Nook Industries, a leading innovator of linear motion components and systems, has launched a new miniature linear ball rail ideally suited for high-speed, belt-driven mechanisms and carrier designs as well as automation linkage between stations. Offered in three accuracy grades, Precision (P), High (H) and Normal (N), these miniature linear ball rails provide significant maintenance […]
Ball + roller guides
Ball Chains: Two things you might not know
Radial bearings have used ball cages for nearly a century, but this technology was only introduced to profiled rail guides within the last two decades. THK pioneered the way, launching its Caged Ball® LM Guide in 1996, and other profiled rail manufacturers soon followed suit with ball chain and ball spacer designs. Now, virtually every style […]
What is preload?
Have you ever wondered, “what is preload”? We’re here to help! Applications that use linear bearings or ball screws often require precise positioning, which means that the motion components must be rigid. And while recirculating ball guides and screws are able to carry large loads, they inherently have clearance, or backlash, due to the size […]
High-class linear guides: How industry quantifies rail accuracy values
I once overheard a colleague, relatively new to linear motion and eager to be helpful, tell a customer, “H stands for our high-class rail.” While the thought of a “high-class” rail was amusing, technically she was correct. In profiled linear guide terminology, H is the designation for high class … … high accuracy class, that […]
Roller rail guides: Three reasons why you should use them
Roller rail guides, which use cylindrical or barrel-shaped rollers instead of spherical balls for the load–bearing elements, are typically associated with machine tool applications. But the performance benefits that rollers bring to machining centers can be worthwhile in other applications as well. If you’re designing a machine or system that requires linear motion, consider these […]
Three rail features make smoother motion in machine tools
When it comes to linear motion, machine-tool applications are often the most demanding. Just consider how motion-controller manufacturers have improved their components in recent years with the latest processors to boost the precision of machine tools. Or consider how Heidenhain (maker of linear encoders) addresses the relatively small effect of thermal drift on mechanical components […]
Integrated measuring system with accuracy that rivals glass
IMS-I Integrated Measuring System From Rexroth: Precise, Robust, and Compact Fully integrated with accuracy that rivals a glass scale The newly enhanced IMS-I integrated measuring system from Rexroth achieves maximum linear motion positioning accuracy even in challenging work environments. The compact solution for ball and roller rail systems has an inductive design that offers repeatable […]
Electric current damage — How bearings fail Part 2 of 6
Recently we examined how corrosion contributes to bearing failure. Now we’ll examine electric current damage. Random electrical currents, which come from multiple sources, such as wiring, insulation, static electricity from operating equipment, and so on, will damage bearings. The damage usually appears on the surface of rings and rolling elements and is similar to that produced by electric […]
