A linear ball bushing riding on a round shaft is often compared to a radial ball bearing, with the bushing acting as the outer race of the bearing and the shaft acting as the inner race. But in linear bushing assemblies, the surfaces of both the ball and the shaft are spherical, so contact between […]
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What are stroke ball splines and how do they differ from standard ball splines?
Standard ball splines use balls that recirculate within a nut, or housing, similar to that of a recirculating ball linear bushing. But the mechanisms and geometry required for ball recirculation result in a spline nut that is relatively large in diameter compared to the diameter of the spline shaft. For a more compact assembly, several […]
THK debuts fast LM guide with speeds to 15 m/sec
With speeds reaching 15m/sec, THK’s Type FHS is said to be the fastest LM guide available on the market today. The performance of the Type FHS makes it suitable for applications requiring the fastest motion, including robot transfer devices and laser cutters. The Type FHS can be installed in horizontal, vertical, inverted, and wall-mounted orientations. […]
What’s the difference between a ball screw spline and a traditional ball screw?
A ball screw spline is a combination of two components — a ball screw and a rotary ball spline. By combining a driving element (the ball screw) and a guiding element (the rotary ball spline), a ball screw spline can provide both linear and rotary motion, as well as spiral motion, in a highly rigid, […]
Successful transformation: from individual components to smart mechatronic solutions
Over the past three decades, Bosch Rexroth’s portfolio of ready-to-install linear axes has been further developed on an ongoing basis. In response to customer requirements, it now focuses on electrification and connectivity. With today’s linear motion technology components in combination with sensors, electronics and software, the company now offers mechatronic solutions for the Factory of […]
How to make sure you get the right linear bushing interchange
Linear ball bushings are one of the few interchangeable product types in linear motion, with industry-standard sizes and styles, so that a product from one manufacturer can often be substituted with a product from another manufacturer that has very similar dimensions and technical specifications. And most linear bushing manufacturers offer several product lines that are […]
7th axis extends range for robots
igus now offers a ready-to-connect 7th axis that allows a robot to move over a distance of several meters and includes a maintenance-free drylin ZLW toothed belt axis with a corresponding adapter plate, switch cabinet, cables, and software integration. For easy integration of the axis and the robot, igus has developed two adapter kits for […]
Automated farm equipment uses rugged linear components
Precision agriculture is the discretization of farming — defined as the analysis of highly variable (and often unpredictable) landscapes to: • Break larger agricultural fields into smaller discrete sections • Quantify the characteristics (such as soil composition, light, and seed spacing) of each section • Adapt to the variations between sections with automated farm equipment […]
Tips for mounting linear ball bearings: Pillow block housings
Linear ball bearings and round shafts are often used in applications that call for ease of use and simple mounting requirements. For example, where profiled rail guides require full support along their length, linear ball bearings, or bushings, can be used in many applications with shafts that are supported only at their ends. However, unlike […]
Just for fun (and safety): Pandemic-inspired inventions
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. And so has been the case since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although much of the focus on product development and innovation since the pandemic began has been centered around treatment and critical care technologies such as ventilators, some of these pandemic-inspired inventions are […]
