Craft Bearing Co. Split Roller Bearings Help Turn Ordinary Pipe Into A Precision Drive Shaft For The Navy's New Spacecraft Rendezvous And Docking Simulator

cA couple of standard 2-1/2" schedule 80 pipes were transformed into precision drive shafts for critical positioning equipment in the Navy Research Laboratory's new Spacecraft Rendezvous and Docking Simulator with the help of Craft split roller bearings. Craft's engineers designed this large, state-of- the-art equipment to maneuver full-sized spacecraft to simulate the terminal docking phase during rendezvous in space. They needed a long, rigid, lightweight drive shaft for the precision control of the docking spacecraft. Craft's engineers develop this solution that could be applicable to almost any situation where line shafts are needed to according Craft's press release. Craft's engineers made the drive shaft from standard pipe rather than solid machined steel. The rough 2.875" outside diameter of the pipe was easily turned to 2.750 for about 6" near the center of the 20 foot pipe sections. Each end was bored to 2.375 inside diameter to accept Trantorque keyless bushings. The pipe sections were installed on either side of the girder mounted, low-backlash, parallel shaft gear reducer. Short stub shafts at each end were fitted with drive sprockets. The standard Craft S1-212 BCH split roller bearing was then installed around the shaft. Craft Bearing Co. Split Roller Bearings Help Turn Ordinary Pipe Into A Precision Drive Shaft For The Navy's New Spacecraft Rendezvous And Docking Simulator A couple of standard 2-1/2" schedule 80 pipes were transformed into precision drive shafts for critical positioning equipment in the Navy Research Laboratory's new Spacecraft Rendezvous and Docking Simulator with the help of Craft split roller bearings. Craft's engineers designed this large, state-of- the-art equipment to maneuver full-sized spacecraft to simulate the terminal docking phase during rendezvous in space. They needed a long, rigid, lightweight drive shaft for the precision control of the docking spacecraft. Craft's engineers develop this solution that could be applicable to almost any situation where line shafts are needed to according Craft's press release. Craft's engineers made the drive shaft from standard pipe rather than solid machined steel. The rough 2.875" outside diameter of the pipe was easily turned to 2.750 for about 6" near the center of the 20 foot pipe sections. Each end was bored to 2.375 inside diameter to accept Trantorque keyless bushings. The pipe sections were installed on either side of the girder mounted, low-backlash, parallel shaft gear reducer. Short stub shafts at each end were fitted with drive sprockets. The standard Craft S1-212 BCH split roller bearing was then installed around the shaft.