A range of miniature linear guidance sets has been developed by Schaeffler to suit the latest industrial machinery, which requires compact machine components to provide high performance.

The Schaeffler INA Linear Technology Division has developed a range of miniature linear guidance sets, which it said offers machine builders a number of technical advantages, including high performance, high rigidity and compact size.

The miniature guidance sets with cylindrical roller flat cages, for example, are ready-to-mount units that are designed for use as linear locating bearings.

The guides are available in numerous guideway lengths.

A special corrosion-resistant version is also available.

The guidance systems are suited to applications with short stroke lengths; low-friction motion; oscillating movements; high loads, where high rigidity is also required; and for very high accuracy requirements.

Compared to linear guidance systems that use ball elements, the roller units offer higher load carrying capacities, said Schaeffler.

This is because the balls are in point contact with the raceways, whereas cylindrical rollers are in line contact.

Due to their smooth running and high precision, the guides are also suitable for applications with very demanding accuracy/positioning requirements.

A unit comprises at least one inner and one outer guideway pair of equal or unequal length, cylindrical roller flat cages and end pieces.

The sets can support forces from all directions apart from the direction of motion, plus moments about all axes.

Due to the arrangement of the rolling elements, they can transmit loads at a contact angle of 45deg.

In RWS1808 miniature linear guidance sets, two rows of rolling elements are in line contact with the raceways.

This line contact means the units offer very high load carrying capacity and rigidity.

Cylindrical rollers are available in an 'O' or 'X' arrangement.

The 'O' type offers higher rigidity and is better suited to supporting tilting moments.

The arrangement can be altered by transposing the cages.

The linear guideways are made from through-hardened steel and are ground on all sides.

The raceways for the rolling elements are precision ground.

The guideways are screw mounted from above to the adjacent construction.

They have fixing holes with counter bores for the screw heads.

The cages are of a two-row design.

The strip used in the manufacture of the cylindrical roller flat cages is made from corrosion-resistant steel.

Steel end pieces on the end faces of the carriages limit the travel of the cage and protect the raceways against contamination.

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