We often encourage customers to apply the P.O.S.T.L.U.D.E.S acronym, which is a convenient guide to asking the right questions for determining the best product for the job. The acronym stands for Precision, Orientation, Speed, Travel, Load, Unknowns, Duty Cycle, Environment, and Safety. The sections below offer some of the P.O.S.T.L.U.D.E.S. criteria for each of the three types of pillow blocks. Additionally, this article touches on the more complicated load and orientation dynamics. Should the reader feel inclined to further investigate these helpful criteria, they may find more satisfactory bearing selection outcomes.
Pillow block construction and applications
Pillow blocks from LEE Linear are constructed with an aluminum alloy housing and are offered in many sizes as well as metric or imperial configurations. Certain combinations of housing type, bearing type, and shafting will provide the best pillow block bearing for a given application or condition. For example, all three types can be purchased in the open format, which accommodates support rails for shafts requiring longer or more rigid travel. Plain and recirculating ball bearings also have closed designs for use in end-supported applications.
Standard plain and ball type pillow blocks from LEE Linear combine a self-aligning housing with either a Simplicity® plain bearing or recirculating ball bearing. This self-aligning crown allows up to 1/2 degree of mis-alignment in the application, making it helpful in avoiding binding caused by misalignment. For single shaft applications demanding more rigidity, both plain and ball type bearings can be purchased with a straight bore ID in the housing. The basic rundown and P.O.S.T.L.U.D.E.S. criteria on our three types of pillow blocks are as follows: