Spherical Plain Bearing Precautions on Use

Handling

1. Do not disassemble model SA1 or SB prior to installation. Disassembling the product will resultin loss of function.
2. Take care not to drop or strike the spherical plain bearing. Doing so may cause injury or damage. Giving an impact to it could also cause damage to its function even if the product looks intact.
3. When handling the product, wear protective gloves, safety shoes, etc., as necessary to ensuresafety.

Precautions on Use

1. Prevent foreign material, such as cutting chips or coolant, from entering the product. Failure to do so may cause damage.
2. If foreign material such as cutting chips adheres to the product, replenish the lubricant after cleaning the product.
3. Do not use undue force when fitting parts (pin, key, etc.) to the product. This may generate permanent deformation on the raceway, leading to loss of functionality.
4. Insufficient rigidity or accuracy of mounting members causes the bearing load to concentrate on one point and the bearing performance will drop significantly. Accordingly, give sufficient consideration to the rigidity/accuracy of the housing and base and strength of the fixing bolts.

Lubrication

1. For details of the lubrication, see Lubrication .
2. Do not mix different lubricants. Mixing greases using the same type of thickening agent may still cause adverse interaction between the two greases if they use different additives, etc.
3. When using the product in locations exposed to constant vibrations or in special environments such as clean rooms, vacuum and low/high temperature, use the grease appropriate for the specification/environment.
4. The consistency of grease changes according to the temperature. Take note that the slide resistance of the spherical bearing also changes as the consistency of grease changes.
5. After lubrication, the slide resistance of the spherical bearing may increase due to the agitation resistance of grease. Be sure to perform a break-in to let the grease spread fully, before operating the machine.
6. Excess grease may scatter immediately after lubrication, so wipe off scattered grease as necessary.
7. The properties of grease deteriorate and its lubrication performance drops over time, so grease must be checked and added properly according to the use frequency of the machine.
8. The greasing interval varies depending on the use condition and service environment. Set the final lubrication interval/amount based on the actual machine.

Storage

When storing the Spherical Plain Bearing, enclose it in a package designated by THK and store it in a room while avoiding high temperature, low temperature and high humidity.

Disposal

Dispose of the product properly as industrial waste.