Cleanroom-compatible, this new high performance noncontact miniature linear slide from PI is suited for applications like wafer inspection, scanning/metrology, fiber alignment, laser micromachining and marking, autofocusing, and genome sequencing. PI’s air bearing motion product line is expanding again. The new A-142 high performance compact nano-positioning and linear alignment stage is designed with a voice coil […]
Slides + guides (all)
Ball spline preload: How, why, and when it’s applied
Like other linear motion components where rolling elements ride in raceways, ball splines can be supplied with preload. In the case of a ball spline, the main purpose of preload is to reduce angular backlash — clearance in the rotational direction — when torque is applied. Without preload, ball splines have a small amount of […]
Slide ways feature stable motion at high to low speeds
NB Slide Ways are non-recirculating linear motion bearings used primarily in optical and measurement equipment where high precision movement is required. The SV style consists of 2 roller cages with precision rollers in a cross arrangement and four rails with V-shaped raceways. The SVW has one rail with V-shaped grooves on both sides and 2 […]
SCHNEEBERGER announces SFERAX Type H.L. linear ball bearing
SCHNEEBERGER Inc. has announced the availability of the new SFERAX Type H.L. linear ball bearing — featuring high-quality engineering at a competitive value point. Developed to support a linear bearing under high loads and high radial torques, the new SFERAX Type H.L. linear ball bearing is ideal for uses ranging from peripheral devices to assembly […]
Sourcing linear motion solutions from NSK’s global manufacturing sites
High-precision linear guides are an important product group for NSK’s Linear Motion Technology (Seiki) management unit. As a specialist in this field, the company meets the requirements of many demanding market sectors, including the machine tool industry. Many of the linear guides supplied to European customers operating in high-precision, high-quality sectors are application-specific or adaptations […]
Rails, screw assemblies boast 20,000 km travel without relubrication
The BSHP ball rail systems and BASA ball screw assemblies from Bosch Rexroth now achieve lubrication intervals that are up to four times longer. In more and more applications, they can even be used maintenance-free over the entire service life of a component. As a result, low-maintenance or maintenance-free linear motion technology minimizes operating costs […]
What are low outgassing materials for linear motion components in vacuum applications
Outgassing — the release of gas or vapor from a material through desorption, sublimation (the transition of a material from solid directly to gas), or evaporation — is a critical parameter for materials used in vacuum environments. These gasses and vapors can affect the pressure (or level of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber, and outgassed compounds […]
New SureMotion LAHP Series linear actuators and slides from AutomationDirect
The SureMotion LAHP series linear actuators, slides, and accessories are XYZ gantry components that allow creation of a motion system with up to three axes of movement. These motor-ready linear actuators and sliding components have travel lengths of up to 910 mm. They turn rotary motion into linear motion and provide a variety of X-Y […]
Gothic arches, tracks, and roller bearings in the context of linear motion
Industry terminology used to describe linear guides and other linear components widely varies. Here we explain three linear-guide phrases and words having multiple meanings — and differentiate how they relate to track-roller linear guides and profiled-rail linear guides. Let’s start by reviewing the multiple linear-motion meanings for Gothic-arch linear bearing. Gothic arches originate from civil […]
Functional safety (and IIoT connectivity) from linear brakes
In a recent Design World feature, we covered the basics of how functional safety is quantified … and what constitutes a servo-brake option with functional-safety certification. Here we share more details on the construction of safety brakes for linear axes and the intersection of brake safety and IIoT capabilities. Machine safety is core to nearly […]
