Material selection for wire race bearings: Overview of materials

Rotary Connections Material Selection for Wire Race Bearings

2026-08-03 By Franke | Translated by AI 4 min Reading Time

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Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

Wire race bearings separate the bearing function from the housing structure. This allows housing materials such as aluminum, plastics, or CFRP to be used even under higher loads. The concept provides design freedom and enables space-saving, application-specific rotary connections.

Possible materials for the housings of wire race bearings (from left clockwise): 3D-printed structure, carbon, steel, plastic, brass, aluminum, bronze, stainless steel(Source: Franke) — Possible materials for the housings of wire race bearings (from left clockwise): 3D-printed structure, carbon, steel, plastic, brass, aluminum, bronze, stainless steel
(Source: Franke)

The key difference between a standard ball bearing and a wire race bearing lies in the raceways: in a wire race bearing, the rolling elements do not roll on solid housing rings but on delicate wires. These raceways take on the function of bearing support. The surrounding construction can be freely designed—including the choice of materials, as demonstrated by wire race bearing provider Franke. Wire race bearings are characterized by minimal installation space and high load capacity. They can be flexibly adapted to specific requirements.

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