Bushes and collars form an integral part of industrial or workplace power transmission systems. They help to enhance precision movement, and to reduce wear and tear on mechanical components, by limiting friction and axial slide (respectively) between key moving parts.
What types of mechanical bushes are sold online?
Bushes are available in various formats, for performing subtly but importantly different roles, and broad compatibility with a range of different machine parts.
- Plain bushes are cylindrical linings, inserted into a housing and used within a shaft, pin or hinge to provide a bearing surface for rotary applications and prevent wear inside the hole.
- Reducing bushes are fitted into hubs using set screws, and can function as a ring clamp while adapting the bore size of a hole, increasing the offering of diameters available.
- Taper bushes are typically used in power transmission drives, where they form a type of locking mechanism used for fixing pulleys, sprockets and couplings to drive shafts.
- Locking bushes are keyless, friction-based shaft locking devices designed for quick and easy mounting of components like gears and sprockets.
What’s the difference between bushes and collars?
A mechanical bush or bushing is a type of bearing or sleeving insert that’s placed into a housing between two (usually moving, often rotary) parts.
- They provide a surface contact area or bearing surface between components, which serves both to reduce wearing friction between two or more mechanical parts, as well as to help constrain axial movement and ensure machining processes remain precise
A mechanical collar is more concerned with the latter role, i.e. helping to restrain movement and enhance precision interplay between two or more moving machine parts.
- They work by clamping or screwing on to a shaft, which they’re designed to do without leaving any score marks or other visible surface damage to the shaft
- Collars are chosen for specific roles or components via a wide range of available threaded bore sizes
