THE SOUL OF A NEW IDEA In 1976, Warren Hamilton - an internationally recognized designer of plain (sleeve) bearings was asked by a customer to solve a linear ball bearing failure. At the time, Warren and his team spent most of their efforts on traditional rotary, sleeve bearing designs. Applications like a revolutionary sintered, high temperature (700F+), self-lubricating aircraft engine stator vane bushing made from nickel, chromium and cobalt - eventually used in every F404 engine employed on the new F-18 Hornet - America's latest topline fighter. Getting back to the linear ball bearing issue... Warren studied the linear ball bearing failure and set-out to find a solution. The linear ball bearing was failing because of too short a stroke coupled with rapid oscillation. Up until this time, there were no drop-in alternatives. In 1976, ceramic technology was in its infancy relative to industrial designs. While struggling to find an answer, Warren had a design epiphany: ceramic coating an aluminum substrate. Thus, the ceramic coated linear bearing - and LM76 (Linear Motion 1976) - were born. It was truly an engineering milestone..." Since then, LM76 has immersed itself in all plain bearing material advances from polymers to polyimides. We have also fielded a comprehensive line of linear ball, roller and "V" wheel roller systems. Coupled with our advances in linear motion bearings we have developed a complete linear shafting capability and linear slide design division. "If it goes back and forth or up and down, LM76 has a solution for your application." John Tarbell, President LM-Tarbell/LM76.

A Note from Mike Quinn VP Sales & Marketing LM76

We at LM76 aspire to always "do the right thing" by our customers. We know your success is, in the end, our own. We remain determined to supply our customers products they need, not make them settle for catalog options. Thus, we seek to speak with everyone who graces our websites and reviews our products. We want to know more about your application so we can put our more than 150 collective years of experience to work for you. More than 50% of our production can be classified as special - sometimes extreme, sometimes slightly modified. But we are determined to ask that last question, "What would make this product better for your application? Is there something more you would like to see this linear bearing, shaft or slide bring to the table?" We do not see ourselves as a catalog house - to be sure we have numerous catalog, on-the-shelf linear bearings - rather we see ourselves as linear advocates and adventurers - pushing the envelope of a mature mechanical world. So if you have an application, run it by us...give us a call and discover where the next level of questions and matched capabilities bring us. Let us distill down to the final, best option for your application.