Precision bearings give flexibility to Mars probe

Tag : super precision bearings

 Since the Spring of 2008, the 2.4 metre robotic arm has beendigging the frozen polar ground around the landing area.
the soil samples are being analysed on board the Phoenix probe fortraces of water and for possible signs of life.
On 20 June NASA announced an important initial finding: scientistswere convinced that they had detected chunks of ice in a trench dugby the Phoenix robotic arm.
"When we were approached by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory inPasadena to design and manufacture the bearing supports for thePhoenix robotic arm, we were well aware of the huge responsibilityresting on our shoulders.
After all, a bearing that malfunctioned would have doomed the wholemission to failure" commented Al Conti, Aerospace Specialist at theBarden Corporation.
Therefore, failure safety and reliability were the highestpriorities.
Compactness of design, lowest possible mass, extremely low frictionand maximum precision were also critical considerations.
Barden stainless-steel super precision angular contact ballbearings have already survived the long journey through spaceundamaged.
Barden is confident that these bearings will also provide therequired flexibility for the robot arm and ensure that it operatesreliably over a long period, despite the adverse environmentalconditions on Mars, such as storms, dust and extreme temperatures.
The robotic arms of the two previous probes, 'Spirit' and'Opportunity', are also equipped with super precision bearings fromthe Barden Corporation.
Designed for a service life of 90 days, the probes, arms andbearings have exceeded the original expectations by more than fouryears now.
Supplied with energy from solar cells, they are roaming the Marslandscape and sending scientific data back to Earth.
A market leader in the design and manufacture of super precisionball bearings for more than 60 years, Barden has supplied productsto a range of extreme environment applications, including vacuumpumps and the aerospace industry.
With sister manufacturing plants in the USA and United Kingdom, theBarden customer base includes NASA, Schlumberger and a number ofleading aerospace and defence companies.
the Barden Corporation is a recognised market leader and a highpercentage of bearings are tailor made for specific applications.
Barden boasts state-of-the-art production technology and a wealthof engineering expertise.
The product range encompasses predominantly radial, single row,super precision, angular contact and deep groove ball bearingswhich meet and exceed ABEC 7/9 standards.