Rod ends are spherical plain bearing with a spherical inner rings. Its precision and hardness are equivalent to steel ball bearings. It provides a very smooth swivel and swings motion with no backlash. We stock a wide range of rod ends ball joints and spherical bearings. All rod ends are available with a right-hand or left-hand thread.

Here is the content list:

• What is rod ends?

• The role of rod ends

• Rod end development

What is rod ends?

The rod ends consist of an eye-shaped head with an integral shank forming the housing of the spherical plain bearing. They are primarily used on the ends of hydraulic or pneumatic pistons to connect cylinders to related components.

Qingdao Fuqin Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd. offers a wide range of standard rod ends with different threads and rod designs on the rod end housings to make them easy to install. The various combinations of sliding contact surfaces of the bearings make rod ends suitable for the operating conditions of many applications.

The role of rod ends

Rod ends are joints that allow some rotational freedom about all three axes while maintaining a fixed point of contact between the two components. Rod ends are used to attach the ends of steering linkages, control rods, and other mechanical control linkages. Since the center of rotation of the rod end is on the axis of the two connecting shafts, it provides reliable point-to-point contact.

Many advanced industrial systems require high-precision articulated joints as basic components. These joints are used in a variety of applications, including robotic arms, textile equipment, and automotive steering linkages, among others. These joints are ideal for situations where rotational motion requires changing the axis of rotation, as they can accommodate any type of misalignment. As the joint system is used worldwide, the rod ends used in it are available in both metric and imperial types.

Rod end development

The ball joint provides continuous 360° rotation about one axis and more limited rotation on the other two axes. The typical range of motion for these axes is approximately +/- 15°. Rod ends are sometimes called Heim fittings in North America and Rose fittings in Europe—named after the companies that get exclusive manufacturing rights in their respective markets.

Rod ends are used to attach the ends of control rods, steering linkages, and other tie rods used for mechanical controls. The rod end provides effective point-to-point contact with the center of rotation on the axis of the two connecting shafts. This simplifies the kinematic design and provides a rigid mechanism that does not subject the control rod to bending moments. These characteristics make rod ends ideal for mechanisms requiring precise and predictable control. They were originally developed for aircraft control systems during World War II and have since been widely used in vehicle steering linkages and many other applications. For mechanisms where the axes of the two rods will remain perpendicular to each other and actuation will cause rotation of only one of the axes, a clevis can be used.

Ball joints with vertical threaded mounts are sometimes used as drop-in replacements for rod ends.

Our company has developed a wide range of rod ends which are tested extensively before leaving the factory to ensure quality. These rod ends are durable. You can consider our cost-effective products. Our company website is www.qd-fortune.com, please feel free to inquire about us!