How to find the right Flexure Bearings & Pivot Bearings AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Flexure Bearings & Pivot Bearings
- Angular range
- Rated rotation must exceed your required stroke with margin. Flexure pivots are limited-angle devices and cannot rotate continuously. Going past the rated deflection fatigues or yields the flexure strips.
- Cantilevered vs double-ended
- Use cantilevered pivots for single-sided mounting and double-ended pivots when the load is supported on both sides. The style sets how the pivot carries radial and axial load and how it mounts in the housing bore.
- Load and stiffness
- Check radial, axial and torsional spring rate against the application. Torsional stiffness adds a restoring torque your actuator must overcome. Flexures act as springs, so they always resist motion, unlike rolling bearings.
- Cycle life at your angle
- Use the manufacturer's life rating at your actual deflection angle. Life rises sharply at smaller angles. Fatigue life is the main wear-out mode, and the angle drives it.
- Mounting fit
- Housing bore size and tolerance must match the pivot's specified fit, and the pivot should be clamped or bonded as the maker directs. Improper press fits can distort the outer sleeve and change stiffness or bind the pivot.
Brands that matter
- Riverhawk (Free-Flex): Long-established crossed-flexure pivot bearings in cantilevered and double-ended styles.
- C-Flex Bearing Co.: Flexural pivots and custom flexure couplings.
What to avoid
- Using a flexure pivot where continuous rotation is needed.
- Ignoring the pivot's torsional spring rate when sizing the actuator or motor.
- Press-fitting outside the specified bore tolerance.
Questions
Why choose a flexure pivot over a ball bearing?
It has no friction, backlash or lubricant and does not wear by sliding or rolling. That suits small-angle oscillation in optics, instruments and vacuum or clean environments.