What are roller pillow blocks, and how do they differ from other types of pillow blocks?
Built to transfer heavy loads over long travel of joined shafts or rail assemblies, Roller Pillow Blocks use large cam followers to navigate joined shafts and rail assemblies with ease. Roller Pillow Blocks excel in hazardous environments with high accuracy and are easy to install, making for an excellent linear motion solution.
What are the main applications for roller pillow blocks?
Roller Pillow Blocks thrive in various linear motion applications as alternatives to traditional ball bearings and profile rail systems. Applications include welding machines, sliding doors, pipe mills, industrial container mobility, and welding machines.
What are the benefits of using roller pillow blocks over ball bearing and profile rail systems?
In addition to speeds up to 2.5 times faster and higher dynamic load ratings, Roller Pillow Blocks offer smoother travel at a lower price point. Misalignment of shafts due to installation errors or non-matched shafts can lead to premature or catastrophic ball bearing failures, an issue that is avoided with the large cam followers in Roller Pillow Blocks. They also feature a low coefficient of friction, resulting in less heat and wear for applications with heavy loads.
What materials are used in roller pillow blocks?
Roller Pillow Blocks are comprised of aluminum with a clear anodized finish and coated steel rollers, combined with a recommended hardened steel shaft, making them corrosion-resistant and ideal for dirty or contaminated environments.
What sizes are available for Roller Pillow Blocks?
Roller Pillow Blocks are designed for shaft diameters ranging from ½” to 3”. PBC LINEAR offers three carriage sizes: single, double, and twin. The double carriage provides an extra set of rollers for double the load capacity within a similar mounting footprint, while the twin carriage offers extended length with additional mounting holes.
What load capacities and speeds can roller pillow blocks handle?
Roller Pillow Blocks are suited for dynamic load ratings up to 12,520lb and speeds up to 8 m/sec.
What maintenance is required for roller pillow blocks?
Roller Pillow Blocks require low maintenance even in tough conditions. The rollers are internally lubricated for life, but the rails must always have a layer of grease. As a guideline, reapply fresh grease every 50,000 cycles.
Can roller pillow blocks operate on a curved rail?
A single Roller Pillow Block can navigate curves or operate on a non-linear system. Refer to the Roller Pillow Block catalog for a table listing the minimum track radius that the single Roller Pillow Block can tolerate without additional modification.
Are there accessories available for Roller Pillow Blocks?
What orientation is best suited for roller pillow blocks?
Roller Pillow Blocks are best suited for horizontal loading conditions. For vertical applications or those with moment loads, contact a PBC LINEAR application engineer. Roller Pillow Blocks are not suitable for inverted applications.
What is the difference between the floating option on the roller pillow block and the standard option?
The floating option, indicated by an “F” callout (e.g., F-SPB-16-OPN), has mounting fasteners that fit into slots opening to the pillow block sides instead of closed holes. This allows for some shaft alignment flexibility. (Would an image help here?)
Do roller pillow blocks allow for system shafting inconsistencies or shaft misalignment?
Yes. Cam rollers provide some compliance, essentially floating along the shaft length. For more extreme cases, a “float” option offers additional tolerance for shaft parallelism conditions.
Do I need to lubricate roller pillow blocks?
Lubrication is recommended to optimize performance and extend system life. While the rollers are sealed and pre-lubricated, the “Top Grease” option allows for re-greasing the primary roller. Lubricating the shaft is also recommended.
Are roller pillow blocks used in harsh, dirty environments?
Yes. The cam roller design resists dirt and debris better than ball bearings, making Roller Pillow Blocks suitable for dirty environments. Optional copper scrapers can help remove buildup on shafting.
Why do both the twin and double pillow blocks have the same load capacity?
Both pillow blocks use the same number of rollers to support the load, giving them the same capacity. However, the twin version provides additional mounting flexibility and application versatility.
Are Roller Pillow Blocks interchangeable with linear ball and plain bearings?
Yes. Roller Pillow Blocks are dimensionally interchangeable with both ball and plain bearing pillow blocks, offering alternative linear guidance methods.
What type of shafting should be used with Roller Pillow Blocks?
Use case-hardened linear shafting, as Roller Pillow Blocks are not intended for soft materials like 300 series stainless steel or aluminum shafts.
Are Roller Pillow Block side cam rollers adjustable?
Yes. One side has fixed rollers, while the opposite side uses eccentric cam followers for clearance adjustments between rollers and the shaft.
Are individual cam rollers available for replacement?
Yes. Replacement roller kits are available and recommended for refreshing pillow block performance and system life.
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