You’ve chosen a profiled rail and bearing for a high-precision application — machining, cutting, or metrology, for example. The bearing (aka carriage, or runner block) has good load capacity and rigidity, so it should provide long life and low deflection. But when you integrate the assembly into your application, you notice that the system doesn’t […]
What is sub-divisional error (SDE) in linear encoders?
To determine the position of a linear axis, an encoder read head travels along a scale and “reads” changes in light (for optical encoders) or magnetic field (for magnetic types). As the read head registers these changes, it produces sine and cosine signals that are shifted 90 degrees from each other (referred to as “quadrature […]
7 tools every mechanical engineer should have
As computer programs and mobile apps take over our lives, one of the great things about being a mechanical engineer is that there are still aspects of the job that allow — and sometimes require — us to do things by hand, the “old fashioned” way. Granted, drafting boards and T-squares have been replaced by CAD […]
Heavy-duty but lightweight slide is a solution for transportation and industrial uses
Accuride International announced the U.S. launch of its AL4160 Super Heavy-Duty Aluminum Slide – a strong but light solution that combines a full aluminum body with stainless steel components for diverse transportation and industrial applications. “We designed the AL4160 to address a market need for a slide that supports heavy loads and performs in harsh environments but […]
Selecting shafts for linear bearings: two things you need to know
In a round shaft linear bearing system, the shaft acts as the inner raceway of the bearing and plays a significant role in the wear and life of the system. Both recirculating and plain linear bearings can use a wide variety of shaft materials, depending on the application or environmental requirements. Shafts for recirculating linear […]
What is a gimbal and how is it used?
In simple terms, a gimbal is a pivoting platform that allows an object to rotate around one or more axes. They’re often found in photography and videography applications to stabilize cameras, as well as in navigation systems for ships. In these applications, two or more gimbals are mounted together with orthogonal axes (axes mounted 90 […]
Take the burden out of managing misalignment in linear motion systems
No one wants a linear bearing to fail prematurely. While many factors can threaten a bearing’s expected life, designers of industrial machines must especially guard against alignment errors between the bearing rails and moving elements. Not only is misalignment one of the most common causes of bearing failure, it is also among the most costly […]
How do roller pillow blocks compare with traditional round shaft bearings?
Round shaft guides are typically used with plain (composite, plastic, or bronze) or recirculating ball style linear bearings. But another type of round shaft bearing — referred to as a roller block or roller pillow block — offers better stiffness than plain bearings and higher speed capabilities than recirculating ball types. Instead of balls, a […]
Tribology basics for linear bearings
Tribology is the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication, and wear between two surfaces in relative motion. In linear bearing systems, those two surfaces are the bearing element and the guide raceway. Friction and wear The term “wear” generally refers to deterioration, but when discussing tribology principles in relation to bearings, it refers […]
What are hexapod robots (also referred to as Stewart platforms)?
Multi-axis systems can be designed and built with either serial kinematics or parallel kinematics. In systems built on the principle of serial kinematics, one axis sits on top of another axis, and each axis is driven individually, independent of the others. Cartesian robots are a good example of serial kinematic design. In parallel kinematic systems, multiple axes […]
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