White Paper: Hardened Steel Shafting Comparison

Every linear bearing application requires a linear shaft as the inner raceway. Often it is overlooked, or merely considered insignificant. There are also times during the procurement stages when linear shafting is quite often thought to be a commodity, or all the same. The truth is that all three of these scenarios can lead to premature system failure and high costs for maintenance time and replacements.

Shafting utilized in a linear application is just as critical as the bearing chosen. This White Paper discusses the independent study conducted by the Ferdinand von Steinbeis Technical Institute of Stuttgart, Germany. It includes a synopsis on the hardened steel RC60 Linear Shafting™ from PBC Linear compared with an industrial leading brand of linear shafting.

Elements detailed in this study include Dimensional Data, Surface Finish Data, and Hardness Data:

• Dimensional Data: Consistent dimensional tolerances along the entire length of a shaft are critical for consistent bearing operation. Any variances will be transferred through the bearing producing inconsistent results in the entire assembly.
• Surface Finish Data: Surface finish is a key factor in bearing performance, affecting areas such as cleanliness, load, life, and coefficient of friction.
• Hardness Data: Two factors are analyzed--the hardness measurement itself and the depth of hardness. The surface of steel linear shafting hardens to increase its resistance to deflection and damage as well as to increase the wear capabilities of the material, extending life of any bearing-shaft assembly.

Overall, the RC60 Linear Shafting from PBC Linear held a range 73% better than the leading brand, and repeatedly tested in an average range 50% greater than the competition for surface finish consistency. It also provided the most consistent surface hardness and depth of hardness across a range of sizes. All this information and more is included in this white paper.