• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Linear Motion Tips

Covering Linear Motion Systems, Components and Linear Motion Resources

  • News
    • Editor’s blog
    • Industry news
    • Motion Casebook
  • Applications
  • Slides + guides
    • Ball + roller guides
    • Track roller (cam + wheel) guides
    • Crossed-roller slides
    • Linear bearings
    • Plastic + composite guides
  • Drives
    • Ball + lead + roller screws
    • Belt + chain drives for linear
    • Rack + pinion sets
  • Actuators
    • Ball + leadscrew driven
    • Belt + chain driven
    • Linear motors
    • Mini + piezo + voice coil
    • Rack + pinion driven
    • Rigid-chain actuators
  • Encoders + sensors (linear) + I/O
  • Stages + gantries
  • Resources
    • Suppliers
    • Video

Gallery: Crossed-roller slide variations and uses

★ By Lisa Eitel Leave a Comment

← PREVIOUS PAGE || Crossed-roller slides are often designed and assembled by component manufacturers with preload to eliminate clearance. Preload also helps minimize linear-guide deflection under load (within specified load capacities). Manufacturers’ precise machining of the top and bottom mounting surfaces ensure flatness and parallelism, though it falls to the installer to mount crossed-roller slides to suitably rigid and flat surfaces.

Shown here are curved variations of crossed-roller slides from NB Corp. of America. These NB gonio ways incorporate low-friction precision rollers to serve applications that need gradient changes or accurate setting of specific angles without change to the center of rotation — a requirement in some precision measurement and optical equipment, for example. The term gonio is from the Greek and denotes anything relating to the expression, measurement, or actuation of angles.

Applications where crossed-roller slides excel

Crossed-roller slides help boost the performance of general automation, microprocessor manufacturing, and linear axes on diagnostic equipment. As mentioned, crossed-roller guides impart high load capacity as well as high stiffness and travel accuracy — in many cases, the same applications where recirculating-roller linear guides are also suitable.

But one key advantage of crossed-roller slides over recirculating-roller linear guides that use balls is that the former maintains extremely smooth motion. The omission of roller recirculation means these precision linear guides don’t exhibit pulsations that recirculating bearings induce upon entering and exiting the internal load zones, either. That makes the guides quiet.

The high load capacity and smooth motion of crossed-roller slides often make them the leading option for short-stroke applications needing µm or nm positioning as well — such as axes in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing machinery and stages for inspection. Because there’s little difference between static and dynamic friction coefficients for crossed-roller slides, these precision rail guides also work on axes needing frequent stops and starts while executing very short strokes — as in cameras and microscopes, for example.

You Might Also Like

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5

Filed Under: Crossed-roller slides, Featured, Slides + guides (all)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“lmt
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
“linear

RSS Motion Control Tips

  • PI unveils motion solutions at LASER World of PHOTONICS
  • Rollon marks 50 years with new facility opening in Michigan
  • Controller/drive features FOC and sensorless control
  • Allient expands its Allied Motion SA Axial Flux Motor series
  • PICMA Plus piezo actuators offer extended displacement range

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Robotic Automation is Indispensable for the Logistics Industry’s Continued Growth and Success
  • Reliable Linear Motion For Packaging Machines
  • Technical Brief – “Understanding the Extensive Benefits of Total Linear Positioning Systems.”

Footer

Linear Motion Tips

Design World Network

Design World Online
The Robot Report
Coupling Tips
Motion Control Tips
Bearing Tips
Fastener Engineering
Wire and Cable Tips

Linear Motion Tips

Subscribe to our newsletter
Advertise with us
Contact us
About us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy