As medical robots continue to evolve, smaller systems and components are making new functionalities possible and expanding capabilities. Accordingly, motion components must provide high performance and accuracy while occupying as little space as possible. For designers of critical equipment like medical robots, it pays to work with a motion component vendor known for precision components, expertise and responsive service.

For example, one medical robot manufacturer trusts our components and has continually worked with us in developing new generations of robots. During the company’s nascent days, it had sought our products for an early-generation robot, thanks to our superior quality, know-how and customization capabilities. Now, our partnership involves two particular products that deliver the precise motion, at reduced sizes, that emerging medical robot systems demand as they make inroads into newer, more complex medical procedures: crossed roller bearings (CRBs) and miniature linear motion rolling guides.

Here’s why:

CRBs for complex robots. At IKO, we’re a proven leader in quality, low-profile crossed roller bearings. With rollers alternately crossed at right angles to each other between inner and outer rings, CRBs make greater contact with the raceways in order to handle complex or heavy loads from any direction at the same time. This arrangement occupies less space than those of other bearing types. Designed for applications with moderate rotational speeds, many of our CRBs are designed to fit into shrinking mechanisms like articulating arms that position and rotate objects. In fact, we offer one of the slimmest CRBs available, measuring just 5.5 millimeters in sectional height and 5 millimeters in width to fit constrained spaces.

Miniature linear motion rolling guides. We provide some of the smallest commercially available miniature linear guides, with track widths as small as 1 millimeter. In addition, our miniature linear motion products can provide a low, uniform sliding resistance over their travel distance to ensure smooth operation, which is critical in medical equipment. For instance, our LWL Series Linear Motion Rolling Guides make four points of contact in a double-row raceway to deliver stable and accurate motion. We also offer stainless steel versions for clean environments.

Not only do we provide high-quality standard CRBs and miniature linear guides, we make sure our products meet our customers’ needs. Here are some of the special requirements our customer had and how we addressed them:

• Custom CRBs. To make our CRBs operate with lower torque, we provide special non-contact seals that reduce torque and provide smoother rotation.
• Small footprint. The customer needed the smallest linear guide possible. We’re the only manufacturer to provide a 1-millimeter size linear motion rolling guide, along with a longer carriage for extra stiffness.
• Local support. We’re a global company that provides local support. Our manufacturing facility in Japan makes us an attractive option for fast procurement.

For Cutting-edge Robotic Applications, Partner With IKO
Thanks to our quality motion products, customization capabilities and exceptional service, we have enjoyed a decades-long relationship with this medical robot partner. We consistently make the grade in their regular audits and frequently host their application engineers at our facilities.

The company continually tests new and unique concepts and is considering special versions of our products for its next-generation robots. Whether you seek a precision, compact CRB or linear guide for a cutting-edge robotic system or a custom solution, partner with IKO.

For more information, check out our CRBs and linear motion rolling guides pages.