Pacamor Kubar Expands Dental Bearing Line(Pic)

Pacamor Kubar Bearings (PKB; USA) announced it will be making major additions to its lineup of dental handpiece bearings, after entering the market in late 2004. A wide array of dental, medical, surgical and laboratory equipment use the class of bearings generally termed "medical rotary bearings." These can be can be high-speed or low-speed, ball, roller or plain bearings. Bearings used in dental and other medical device applications are most often small, high-precision ball bearings designed for high-speed applications. They have severe service life requirements, and often operate in caustic or otherwise difficult environments. Frequent autoclave sterilization only adds to the engineering and lubrication challenges. PKB is adding a new design to its dental handpiece high speed ball bearing lineup, with several changes to the bearings. Edward J. Osta, Executive VP, said: "From the new retainer design to the changes in the internal bearing geometry, this bearing has been completely overhauled to run quieter, last longer and feel smoother." Pacamor said the bearings and drive rings can be, and often are, designed specifically for each application. Individual applications often involve different flanges, lubrication grooves, o-ring housings, and even alternative materials. PKB entered the high value-added but competitive market for dental handpiece bearings just over a year ago, in late 2004. Initially offering a relatively short line of radial ball bearings, the company has been gradually expanding its product line. Located in Troy, New York, Pacamor Kubar is clearly proud of its status as one of the few remaining U.S. owned and operated manufacturers of precision miniature and instrument ball bearings. Launching the dental bearing line in 2004, company spokesperson Nancy Cogliandro said: "The markets handled by the larger players are somewhat different than ours. The larger manufacturers position themselves to own the market. There is room for Pacamor Kubar Bearings -- a smaller, leaner, high quality manufacturer, who can offer aggressive and predictable lead times at competitive prices."