Bearings

Ensure smooth, frictionless motion in moving parts.

Bearing Flats

The most frequently used type of bearing among competition teams, Bearing Flats are most often used on joints to ensure the axle spins smoothly without jamming against a flat face.

Comprised of three unthreaded bores along a plastic face, Bearing Flats are most commonly secured to C-Channels or other structural components through the outer two bores, so as to distribute pressure on the bearing evenly across both sides. With standard VEX axles and screws fitting perfectly through the center bore, this reduces friction in the axle by providing a smooth, consistent inner surface for free rotation.

Bearing Flats can be found on vexrobotics.com.

Pillow Block Bearings

While not quite as commonly used as Bearing Flats, Pillow Block Bearings achieve a similar function for a different use-case.

While standard Bearing Flats are mounted the the main structural component parallel to the axle of the rotation, Pillow Block Bearings are mounted in a perpendicular fashion. For example, Pillow Block Bearings would be mounted on the top of bottom of a c-channel flange, whereas a standard Bearing Flat would be mounted within the two flanges. Using a Pillow Block Bearing can help either raise or lower the main chassis structure from the ground, either raising or lowering overall ground clearance.

Pillow Block Bearings can be found on vexrobotics.com.

High-Strength Varieties

Both Bearing Flats and Pillow Block Bearings are available in high-strength varieties. These high-strength bearings have a much larger center bore, in order to accommodate high-strength axles.

High-Strength Bearing Flat

The high-strength Bearing Flats and Pillow Block Bearings do not differ in overall functionality from their standard variants, the only difference is their ability to accommodate a larger axle. These parts can be useful for high-stress environments when designing a robot, such as in high-torque gear ratios.

High-Strength Varieties of Bearing Flats and Pillow Block Bearings can be found on vexrobotics.com.

Ball Bearings

Ball Bearings are an incredibly versatile option for ensuring low-friction under stress in moving parts.

While taking up more space than a standard Bearing Flat, Ball Bearings do offer unique advantages, such as consistently low friction under heavy load. Because of this, Ball Bearings are incredibly useful for high-speed mechanisms such as Flywheels, where having consistent rotation and low friction are essential.

Ball Bearings can be found on vexrobotics.com.