or gear teeth cut on the rotating ring, our custom manufacturing covers it from prototype through production. Metrology-grade indexers that feed optical inspection systems sit at the tight end of this range, while the servo motors and gear stages driving the index itself still run on deep groove ball bearings, where speed and low friction matter more than moment stiffness.

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