Machine Tools
NSK Bearings for Machine Tools
Drilling, milling, grinding and turning all call for solutions with impressive performance profiles and the utmost in quality. That is why major machine tool manufacturers have been placing their trust in NSK’s expertise and technical experience for so many years.
We have the right technical solution for your machine tool application.
Our engineering know-how and technological expertise are based on NSK’s four core technologies: tribology, material engineering, analysis technology and mechatronics. This provides us with an integrated technology platform that serves as a basis for developing forward-looking solutions for the machine tool industry.
In addition to our products, we offer a practical, relevant services – such as Application Analysis taking into account your particular parameters such as speeds, spindle size and external loads, allowing NSK to calculate the output parameters such as bearing & lubricant life, spindle stiffness and much more to help you achieve optimum productivity, precision and machine efficiency.
Cutting - enhanced energy efficiency for your machine tools
Turning, milling and grinding are basic cutting technologies in the machine tool and plant construction industries. A wide range of concepts and machine tool types are needed to manufacture mechanical components. These specific requirements also apply to the components used in the machine tools.
As a system supplier, NSK offers solutions for these applications which have been specifically designed with your needs in mind. Our product portfolio consists of linear guides, ball screws and bearings which are suitable for machining various materials such as steel, aluminium, titanium and alloys – in both single-shift and multi-shift operations.
Although we cater for very different requirements, we always have a single goal in mind: to help you significantly enhance the energy efficiency of your machine tools and thereby boost productivity with our components.
Our experienced engineers are happy to advise you during the design stage to help you select components and resolve tribology issues.
RA Series Linear Roller Guides
Nut Cooling Ball Screws
X1 Seal concept for Ball Screws
Linear roller guides with V1 seal
BSS Series Ball Screws
Milling machines - optimum machining quiality even at higher speeds
Operating conditions: high level of abrasive contamination, traverse speed, spindle speed, multi-shift or stop/start operations, use of coolants and lubricants.
Applications such as high-speed machining centres and milling machines often subject bearings to extreme operating conditions. These include a high level of abrasive contamination twinned with high feed rates and spindle speeds. On top of all this, multi-shift or intermittent operations can really take their toll on the bearings, linear guides and ball screws.
NSK’s high-precision products excel by delivering unsurpassed finishing accuracy, even in these conditions. They enable ultra-high speeds, work extremely reliably and are also quiet, meaning they tick all the boxes for optimum machining quality and cost-efficient solutions.
Total Quality Solution
Nut cooling in ball screws for a lower operating temperature
There are several sound arguments for maintaining a stable temperature below 40°C in ball screws so as to guarantee the utmost precision. This is because the fast motion of the nut raises the operating temperature and thereby prompts changes in running behaviour. It is a factor which should not be underestimated. A temperature increase of just 10°C causes a 1-metre-long spindle to stretch by 120 µm, which means that the machine tool can no longer deliver the necessary precision. Our specially developed nut cooling system drastically reduces heat generation, enabling consistent machining results. This means the necessary operating temperature can be maintained.
Grinding machines - zero tolerance for contamination
Operating conditions: multi-shift operations, high level of contamination, lubricants and coolants, severe abrasive wear
Modern grinding machines such as cylindrical, surface, tool and jig grinding machines are used to process a wide range of work pieces. They have to maintain very exacting tolerances and roughness values. Over time, the lubricants and coolants used become contaminated. This causes severe abrasive wear to the machine’s components.
Compact, robust ball screws from the BSS series together with NSK’s innovative X1 seal concept ensure low-friction movements and make sure that grinding machines run reliably. As a result, servicing intervals can be substantially extended, reducing maintenance costs.
Total Quality Solution
Excellent seal properties: the X1 concept
The X1 concept provides an ideal external and internal seal for ball screws. The inside of the seal prevents lubricant from escaping, while the outside stops contamination from penetrating the body of the nut. This increases the load rating and rigidity of the ball guides. On top of this, the ball screw’s liquid-cooled nut enhances power density.
Lathes - for greater productivity
Operating conditions: multi-shift operations, high level of contamination, lubricants and coolants, severe abrasive wear due to shavings.
Reliable, high-precision mechanical components are needed for lathes turning machines to achieve the highest possible material throughput without downtime. These include angular-contact ball bearings for the motor spindle, linear guides and ball screws for the feed mechanism.
NSK offers the ideal products for this scenario, which also run reliably in multi-shift operations and prevent severe abrasive wear from shavings. With our innovative X1 seal concept, contamination caused by lubricants and coolants is a thing of the past.
The high rigidity and load rating of NSK’s ball guides and linear roller guides pave the way for a long service life, leading to enhanced productivity for your turning machines.
Total Quality Solution
The BSS series of ball screws – compact and quiet
These NSK ball screws are designed specially for machine tool applications. They run quietly, even at high speeds. Their compact design envelope makes for a higher power density.
Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM/EWM) - improved precision and safety
Electrical discharge machines for high-precision applications require highly accurate mechanical components. NSK’s ball screws and linear roller guides help to make the spark erosion process safe and are also ideal for high traverse rates. With their compact design, they are perfect for delivering precision in confined spaces.
Total Quality Solution
Ultra-high load ratings, unique rigidity – the RA series of linear roller guides
As the latest generation of roller guides, NSK’s RA series delivers outstanding motion accuracy. This is achieved by means of large rolling elements, ultra-high load ratings and rigidity. Meanwhile, the patented K1 lubrication unit enables long maintenance-free operation. Roller guides from the RA series also feature very low levels of vibration thanks to their specially constructed retaining and diverting components. This prevents the rollers from skewing.
Forming
Demands for increasingly efficient energy conversion are leading to electromechanical drive concepts in various branches of industry. The process of metal manipulation – i.e. stamping, forming and bending – has a major impact on how mechanical components are designed.
Linear guides, ball screws and bearings are replacing hydraulic drive solutions because they mobilise power reserves and help to significantly reduce driving axles. NSK’s cooled ball screws also increase the amount of heat which is transferred.
NSK engineers work closely with a range of industries to develop solutions which are tailored precisely to the relevant users’ needs.
Spindles - enhanced energy efficiency for your machine tools
Spindles are at the heart of every machine tool. The machining technology and application in question have a huge impact on the design of the spindles – and the same goes for the speed range, which depends on factors such as the tool size and the material to be processed. However, all applications have the same requirements regarding high power density, a compact design and ease of servicing.
We understand your business: whether you need motor spindles or belt-drive spindles for turning, milling or grinding, NSK has been working with respected spindle manufacturers around the world for years. Our research and development engineers regularly provide new impetus for industry. The results include spindle bearings for machine tools which work precisely even at very high speeds and cooled, low-noise motor spindles for more than 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation with outstanding temperature stability thanks to highly efficient heat transfer.
Our engineers are happy to help you identify the optimum bearing and lubrication solution to meet your application needs.
Why not put us to the test?
ROBUST Series single row Cylindrical Roller bearings
ROBUST Series BER and BNR Angular Contact ball bearings
SHX Steel
Oil-Air lubrication
Milling machines - for high speeds and a long service life
Operating conditions: high level of abrasive contamination, speed, spindle speed, multi-shift or stop/start operations, coolants and lubricants.
High spindle speeds, severe contamination caused by the use of coolants, multi-shift or stop/start operations, and a wide range of materials – NSK’s cylindrical roller bearings and angular-contact ball bearings are ideally suited to conditions and requirements of this kind.
Our enhanced designs are driven by components such as spindle bearings from our ROBUST Series, which set standards with their precision, high speeds and service life. High-performance oil-air lubrication and NSK’s patented, extremely wear-resistant SHX steel further improve the performance of your spindles for various applications.
Total Quality Solution
Angular-contact ball bearings from the ROBUST Series for ultra-high speeds
The ROBUST range is primarily used for ultra-high speeds in the main spindles of machine tools. These bearings feature high stiffness, improved thermal behaviour, a low seizure rate and low heat generation. A version made from patented SHX steel is also available, which is capable of speeds more than 90% higher than those of standard spindle
Grinding machines - zero tolerance for contamination
Operating conditions: multi-shift operations, high level of contamination, lubricants and coolants, severe abrasive wear.
Modern grinding machines are used to process different work pieces and have to maintain very exacting tolerances and roughness values. The components are contaminated by lubricants and coolants during both high-speed grinding and track grinding. On top of this, most applications are associated with severe abrasive wear caused by microscopic grinding dust.
Spindle bearings from NSK’s ROBUST Series set standards with their precision, high speeds and service life. High-performance oil-air lubrication and NSK’s patented, extremely wear-resistant SHX steel further improve the performance of your spindles for various applications.
Total Quality Solution
Cylindrical roller bearings with outstanding concentric running from the ROBUST Series
As machine tools become increasingly sophisticated and fast, they also need the right bearings to achieve their full performance potential. Bearings from NSK’s ROBUST series are capable of speeds which are up to 30% higher than those of conventional high-precision ball bearings. This is made possible by combining NSK's SHX material with an optimised raceway geometry. The exact roundness of the rings and the use of state-of-the-art polymers for the cages also ensure that the bearings run super smoothly.
Lathes - efficient and safe
Operating conditions: multi-shift operations, high level of contamination, lubricants and coolants, severe abrasive wear due to shavings.
Lathe machine spindles are subject to a wide range of stresses. These include multi-shift operations, a high degree of contamination caused by coolants and severe abrasive wear from shavings. Speeds range from 6,000 to 12,000 rpm depending on the material to be machined.
NSK offers bearings for lathe machine spindles capable of resisting high thrust loads at high speeds. Innovative constructions, materials and lubricants ensure maximum efficiency by combining a long service life, precision, safety and performance – even in difficult conditions.
Total Quality Solution
Oil-air lubrication for significantly improved performance
Powerful, yet safe and eco-friendly: a lubricant supply system (groove in the outer ring) safely injects lubricant into the bearing running at high speeds. This systems oil hole reduces the number of parts, making for a more compact spindle construction. Oil-air lubrication improves the bearings’ service life and helps resist the entry of contamination due to positive air pressure.
Driven tools
We keep things moving – and that includes the driven tools found in modern lathes (conventional, CNC lathes, turret lathes and others) or milling centres. This boosts your machines’ performance and reduces the total cost of ownership.
NSK has its own research and development facilities. Along with our engineers’ knowledge of specific applications, these R&D centres form the basis for ongoing improvements to our products’ energy efficiency and maximum power density. NSK bearings are supplied with lifelong lubrication to ensure that no maintenance is needed – something which is absolutely essential in this context.
Driven tool holders
Complex tasks, high loads
There is a growing trend towards completing several processes using a single mount so as to maximise productivity in machining. In some cases, operations such as turning, milling and drilling are combined.
These tasks are completed by driven tool holders. The specifications for the bearings used in these applications are extremely demanding. As well as being able to absorb radial and axial forces, they have to work with absolute precision at different speeds and with various materials. The range of applications is very wide and some clients have developed their own tools with integrated drives. One thing applies across the board, however: high loads in a limited installation space.
NSK has established itself as a supplier of bearings for driven tools and works with numerous market-leading companies. Bearings from NSK – such as sealed angular-contact ball bearings, tapered roller bearings and deep-groove ball bearings – are hallmarked by reliability and durability, even when they are used for highly dynamic applications. They also generate a very low level of noise, which is an important consideration given that quiet drives are increasingly becoming a priority for tool manufacturers.
Total Quality Solution
Sealed angular-contact ball bearings
With sealed angular-contact ball bearings from NSK, dirt particles cannot penetrate the bearing. The non-contact seals can be mounted up to four times faster and reduce wear on the raceway and the balls’ surface, resulting in optimum service lives. The sealed bearings also prevent grease migration in vertical spindles, enabling more precise machining.
Tool turrets
Disc-type, crown-type, head and drum turrets are all associated with high accelerations and considerable speeds as a matter of course. The bearings have to withstand these loads as well as coping with contamination, high temperatures, the use of coolants and lubricants, multi-shift operation or start-stop operation. NSK’s angular-contact ball bearings are the ideal solution for machine tool turrets. As well as coping with all of the above requirements, their compact dimensions render them an ultra space-saving option which makes optimum use of the machine compartment.
NSK bearings are suitable for a range of drive functions:
- Central drive, highly dynamic, extremely fast switching
- Tool drive with spindle positioning
- Individually driven tools
Total Quality Solution:
Standard spindle bearings, NSKHPS Angular-contact ball bearings, Tapered roller bearings, and Cylindrical roller bearings.
Nut Cooling Ball Screw
Simplifying Ball Screw cooling to make precision machines faster and more precise. Nut cooling can be implemented (for HMD nuts) without changing the machine design. >>
NSKTAC-SHR series of Ball Screw Support Bearings for High Load Application
The NSKTAC-HR series has been developed for support ball screws operating under high loads. The new NSKTAC-SHR series allow users to maintain high capacity performance with a smaller diameter of the screw shaft end. >>
Linear Roller Guide RA Series
In response to the demand for guides with high load capacity, rigidity, high-speed, high-precision, high-quality, as well as to the demand for easy maintenance, rolling guides which have above features are becoming prevalent. In order to meet these requirements, NSK, have developed new Linear Roller Guides and we have been widely accepted for the newest machines. >>
Efficient Sealing Concept for Ball Screws
The X1 sealing concept provides a highly effective interior and exterior seal for ball screws. >>
BSS Ball Screws Series
High-Speed, Low-Noise Ball Screws BSS Series. Quiet and compact, with unparalleled high-speed performance. Low-noise BSS Series Ball Screws are suitable for an extensive range of uses, from transportation equipment to machine tools. >>
BSBD Series Ball Screw Support Bearing
Ball Screw Support bearings - designed to be compact, ready for easy & accurate installation, greased for life, with low friction and heat generation sealing. >>
V1 Seal Concept
V1 Series multi-lip structured seal offers high dust resistant for roller guides & ball screws >>
ROBUSTSHOT SERIES
Powerful, yet eco-friendly and safe. High precision angular contact ball bearings with oil-air lubrication.
ROBUST Series - Cylindrical Roller Bearings
Super smooth running at high speeds >>
ROBUST Series - Angular Contact Ball Bearings
The best option for main spindles in machine tools that require ultra-high speeds >>Machine Tools, Spindles and NSK
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