• 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

linear guide

Precise miniature slide guides from NB Corporation

★ By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

slide guides

SEBS-B type slide guides from NB Corporation feature standard radial clearances that are twice as accurate. The guides are available in both retained-ball (whose elements allow for easier handling because the guide block may be removed from rail without ball loss) or low-cost non-retained ball lines. Available sizes are from 2 mm with friction-free travels […]

Filed Under: Featured, Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: linear guide, Linear Slides, NB Corp. of America

Linear guide handles higher loads, misalignment

★ By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

linear guide

Rollon has introduced its Compact Rail Plus — part of its new generation of high-performance linear guides. This rugged unit features a new design to handle higher loads while maintaining the Compact Rail product family’s self-aligning capabilities. Compact Rail Plus is designed for demanding applications such as those involving higher loads, high speeds, fast accelerations […]

Filed Under: Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: linear guide, rollon

New curved linear guides for variable radii from igus

★ By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

linear guides

Based on the proven line of drylin W linear plain bearings, igus has now introduced linear rails bent to custom radii, along with adaptable carriages that can self-align between straight linear runs and curves without binding. According to Matt Mowry, Product Manager for drylin linear and drive technology at igus Inc., this new addition to […]

Filed Under: Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: igus, linear guide

Why use integrated position measuring with linear guides?

★ By Danielle Collins 1 Comment

Integrated Measuring

Linear guides provide accurate, high-capacity travel for a wide variety of machine types and processes. In the most demanding applications, linear position feedback is often needed in order to ensure the tool, gripper, or workpiece follows an exact path or reaches a precise position. In these cases, design engineers can choose to add a linear […]

Filed Under: Ball + roller guides, Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: integrated measuring system, linear encoder, linear guide, profiled rail measuring

A glossary of linear guide terminology

★ By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

The term linear guide covers several categories of products, from plain bearings to ball bushings and recirculating roller bearings. To compound the potential for confusion, many terms are used interchangeably, or are so generic (take linear guide for example) that they could refer to any one of several different products. And this doesn’t apply to just […]

Filed Under: Ball + roller guides, Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: bearing construction, circular arc, gothic arch, linear bearing, linear bushing, linear guide, LM guide, profiled rail

Three easy ways to reduce maintenance costs for linear systems

★ By Danielle Collins 1 Comment

maintenance

If you’ve read many articles on this site, you probably recall that inadequate lubrication can cause bearing failure. But while lubrication is the most important maintenance factor in linear bearing life, there are other things that users can do to reduce maintenance costs and ensure they get the most life from a linear bearing, ball screw, or […]

Filed Under: Applications, Linear actuators (all), Linear drives (all), Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: Ball Screw, lead screw, Linear Actuator, linear guide, lubrication, maintenance

When should you use dual guide rails?

★ By Danielle Collins 1 Comment

dual guide rails

Linear guide rails and bearings offer high stiffness and good travel accuracy. And they can support not only downward, upward, and side loads, they can also withstand overhung, or moment loads. Of course, the larger the linear rail and bearing system, the more moment capacity it has, but the arrangement of the bearing raceways—face-to-face or back-to-back—also […]

Filed Under: Applications, Ball + roller guides, Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: linear bearing, linear guide, profiled rail

What does “lubricated for life” mean?

★ By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

lubricated for life

Lubrication is one of the most critical factors contributing to linear bearing life, and to achieve optimum performance users historically had to ensure that a lubrication routine was included in their operating and maintenance program, or implement an automated lubrication system. Seeing the opportunity to reduce maintenance and improve total cost of ownership, linear bearing […]

Filed Under: Applications, Ball + lead + roller screws, Ball + roller guides, Linear drives (all), Slides + guides (all) Tagged With: ball cage, ball chain, Ball Screw, linear guide, lubed for life, lubrication, maintenance free

What are the differences between plain and rolling linear guides?

★ By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

boxway

A linear guide (or linear bearing) is a mechanical element that allows relative motion between two surfaces, with one surface supporting the other, and minimum friction between the two. There are two basic types of linear guides: plain and rolling element. While their general function is the same, their design and performance differ significantly. Linear […]

Filed Under: Ball + roller guides, Crossed-roller slides, Plastic + composite guides, Slides + guides (all), Track roller (cam + wheel) guides Tagged With: linear guide, plain bearing, rolling bearing, sliding bearing

Tips for preventing linear bearing corrosion

★ By Danielle Collins 1 Comment

bearing corrosion

Corrosive environments can include anything from detergents and chemicals for washdown (the high-pressure cleaning of equipment), to acid baths and their related vapors, to chemicals in food processing. Because profiled linear rails, round shafts, and ball screws are made primarily from steel components, they’re highly susceptible to corrosive agents, which can quickly cause rust, pitting, […]

Filed Under: Applications, Ball + lead + roller screws, Ball + leadscrew driven, Ball + roller guides, Linear actuators (all), Linear drives (all), Slides + guides (all), Track roller (cam + wheel) guides Tagged With: Ball Screw, bearing failure, corrosion, linear bearing, linear drive, linear guide, profiled rail, wash down, washdown

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Go to Next Page »

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