What is the slewing bearing of a CT scanner?
The slewing bearing of a CT scanner is a crucial component. It consists of inner and outer rings, rolling elements, etc., and features high precision, high speed, high stability, high reliability, and low noise. When the CT scanner is in operation, the slewing bearing drives the X – ray tube and detector to rotate rapidly and accurately around the patient, precisely collecting data and ensuring the stable operation of the equipment. Due to the extremely high requirements for image quality in CT scanning, the slewing bearing needs to meet special requirements such as high precision, high – speed rotation, and stability. The performance of the slewing bearing is directly related to the imaging quality and operation efficiency of the CT scanner. With the advancement of medical technology, its role in the medical field will become even more important.
What are the characteristics of the slewing bearing of a CT scanner?
High precision: It needs to reach sub – millimeter or even higher precision to ensure the precise position of the X – ray tube and detector during rotation, avoid image artifacts, and provide accurate data for diagnosis. High speed: It can achieve rapid rotation, greatly shortening the scanning time, improving the inspection efficiency, and reducing the waiting and inspection time of patients. High stability: It operates stably, reducing vibrations and preventing interference with the scanning results due to shaking, ensuring clear and accurate images. High reliability: It can work continuously and stably for a long time, has good fatigue resistance and wear resistance, and reduces equipment failures and maintenance times. Low noise: It produces low noise during operation, creating a quiet inspection environment for patients, reducing psychological stress, and facilitating patient cooperation.
Structural composition
The slewing bearing is mainly composed of core components such as inner and outer rings and rolling elements. The outer ring can be toothed or non – toothed, and the same applies to the inner ring. The sealing strip can effectively prevent dust, impurities, etc. from entering the interior, protecting the rolling elements and raceways. The rolling elements are divided into two forms: balls and rollers, which roll between the raceways of the inner and outer rings to realize the rotation function of the slewing bearing. The oil filling nozzle is used to add lubricant to reduce friction between components; the plugs and plug pins are used to seal relevant oil passages or mounting holes. In addition, there are spacers or cages, whose function is to evenly separate the rolling elements and ensure the orderly movement of the rolling elements.
Model classification
Slewing bearings have a variety of model classifications, and different models are suitable for different working scenarios. The single – row four – point contact ball slewing bearing consists of two raceways, is compact in structure and light in weight. The steel balls contact the circular arc raceways at four points, and it can simultaneously withstand axial force, radial force, and overturning moment. It is commonly used in construction machinery such as rotary conveyors. The double – row ball slewing bearing with different diameters has three raceways. According to the force conditions, two rows of steel balls with different diameters are arranged up and down. It is convenient for open – type assembly and can withstand a large axial force and overturning moment. It is mostly used in handling machinery such as tower cranes with medium – sized or larger diameters. The single – row crossed roller slewing bearing consists of two raceways, is compact in structure, light in weight, high in manufacturing precision, and small in assembly clearance. The rollers are arranged in a 1:1 cross – pattern and can withstand axial force, overturning moment, and a large radial force. It is widely used in fields such as hoisting and transportation, construction machinery, and military products. The three – row roller slewing bearing has three raceways, and the upper, lower, and radial raceways are separated from each other. It can simultaneously withstand various loads and has the largest load – bearing capacity. It is suitable for heavy machinery such as bucket – wheel excavators. The light – type series slewing bearing has the same structural form as the ordinary slewing bearing, but it is lighter in weight and more flexible in rotation. It is applied to fields such as food machinery that have high requirements for weight and flexibility.
Construction and structural features
The slewing bearing usually forms a slewing drive device together with components such as worms, housings, and motors. Its core slewing bearing can simultaneously withstand axial force, radial force, and overturning moment. Some slewing drive products, such as NFB slewing drives, have advantages such as easy installation, easy maintenance, and space – saving installation.
Heat treatment
The raceways are processed by surface induction hardening, and the quenching hardness reaches HRC55 – 62 to ensure a sufficient hardened layer depth, enhancing wear resistance and load – bearing capacity. The teeth on the slewing bearing rings are generally in the heat – treatment state of normalizing or quenching and tempering. The tooth surface can be quenched as required, and the quenching hardness is HRC50 – 60. According to the application scenarios, it is divided into full – tooth quenching and single – tooth induction quenching (which is further divided into tooth – surface – and – root quenching and tooth – surface quenching).
Working mode
The slewing bearing has two basic working modes: one is that the inner ring is fixed to play a supporting role, and the outer ring rotates; the other is that the outer ring is fixed to play a supporting role, and the inner ring rotates.
CT Scanner: The “X – Ray Eye” of Modern Medicine
A CT scanner, that is, a computed tomography device, is an indispensable and important tool in modern medical diagnosis. It emits and receives X – rays from multiple angles around the patient’s body to obtain tomographic images of the human body’s interior, providing doctors with extremely detailed and accurate information for disease diagnosis.
The core role of the slewing bearing in a CT scanner
Driving component rotation
When the CT scanner is working, the slewing bearing shoulders the important task of driving the X – ray tube and detector to rotate rapidly and accurately around the patient. During this process, the slewing bearing must ensure that the position accuracy of the X – ray tube and detector reaches the sub – millimeter level. Only in this way can the X – ray attenuation data inside the human body be accurately collected from different angles, providing a solid guarantee for the subsequent reconstruction of high – quality three – dimensional tomographic images of the human body. For example, in a head CT scan, the slewing bearing drives the X – ray tube and detector to rotate rapidly around the patient’s head, obtaining scan data from multiple angles in a very short time, thus clearly presenting the internal structure of the head.
Ensuring operation stability
CT scanners often need to work continuously for a long time, and the slewing bearing must have excellent anti – fatigue performance. It needs to be able to withstand long – term, high – intensity operation to ensure the stable operation of the CT machine. At the same time, the good rigidity and accuracy retention of the slewing bearing are also crucial, because any vibration or deformation may have a negative impact on the image quality. Take the CT inspection room of a large general hospital as an example. The CT scanner examines a large number of patients every day, and the stable operation of the slewing bearing is directly related to the smooth progress of the inspection work.
Achieving precise positioning
When scanning different parts or executing different scanning protocols, the slewing bearing needs to precisely control the rotation angle and position to make the X – ray tube and detector accurately aim at the target area. For example, in a high – resolution CT scan of the lungs, the slewing bearing needs to accurately adjust the angle to ensure that the X – ray tube and detector can obtain clear images of the fine structures of the lungs, providing accurate basis for doctors to diagnose lung diseases.
Special requirements of CT scanners for slewing bearings
High precision
CT scanning has extremely high requirements for image quality, and the precision of the slewing bearing directly affects the accuracy of the scanning data. Its manufacturing and installation precision requirements reach sub – millimeter or even higher levels to ensure the stable and precise position of the X – ray tube and detector during rotation. Even a slight deviation may lead to image artifacts and affect the doctor’s diagnosis.
High speed rotation and stability
To improve the scanning efficiency, the slewing bearing needs to be able to achieve high – speed rotation while ensuring a stable rotation process. High – speed rotation can shorten the scanning time, reduce the patient’s discomfort and motion artifacts. And stability is the key to ensuring image quality, avoiding impacts on the scanning results due to vibrations, jams, etc. For example, in a cardiac CT scan, only a fast and stable rotation can capture the accurate shape of the heart at different times.
High reliability and durability
CT scanners are used frequently, and the slewing bearing needs to have high reliability and a long service life to reduce equipment maintenance and downtime. This requires the use of high – quality materials and strict quality inspection and durability testing, with good anti – fatigue, wear – resistant and other properties. Once the CT equipment in a hospital fails, it will affect the inspections and diagnoses of a large number of patients. Therefore, the reliability and durability of the slewing bearing are of great significance.
Low noise and low vibration
In order to provide patients with a quiet and comfortable inspection environment and avoid interference with the scanning results, the slewing bearing should minimize noise and vibration during operation. This can be achieved by optimizing the structural design, selecting appropriate rolling elements, and using proper lubrication methods. When patients are examined in a quiet environment, their psychological stress is relatively low, which is also more conducive to their cooperation.
In conclusion, the slewing bearing and the CT scanner are closely connected. The performance of the slewing bearing is directly related to the imaging quality and operation efficiency of the CT scanner. With the continuous development of medical technology, the requirements for slewing bearings and CT scanners will become higher and higher, and they will also play a more important role in the medical field.
The price of the slewing bearing of a CT scanner
The price of the slewing bearing of a CT scanner is affected by many factors. The material is crucial. Slewing bearings made of high – quality steel or special alloys have a relatively high price due to high costs. Precision requirements are also important. The high – precision slewing bearings required for CT scanners have complex manufacturing processes and strict inspections, increasing costs and thus driving up prices. The price also varies depending on the load – bearing capacity. Slewing bearings that can withstand greater axial, radial forces, and overturning moments have more complex structures and materials, resulting in higher prices.
The supplier of the slewing bearing of a CT scanner
Looking to the future, LDB bearing will continue to adhere to the corporate vision of “meticulous manufacturing, serving the world”, continuously increase R & D investment, improve product quality and technical levels, expand market areas, strengthen international cooperation, and strive towards the goal of becoming a world – class bearing manufacturer. It is believed that with the joint efforts of all employees of LDB bearing, this enterprise, which carries numerous honors and dreams, will surely write an even more glorious chapter in the industrial bearing field and make greater contributions to the development of the global industry.
