This section provides an overview for linear guides as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 7 linear guide manufacturers and their company rankings.
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A linear guide is a component that guides linear motion.
In addition to linear guide, similar products are sold, such as LM guides.
There are also products with encoders, which are intended for use in precision equipment such as industrial robots.
The main movement is a linear back-and-forth motion of a block (movable base) along a rail The linear guide is a type of guide that repeatedly moves back and forth, with the block following the same path, and with less resistance to movement.
Linear guides are used in a wide variety of industrial fields, mainly in production plants.
For example, in a manufacturer's production plant, there are cases where a mechanism is required to feed workpieces in a straight line, where a cylinder needs to move linearly, or where workpieces are conveyed to a part with a positioning guide.
Furthermore, there are a wide variety of uses of this type, such as when multiple link mechanisms and linear guides are arranged, when a stopper mechanism is required, or when a reversing mechanism is required, etc., and it is used in a variety of applications in the automation of production plants.
Linear guides consist mainly of a rail, a block, and a ball for operation. Most of them are equipped with seals to seal the moving parts to prevent dust, etc.
The rail and block are integrated through the driving ball. When the block moves relative to the rail, the driving ball rolls on the rolling surface of the rail and block. The rolling motion allows for very smooth linear motion.
In addition, the use of linear guides with encoders make it possible to detect the position after movement, and together with feedback control, the incorporation of a set of servomotors or step motors makes high-precision positioning possible.
Since some products are placed in parts that require high rigidity, such as industrial robots, etc., various products are available according to the application, such as those in which the balls of the linear guides are rollers to increase rigidity, those in which the size is small or large, and those that guide curved motion, etc., which can be selected from the catalogs of the respective manufacturers.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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