Air bearings (also known as aerostatic or aerodynamic bearings)
are bearings that use a thin film of pressurized gas to provide a low
friction load-bearing interface between surfaces. The two surfaces do
not touch, thus avoiding the traditional bearing-related problems of
friction, wear, particulates, and lubricant
handling, and offer distinct advantages in precision positioning, such
as lacking backlash and static friction, as well as in high-speed
applications.
A differentiation is made between aerodynamic bearings, which establish
the air cushion through the relative motion between static and moving
parts, and aerostatic bearings, in which the pressure is being
externally inserted.
Gas bearings are being mainly used in precision machinery tools
(measuring and processing machines) and high-speed machines (spindle,
small-scale turbomachinery, precision gyroscopes).
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