Custom machined part

Plastic bearing blocks & pillow blocks

PHOTO NEEDED: CDS-machined bearing blocks (BEARING BLOCK.JPG candidate)
Mounting
Base or flange
Construction
Direct bore or with insert
Access
Solid or split
Starting point
Old block or drawing

Machined plastic bearing blocks that mount to your frame and carry the shaft, often running dry where metal units need grease. Solid or split, matched to your old block or made to your drawing.

What a bearing block does

Holding the shaft where it belongs

A bearing block fixes the shaft’s position on the frame and carries its load into the machine. That’s what makes the mounting as important as the bore.

DIAGRAM: pillow block front view, labeled mounting face, bolt pattern, center height, bore axis and load direction
  • Base-mounted (pillow block)

    Bolted down through its base. The shaft load travels through the block body into the frame below.

  • Flange-mounted

    Bolted flat to a wall or side plate. The bolts sit directly in the load path.

Two or more blocks on one shaft have to line up. Misalignment between them causes edge wear or binding.

Construction

Direct bore or insert?

How the block is built decides what wears, and what you replace when it does.

  • DIAGRAM: block with the shaft running directly in its bore

    Direct bore

    The shaft runs straight in the plastic block, so the block itself is the bearing surface.

    Wears
    The block’s own bore
    Replace
    The whole block
  • DIAGRAM: block body with a replaceable sleeve insert

    With an insert

    A plastic sleeve sits inside the block and carries the wear, while the body stays put.

    Wears
    The insert
    Replace
    Only the insert (see Bushings)
DIAGRAM: split pillow block, base and upper half separated around a shaft

Split pillow blocks

Off without pulling the shaft

Machined as a base and an upper half that bolt together around the shaft. We can make either half on its own, or both as a matched pair delivered assembled. Assembly service

Quote a split block

Replacing or switching?

Why buyers change a bearing block

These are reasons to look at the block, not promised results. Tell us which one brought you here.

In the metal unit

  • Corrosion in washdown Rust on housings and bearings in wet service.
  • Grease washing out Lubricant displaced by washdown or water.

In the block

  • Worn or oval bore The shaft has lost its position or runs loose.
  • Scoring or edge wear Often a sign of misalignment between supports.
  • Cracking or creep At the mount, under load or heat.

Around it

  • Obsolete footprint The old block is gone, but the machine centerline must stay.
  • Hard to reach A split block avoids pulling the shaft.

What defines the block

Will it bolt in and hold centerline?

Replacing a standard metal unit? The bearing number may be enough to start. Otherwise, these four things define the block.

  1. Mounting

    • Base or flange
    • Bolt pattern
    • Hole type or threads
    • Overall size
    • Or the metal unit’s bearing number
  2. Shaft position

    • Center height
    • Bore axis
    • How the other supports line up
    • Solid or split
  3. Shaft and load

    • Shaft size
    • Shaft material and finish
    • Radial, axial or impact load
    • Speed and duty
  4. Conditions

    • Washdown and chemicals
    • Temperature and moisture
    • What failed

A worn block may not show the original bore size. Send the shaft, or its size, with the block.

Getting a quote

Start with what you have

Any one of these is enough to get a quote started. Pick yours to see what helps.

Start with what you have

Send the drawing and we machine to it.

  • Quantity
  • Plastic, if specified
  • Direct bore or insert

Upload drawings, CAD files or photos on the quote form.

Send the old block, with its shaft or the shaft size.

  • What failed
  • Load and speed
  • Quantity

Upload drawings, CAD files or photos on the quote form.

Send what you know. We’ll ask for the rest.

  • Bolt pattern and center height
  • Shaft size
  • A photo of it mounted

Upload drawings, CAD files or photos on the quote form.

Switching from metal?

Plastic or metal bearing blocks

Plastic suits many shaft supports, but not every one. Load, speed and heat all matter.

Where plastic helps

No corrosion
Unaffected by washdown, water and many chemicals.
Can run dry
In suitable duty, with no grease to wash out or contaminate product.
Lighter
Easier to handle and fit.
Quiet contact
No metal-on-metal at the bore.

Where metal may stay the right choice

High loads or speeds
Heavy or fast shafts can exceed what a plastic bore carries.
Heat
Heat can soften some plastics or change the bore size.
Self-alignment needed
A commercial unit with a spherical insert may suit better.

Machined in Aurora

How your bearing blocks are made

±0.002"–
±0.005"

On critical dimensions, depending on the plastic. Specs and CAD files are kept, so a reorder matches the last batch.

  • Bored to your shaft

    The bore and center height machined to your shaft and frame.

  • Threads that last

    Mounting holes tapped directly, or fitted with threaded inserts for durable threads in plastic.

  • Assembled and ready to fit

    Split halves and inserts delivered assembled with standard hardware, so there’s no second supplier.

CDS Plastics building, Aurora, Illinois

Evaluating a supplier? See the shop and how we check the work.

Buyer questions

Bearing block FAQs

Something else? Call (630) 904-2525.

Not on its own. A rigid bore doesn’t self-align, so alignment comes from how the blocks are mounted. Tell us how the supports on your shaft line up.

No. Dry running can suit the right plastic and duty, but heat, load, speed, alignment and the shaft still decide how a bearing wears. Tell us how yours runs.

Your design sets the load the block has to carry, and we machine to your drawing. Include the load, speed and duty with your request so we can suggest suitable plastics.

We hold ±0.002" to ±0.005" on critical dimensions, depending on the plastic. We review your drawing and confirm the critical dimensions, such as bore and center height, with your quote.

Timing depends on the block, plastic and quantity, and comes with your quote. For an emergency breakdown, ask about our expedited service.

Not a bearing block?

Find the right part

We machine almost any plastic part. If yours isn’t listed, describe it in a quote request.

Expedited service

Emergency breakdown?
Call the shop.

When a breakdown can’t wait, ask about our expedited service. Tell us the block and when you need it back, and we’ll work through the timing with you.

About expedited service
Call(630) 904-2525

Standard quote

Ready to send your bearing block details?

Experienced help from your first quote to the finished part.