linear guide | Precise, light, durable

A linear guide linear or rectilinear movements in machines and systems, robots or devices. Rollers, balls, sliding surfaces, air, oil films or electromagnets are used for this purpose. Below you will find information different manufacturers zu Roller guide, Ball bearing guide, Rail guide, miniature tour.

Contents

Linear guidance 2024 – The most important things in brief
Linear guide innovations
Linear guides archive
Frequently asked questions

Linear guidance 2024 – The most important things in brief

Modern linear guides are no longer just simple components for movements. They are an integral part of smart networked systems that enable precise control and condition monitoring in real time. This opens the door for competitive advantage and contributes to a more sustainable, efficient production environment. With features such as low-friction movement, energy efficiency, precision, ease of maintenance, long service life, etc., they are widely used in industries such as automation, robotics, medical technology, food technology and more mobile machines.

Integrated measuring systems offer the ability to capture positions with the highest precision, which is particularly important in applications where accuracy is crucial, such as in medical technology or semiconductor manufacturing. The direct integration of such measuring systems into the linear guide reduces the complexity of the entire system and increases its reliability, as external measuring systems are susceptible to faults and wear.

The Networking from linear guides to modern interfaces and Communicationsstandards also opens the door for their integration into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This enables seamless communication between different machine components and higher-level control systems, supporting efficient, flexible and intelligent production.

Linear guide innovations

Below you will find them New developments on linear guides, profile rail guides, linear slides, roller guides, recirculating roller guides, etc.

Linear guide with lubrication and seal package

14.03.2024/XNUMX/XNUMX | On the Anuga Foodtec 2024 presents Schaeffler linear guides for food technology. Such profile rail guides are used in a variety of linear movements when processing and packaging food. An example is the four-row ball recirculating unit from the KUVE..B series.

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Profile rail guide using modern foundry technology from Laempe

November 06.11.2023, 300 | The LHL1700-XNUMX core shooter is characterized by short cycle times, robustness and finesse Laempe Mössner Sinto GmbH. The built-in components ensure robustness Profile rail guides from Schaeffler. They can accommodate a limit load of 300 t under adverse conditions such as foundry technology.

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Curve slide made from recycled high-performance plastic

19.10.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | The new Slide Drylin Econ from Igus are particularly sustainable. The regranulate Iglidur ECO P, which consists of 100% waste, is used for injection molding. You can perform quarter, half or full circle movements as well as convex and concave arcs.

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Hygienic linear sliding guide with gap-free design

18.09.2023 | Igus is a member of the EHEDG and developed the first linear sliding guide that was consistently based on the hygienic design guidelines. This is ensured by FDA-compliant materials such as the high-performance polymer, high-alloy stainless steel and the flushable internal construction of the slide.

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Linear guides now last twice as long

21.08.2023 | NSK presented on the EMO a new linear guide. Compared to the proven NH/NS linear guide, the DH/DS series achieves a service life that is twice as long thanks to several design changes.

A special material and a special heat treatment are decisive. The resilience of the guides achieves a top value in the dynamic load rating.

Due to its power density, the new linear guide makes downsizing easier, because when making the selection, the designer can access a smaller linear guide with the same performance. This leads to less weight and better energy efficiency.

Because the users wanted linear guides with an even longer service life, NSK used the manufacturer's own heat treatment for the DH/DS series TF Tough applied.

This unique process controls the amount of retained austenite in the steel to increase the fatigue life of the guides. This manifests itself when a ball or roller rolls over a foreign object or dirt and presses it into the raceway surface.

The resulting contour of the dent is softer and leads to a reduction in stress in this area. This prevents or slows down outbreaks.

Ceramic, all-ceramic and hybrid linear guides

20.01.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | A linear guide Ceramics from offers outstanding properties such as high-precision functioning even with insufficient lubrication up to dry running.

This makes the linear guides suitable for applications in precision mechanical engineering, in vacuum and clean room technology, Medical Technology, cryogenics or semiconductors. One supplier of such linear guides is TC Linear from Forchheim.

The All-ceramic linear guide TKL-R is a standardized linear guide with rolling elements in the form of balls or rollers. It specifies the guide in a large number material combinations.

Zirconium oxide is used as the material standard. The rolling elements of the linear guides are made of either silicon nitride or zirconium oxide, the cages are made of various Plastics or metals.

A ceramic cage with held balls is used in the all-ceramic linear guide. she holds Temperatures higher than 250 °C stands and is interchangeable with most commercially available metal linear guides.

There is also the TKL-R series as hybrid variant. The linear guides are made of steel or stainless steel, the rolling elements are made of technical ceramics. Hybrid guides are often used as an alternative to existing linear guides, but are also increasingly being used in new systems.

The customer benefits from a longer service life than with steel linear guides. The ceramic rolling elements have no affinity for the steel rails, which is why breakaway torques reduce significantly after longer periods of inactivity. The emergency running properties under insufficient lubrication are better and the price is lower compared to all-ceramic guides. For the hybrid systems, TK Linear only uses quality rails from European manufacturers.

Linear slide with new lock: Clip, Stop & Go

19.01.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | The new Clips linear slide from Igus is unique worldwide. It can be mounted, dismantled and installed directly on the linear rail in a matter of seconds clamping lever lock. camera systems, control panels, Measuring devices and test units or tools can be transported.

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Gliding instead of rolling with a durable linear slide

17.06.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX | With the one on one Igus Linear guide based T20's Series Drylin W a 1:1 exchange without any design adjustments is quickly possible. The new linear slide has the same dimensions as most classic slides with recirculating ball bearings.

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Sliding linear slide in mini format

24.05.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX | The service life of a linear guide can be maximized with low drive energy if friction and wear are reduced. igus has achieved a breakthrough with its tribological plastics: With Iglidur E3 presents Igus a new sliding material with a friction coefficient that is up to 40% better.

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Profile rail guide with lubrication status monitoring

08.12.2021 | with Durasense effect Schaeffler 2017 developed the world's first monitoring solution for profile rail guides. If Durasense is used, for example, to monitor and evaluate manual relubrication, an expensive central lubrication system can be dispensed with.

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Recirculating roller guide with 50% less lubricant

21.07.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX | With his Recirculating roller units RUE offers Schaeffler the highest load capacity, rigidity, precision and reliability for more than three decades. The fifth generation is successfully used in large CNC milling machines and gantry machines, press construction, straightening machines and much more.

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Linear bearings for round shafts and fast movements

14.07.2021 | Igus offers a wide range Lagertechnik made of plastic, including various, lubricant-free linear bearings Explanations. They all offer a long service life, are maintenance-free and, depending on the version, provide users with additional advantages.

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Flexible oval rail guide with high load capacity

27.10.2020 | Nadella has further developed its round rail system series FSR. The new oval rail guide AXNR can be flexibly adapted to various applications.

With it, traditional assembly lines, modern packaging automation, medical devices, airport baggage transfer, VR simulators, printing machines, etc. can be realized.

The rail guide design AXNO helps machine builders reduce work area compared to traditional lines. The use of the components increases the efficiency and reliability of a design and delivers a tailor-made, ready-to-use circuit. Time and costs for engineering are reduced.

The Track system combines the technologies of Nadella. It consists of several parts like multi-motion line circuitry, Belt drive, LUBR lubricators for circular rails and joint head connections.

The roles of the rail guides provide a Tragfähigkeit, which is based on Nadella linear technology is much higher than other similarly dimensioned components of the same class.

The special Durbal enables stable and smooth movement of the entire linear system of rail guides Rod end connection between Timing belts and sleigh. The oval rail guide is made from aluminum alloys. These allow for a compact, space-saving system. In addition, the guide systems are easy to assemble and form a stable solution.

Thanks more flexible Configuration options With the AXNR aluminum rail guide, complete systems can be fully adapted to the application.

Linear technology new in design and performance

27.10.2020 | Rollon has always focused on the requirements of its customers with the aim of offering them high added value and maximum efficiency. Now the Düsseldorf specialist for Linear Technology into a new era with three article families of linear guide and Linear axis.

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Miniature profile rail guide with high dynamics and power

20.10.2020 | Rodriguez offers recirculating ball guides, recirculating roller guides and cross roller guides for the optimal selection according to the application. A new Rail guide im Miniature format offers low friction, runs quietly and requires little maintenance.

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Profile rail guide from the modular system with distance measurement

16.09.2020 | Hiwin expands its profile rail guide portfolio in the form of a modular system. Functions, characteristics and applications of the CG series are expanded. Rails and carriages of the profile rail guides can be customized using various options.

With the components from the modular system, the mechanical one becomes Rail guide one quick and easy intelligent guide rail with high-precision, integrated displacement measurement. Additional lubricating units of the linear guide extend the maintenance intervals.

Depending on the application, this can be done up to maintenance-free lifetime lubrication. Based on its modular building block principle, Hiwin now supplies the profile rail guides in standard or customer-specific versions in record time.

In general, the CG linear systems offer a Highly accurate and are very resilient. Due to the O-arrangement of the four ball raceways, the guide rails achieve greater rigidity. In this way, the linear guide can absorb significantly higher rolling moments. This is a clear advantage of the products, especially for applications with single linear guides.

Standardized rail guides from the modular system

08.01.2020 | With a standardized rail guide from the modular system of Dr. Tretter positioning systems can be implemented economically. To the miniature portfolio linear guides and C profile rail joins the new Wide rail guide TW with ECO properties.

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Frequently asked questions

Who invented the linear guide?

The Invention and development the linear guide cannot be attributed to a single person. The basic idea of moving loads linearly is as old as simple machines themselves. The use of rails and carts to move heavy loads can be traced back to ancient times. For example, rollers and sleds were used in the construction of the great pyramids in Egypt.

The rolling element bearing linear guide, which can be found in many industrial applications today, has THK introduced in 1972. It was the world's first product to convert linear motion into rolling motion. With the introduction of the ball chain in 1996, THK further refined the technology.

What types of linear guides are there?

Linear guides are mechanical components designed to move loads in a straight line. They are of central importance in many areas of mechanical engineering and industrial automation. Here are some common types of linear guides:

recirculating ball guides use balls to minimize friction between the movable track and the fixed guide carriage. They are suitable for high loads and high speeds.
Linear slideways: With sliding guides, the moving parts slide directly against each other, often using lubricants to minimize friction. They are less precise than recirculating ball bearings, but can also be used in dirty environments.
recirculating roller guides work similarly to recirculating ball bearings, but rollers are used instead of balls. They offer greater load capacity and rigidity, but are typically more expensive.
Miniature linear guides are designed for smaller applications with limited space and lower load capacity.
telescopic rails are extendable guides that can move loads over a greater distance than their actual length.
linear axes: This is a complete system that often includes a drive such as an electric motor, a guide and possibly also control electronics. It is a "plug and play" solution for many linear motion applications.
Magnetic linear guides use magnetic fields to create floating movements without direct contact between the guide and the carriage. They are frictionless and require little to no maintenance, but can be more expensive and require specialized controls.

Source: This article is based on information from the following companies: Dr. Tretter, Hiwin, Igus, Nadella, NSK, Rodriguez, Rollon, Schaeffler, TK Linear.