Linear Guide

What is Linear Guide

Linear guide is a bearing designed to provide free motion in one direction. There are many different types of linear guide. Motorized linear slides such as machine slides, X-Y tables, roller tables and some dovetail slides are bearings moved by drive mechanisms.

Advantages of Linear Guide

Space saving
A linear guide solution means that the whole assembly is no longer than the rail itself, meaning that if space is tight and you cannot afford additional equipment on top of the available length of travel, a linear rail actuator may be a better solution.

High rigidity
The linear guide has much less flex than a linear rod thanks to its profile. This enables the linear rail actuator to move much heavier loads than a linear rod.

No load rotation
A linear guide is a more stable platform than a rod, meaning that a load won’t rotate during movement, providing a more accurate and steady result. Linear rods can be doubled up to prevent rotation, but a linear rail therefore provides a lighter, simpler solution.

High accuracy
Linear guide are generally manufactured to much tighter tolerances than linear rods which means that they are less likely to flex during operation, and the movement of the carriage is smooth and consistent.

Made to measure
Because bespoke linear guide are available to be cut to the exact length required, the travel distance can be calculated and catered for to fit an exact requirement.

Why Choose us

Reputation

A company with a positive reputation is more likely to attract customers. Reputation is built through consistent quality service or products, good customer relations, and reliability.

Customer service

The company offers excellent customer service and support, making it easy for customers to resolve any issues they may have with the product.

Quality assurance

We prioritize delivering high-quality services, and our output is subjected to quality checks to ensure that our clients receive the best possible services.

Competitive pricing

We offer competitive pricing on all our products without compromising on quality.

Innovative and unique products

We are always creating innovative and unique products to keep our customers interested and engaged.

Linear Guide Materials of Construction

Steel

Steel, an alloy primarily composed of carbon and iron, is the most popular material selection for linear guide. Steel linear guide are known to have excellent mechanical properties (i.e., high strength and rigidity); this can support heavy loads and provide smooth and precise motion. Carbon steel and stainless steel are common types of steel used in constructing steel linear guide. Increasing the carbon content increases the hardness of steel; this affects the performance of the linear bearing.

Aluminum

Aluminum is a lightweight but high-strength metal. It is corrosion and chemical resistant. It is softer and less expensive than steel. However, aluminum linear bearings have lower load capacity than steel linear bearings. Aluminum linear guide are also capable of providing smooth and precise motion.

Plastics

Plastic linear guide are softer, cheaper, and have a lower coefficient of friction than metallic bearings. Typical plastics used in linear bearings are nylon, polyethylene, and PVDF, and they are usually lined with a self-lubricating coating (e.g., PTFE). They are sometimes reinforced with fibers and fillers to enhance their weight-bearing capabilities. Plastic linear bearings can be used with softer shaft materials. However, they generally have lower load capacities and are limited to room temperatures.

Bronze

Bronze is an alloy mainly composed of copper and zinc, with other additives such as manganese and phosphorus. It is a soft metal. Bronze linear bearings have a higher load capacity than plastic linear guide. Because of the presence of metal-to-metal contact, however, they generate greater friction than plastic bearings; this necessitates maintenance of sufficient lubrication.

Ceramics

Ceramic linear guide are typically fabricated from silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, and silicon carbide. They have high rigidity, which maintains travel accuracy and precision at high speeds. They have a high hardness, which increases their service life and abrasion resistance and reduces the generated particles from sliding of bearing components. They are also compatible with vacuum and ESD-sensitive devices and equipment.

Composite Materials

Composite linear guide consist of a metal backing and a plastic sleeve or a PTFE liner. The polymeric component eliminates metal-to-metal contact; this lowers the coefficient of friction while maintaining the high load capacity of the bearing. The metal backing allows the bearing to dissipate its heat. It is common practice to use different materials for the bearing and the guide rail; with the guide rail, it is usually harder to reduce friction. Material wear is concentrated in the contact surface of the linear bearing, which is the softer component. The guide rails, shafts, and bases (for plain linear bearings) are commonly constructed from hardened steel, ground steel, and anodized aluminum, which are all harder types.

Applications that Use Linear Guides

CNC machines

CNC machines are computer-controlled machines that are used to create precision parts. Linear guides are used on CNC machines to help create precise, repeatable cuts. Linear guides can be either linear ball bearings or linear roller bearings. CNC machines are used in a variety of industries to create parts for everything from medical devices to jet engines.In many cases, the parts that are created by CNC machines are parts that cannot be created by any other means. The use of linear guides on CNC machines allows for precise, repeatable cuts. This is because the linear guides keep the cutting tool in a straight line, which is essential for creating precise cuts.

3D printers

3D Printers That Use Linear Guides We all know how important 3D printers have become in recent years. They allow us to create things that we never thought possible and have a wide range of applications. What you may not know is that many 3D printers use linear guides to improve the accuracy of their prints.Linear guides are used in a variety of machines, but they are especially well-suited for 3D printers. This is because 3D printers need to be very precise in order to create accurate prints. Linear guides help to ensure that the print head moves in a straight line, which leads to more accurate prints.

Optical equipment

Optical equipment Linear guides are used in a variety of applications, including optical equipment. Here, we take a look at how linear guides are used in optical equipment and the benefits they offer. Linear guides are used in optical equipment for a number of reasons.Firstly, they offer high precision and repeatability, which is essential for optical equipment. Secondly, they are low friction, meaning that they do not produce any unwanted vibrations that could impact the performance of the equipment. There are a number of different types of linear guide that can be used in optical equipment.

Medical equipment

One type of linear guide that is used in a variety of medical applications is the ball screw. Ball screws are commonly used in hospital beds and exam tables to allow for easy and precise positioning of patients. Surgery tables and X-ray machines also use ball screws to position patients and equipment. Another type of linear guide that is used in medical applications is the linear motor. Linear motors are used in MRI machines and CT scanners to move the table during the scanning process. This allows for a much more precise scan and helps to improve the quality of the images. Finally, linear guide rails are also used in medical equipment such as IV pumps and blood pressure monitors.

Robotics

There are many different applications for linear guides in robotics. One common application is for linear actuators. Linear actuators are used to create linear motion, and they are often used in robotic arms. By using linear guides, robotic arms can move more smoothly and accurately. Another common application for linear guides is in robotic grippers. Grippers are used to pick up and hold objects. Often, they are used to pick up and place objects in a specific location. By using linear guides, grippers can move more precisely, making it easier to pick up and place objects. There are many other applications for linear guides in robotics.

How To Choose The Right Linear Guide?

Load capacity

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a linear guide is the load capacity. This is the amount of weight that the guide can safely support. It is important to choose a guide that can support the weight of the heaviest object that will be moving along it. 3. Choose the Type of Motion Required. Another important factor to consider is the type of motion that is required.

Length of the linear guide

This will be determined by the size of your application and the amount of travel that you need. The second factor is the load capacity. This is determined by the weight of your application and the amount of force that will be applied to the linear guide.

Speed

This is determined by the amount of travel that you need and the amount of force that will be applied to the linear guide. The fourth factor is the environment. This is determined by the operating temperature, the amount of lubrication, and the amount of dust and dirt in the environment.

Types of Linear Guide

Linear - Linear guides allow the directional movement of a carriage along their length.

low profile - A low profile guide is a type of linear guide that has a very low horizontal profile.

Crossed roller - Crossed roller bearings consist of a caged roller assembly and two matching guide rails with machined v-groove bearing surfaces.

Miniature - Linear Guides and RailsMiniature refers simply to the size of the guide and is stated as such by the manufacturer.

Curved guide
A curved guide is also defined as curvilinear in shape, has specific uses in instrumentation.

Linear motion
Linear motion guides may also be referred to as linear guide bearings, square rail linear bearings, linear guide ways, or recirculating ball bearings.

M/V style
An M/V style rail is a form of linear rail or guide with two mating rails.

Round shaft
Round shaft linear guides are typically hardened and ground shafts used for bushing style linear bearings.

Spline shaft
A spline shaft has either grooves or tongues machined along its length.

Track system
A track system is a linear guide assembly that combines several rail components into a closed loop system.

T shaped
T shaped guides are a form of rectangular guide where the bearing races are extended outward from the top of the support, forming a "T" shape.

Twin shafts
Twin shafts are round, parallel shafts that are located in close proximity with each other.

V-grooved
V-grooved guides have grooves that are machined along the length of the guide at a 90-degree or other angle, forming a "V" shape and acting as a race for the bearings or rollers to run on.

How Often Do You Need to Lubricate Your Linear Guides?

Influence factors

The relubrication intervals are affected by several factors. Load and contamination usually have the strongest effect. Accurate relubrication intervals for a specific system can only be determined after the actual operating conditions have been assessed for a sufficiently long period.

Lubrication interval for conventional linear guides and grease lubrication

The default value for relubrication with grease for conventional guide systems under normal operating conditions is every six months or after 100 km travel distance. This value can be adjusted upwards or downwards under special environmental conditions. The lubrication interval should not be longer than two years or 500 km travel distance, even under optimal environmental conditions, without contamination and low load.

Lubrication interval for linear guides with ball chain and grease lubrication

These values significantly improve for the same conditions when guiding systems with integrated ball chain are used. The default value for NTN linear guides with ball chains under normal operating conditions is lubrication once per year or after 500 km of travel distance. This value may have to be adjusted upwards or downwards under special environmental conditions. A travel performance of several thousand kilometers between maintenance steps is possible when the environmental conditions are good and the load is low. The maximum usable life of the lubricant must be considered when the lubrication cycles are very long.

Our factory

Wenzhou Xionglian Hardware Machinery Co., Ltd. is a member of China Machinery General Parts Industry Association. The company was founded in 1988, is a modern manufacturer integrating production, R&D, manufacturing and sales. The company focuses on the production of fasteners, stamping parts and special kinds of fasteners. Our products are widely used in machinery, automobile, military, aerospace, metallurgy, mining, industrial automation and others.

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Asked Question

Q: How do you choose a linear motion guide?

A: From there, we calculate the applied load, equivalent load, and static safety factor. If the static safety factor meets the requirement, we calculate the average load and nominal life to determine if it meets the desired service life.

Q: What is the purpose of a linear guide?

A: The linear guides are used as a guide to move a machine table in the direction of its X or Y axis accurately. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment or inspection apparatus that requires high precision in its positioning is one of their good application examples.

Q: What is the difference between a linear guide and a roller guide?

A: Linear roller guides are more expensive and rarely needed unless you have very high requirements for high load capacity and high stiffness. Linear ball guides also work for fairly large loads, as the rail guide is rarely worn by the loads, so there is nothing to be gained by using roller rails for that reason either.

Q: What is the ratio of a linear guide?

A: You should only use two fixed bearings in any linear guide system to maximize the 2:1 ratio. Fixed bearings give the system precision and optimize the 2:1 ratio. Floating bearings do not affect this ratio and only act as guides in the direction of the applied load.

Q: What are the different types of linear guides?

A: Linear guides can be divided in two main groups: contact linear guides (when there is physical contact between the guide and the block) and contactless guides (when there is no contact between the two parts). The big difference between them is the wearing of the contact guides and their requisite maintenance.

Q: What are linear guides made of?

A: Linear guide rails are usually made from high-strength, hardened and galvanised Steel so they resist corrosion. Manufactured using a cold drawing process, the metal is shaped and profiled before adding a roller runner.

Q: What is the coefficient of friction of a linear guide?

A: When a load is driven by a linear motion guideway, the frictional contact between the load and the bed desk is rolling contact. The coefficient of friction is only 1/50 of traditional contact, and the difference between the dynamic and the static coefficient of friction is small.

Q: What is the difference between linear guide rail and ball screw?

A: While ball screws typically use a rotary encoder mounted to the motor for positioning feedback, linear motors use a magnetic or optical linear scale for position feedback. The linear scale measures position at the load, which gives a more accurate reading of the actual position.

Q: What is the difference between ball screw and linear guide?

A: Linear guides and ball screws are very different. Although they belong to linear transmission equipment, their working principles, requirements and scope of application are different, but the performance of the two in linear transmission is very good.

Q: What is a linear guide block?

A: Linear guide blocks or guide carriages sit within a rail and together these components make up a linear slide that provides motion in one direction.

Q: What are the basics of linear bearings?

A: At their core, linear bearings are mechanical elements that allow free motion in one direction, typically along a straight line. Unlike rotary bearings, which permit rotation, linear bearings facilitate linear movement, reducing friction between moving parts.

Q: How much weight can a linear rail take?

A: Round Rail linear roller bearings handle up to 35 tons per bearing and speeds up to 100 feet per second. Their optimized contact ellipse maximizes the load capacity of an anti-friction linear bearing. Round Rail bearings can carry loads up to 70,000 lbs per bearing at a 10 million inch rated travel life.

Q: Is linear rail worth it?

A: Are linear rails better? Linear rails produce a high degree of accuracy and stability compared to round rods with linear bearings. They have better mounting, and smoother motion which improves print quality and machine reliability.

Q: How do you choose a linear bearing?

A: Important specifications to consider when selecting linear bearings include the bearing width, length, inside diameter, and dynamic load capacity. The bearing housing can be flanged, none or open, rectangular, and pillow block. The bearing may be open or closed.

Q: What is the difference between linear guideways and box ways?

A: Linear guideways have spherical ball bearings or cylindrical rollers in a carriage to slide across the rail. Box guideways have rectangular bearing pads on the carriage's interior that make contact with the rail, allowing the housing to move along the rail.

Q: What is a linear guide rail?

A: Linear Guides or linear rail slides are support devices that are used to help carry loads and ensure straight and level linear motion. Linear guides will usually consist of two components; the sliding carriage and the rail. The sliding carriage is the element that moves along the rail and supports the attached load.

Q: What is the advantage of linear system?

A: The behavior of a linear system can be easily modeled and analyzed using mathematical equations. This makes it easier to design and optimize the system for a specific application. Another advantage of linear systems is that they are relatively easy to control.

Q: What are linear guide rails made of?

A: These guide rails are produced from high-quality bearing steel. Almost all carriages, rails and rolling elements are through hardened. The end cap is constructed of a high-strength, glass-filled nylon with nitrile rubber seal.

Q: What are the applications of linear motion bearings?

A: Linear bearings are used in machine tool applications such as sliding doors, 3D printers, and automation settings where reducing friction and guiding linear motion is needed.

Q: What is the function of linear motion bearings?

A: Linear bearings are also used for constructing sliding devices such as linear tables. The purpose of linear bearings in this case is constantly friction-free guiding of a straight-line motion of an element of a machine, which actually represents the key difference between linear bearings and ball bearings.

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