Linear Bearing and Rail Guide.

Do you know that the rolling concept of linear bearings goes back to ancient Egypt? In ancient Egyptian paintings, people are depicted moving large stones on sleds with logs underneath. The most basic example of how bearings work. But this is only a guess. The specific evidence for the first bearing dates back to 40 a. C. Since then, bearings have evolved to meet a variety of industrial needs. This blog covers small subsections such as linear bearings and rail guides.

What is a bearing?

Before diving, we will define some useful terms. Many of these terms are used in numerous alternative names.

Bearing: A mechanical element that restricts relative movement only to the desired direction and reduces friction between moving parts. Therefore, linear bearings limit the movement of the object to the linear movement.

Bearing carriage (block): Housing for ball or roller bearings mounted on a linear guide (rail).

Guide: A mounting system for linear bearings, also known as rails. Linear bearings can be mounted on square or round rail guides. For square (profile) rails, the guide must have a perfect flat planet. Otherwise, excessive wear or clogging may occur.

Stroke: Refers to the sliding contact of a ball or roller in a linear bearing. The point where the ball / roller touches the car is the outer track. The point where the ball / roller touches the rail is the inner track.

Parallel processing: When installing the mounting system, the rails must be at the same distance from each other at all points. Parallelism is important when mounting square rails. For optimal performance, you need a constantly flat and parallel surface.

Rigidity: Refers to the amount of ball or roller deformation of the bearing when under load. This is also called deflection.

Preload: Linear bearings require a preload to operate at maximum. The preload eliminates the internal space between the rail and the car. Preloading of the bearing makes it more difficult and prepares the bearing for loading.

How do linear bearings work?

Linear bearings include carriages and rolling elements. Linear bearings are mounted on square or round rails, according to the requirements of the application. Whether the ball or roller slips, the rolling elements of the bearings help to move the load easily. These are the basic concepts that are adjusted and adjusted to meet a wide range of industrial and manufacturing needs.

Linear Bearing Applications:-

Linear bearings are used for small and large applications. Move the tools on large industrial automation equipment or see precise movements in the microscope. We have integrated linear bearings in most custom automation equipment.

Linear bearings in the medical industry:-Commonly seen in the medical industry are surgical and dental tools, diagnostic and laboratory equipment and pumps. In this field, bearings must meet certain requirements, such as high speed, low noise, longevity and hostile environments, resistance to chemicals or aggressive fluids. Must be able to handle frequent cleaning, as well as smooth and quiet operation.

Linear bearings in the food and beverage industry:-Linear bearings in the food and beverage industry must be robust enough to handle harsh environments and constant cleaning and comply with health and hygiene standards. Typical bearing applications in this industry include processing equipment, mixers, blenders, ice machines and weighing machines.

Linear bearings in robotics:-Robotics is a fairly new industry, but linear bearings have proven very useful in robotics. You can find linear bearings mainly in orthogonal robots that operate on the X, Y and Z axes. The important functions of bearings in this industry are smooth operation, service life and load capacity.

Square rail guide and round rail guide:-

Linear bearings can be mounted on any rail or guide shape, which allows the rolling elements of the bearing to move freely through the rail. The most common types of rails are square (profile) and round rails. To determine the best type for your application, you must identify the unique specifications of your application. This includes load capacity, rigidity, precision, smoothness, size and total cost.

Square rails cost more than round rails, but these days there are not many price differences. Therefore, choosing between the two is actually the best option. The rails and square guides offer the advantages of greater load capacity and precision accuracy. However, to achieve these advantages, careful installation is required to ensure parallelism and a flat mounting surface. Circular rails, on the other hand, are faster to install and can handle incomplete parallelism and large variations in rail height. The disadvantage of round rails is that the load capacity is not greater than square rails.

Caged vs Non-Caged:-

Linear bearings K on the ground contain ball seals inside the bearings for even spacing. The original linear bearings did not contain a cage structure and are now called linear bearings without cages.

Trapped linear bearings have several advantages. First, linear bearings are much quieter, because metal balls do not collide with each other. It also has a low impact on metal balls, which improves the life of the bearing. The space between the balls also distributes the load evenly across the bearing. The space also eliminates the uniform friction that generates heat, providing high speed performance. Finally, the cage structure is suitable for grease / lubrication storage and further increases the life of linear bearings. While linear ground bearings seem to be a better option, non-caged ground bearings remain ideal for low speed and low load applications. Non Caged bearings are also an economical option.

What is preload?

The preloaded linear bearings are like a broken shoe, which is much more comfortable and more pleasant. On the other hand, if you decide to wear new shoes for a party, you can get blisters at night. Linear bearings require preload to work in the best way. Mounting a linear bearing with a larger ball eliminates the gap within the bearing. After that, the bearings are solid and ready to handle the load to be transported. Often, linear bearings are already sold preloaded, so it is better to check with the manufacturer.

The preload is suitable for linear bearings, but it can shorten its life. Therefore, it is better to choose the amount of preload depending on the specific application.

Flange or without flange?

Flange or without flange is completely optional. The flange mainly helps to mount things in the bearings, creating a more stable installation. Linear bearings listed in the web store can be used with or without flanges. We also offer a variety of preloads, block sizes and topographic ball bearings with cage or without cage.