To move a cantilevered load, only the strongest slides will do. Not only must they support the load, but the motion must also be smooth and precise. These can be difficult criteria to meet for bearings used in carts that contain web handling equipment. A single drawer holds hundreds of pounds of gear and will overhang when open. Supporting a heavy, cantilevered load requires an exceptional bearing.

Designing high-speed automated material handling and pick and place systems that incorporate six-axis robots presents engineers with two challenges: enabling bidirectional robotic travel while also ensuring the safety of nearby workers.

When you want a linear guide to move a heavy load in a demanding application, you usually have one choice: a heavy-duty profiled guide and its associated misalignment issues. Higher load requirements often mean the more compliant guides that find good use in medium-precision applications are off-limits. Instead, in order to meet both the load criteria and address misalignment, you typically have to choose a larger profiled guide and perform costly and time-consuming tasks during installation.

The logistics industry has evolved to employ automated shuttle and automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) to move products in three-dimensional planes within distribution centers and networks. In most cases, you need some form of linear guidance to support these moving systems. Many logistics companies invest hours and overhead costs into developing and sourcing linear guidance systems themselves or through a subsidiary.

As automation continues to transform manufacturing productivity, competitiveness often comes down to maintaining “lights out” processes and lowering engineering time and costs. While robotic systems can provide undeniable benefits like efficiency and labor savings, not every task is ideally suited for automation.

Look inside a CNC machine, and you’ll find sophisticated recirculating ball linear bearings performing the mission-critical motion tasks. But when you go beyond the spindle and essential cutting or milling components, you’ll find auxiliary axes that don't have the high accuracy and precision requirements that are typically prescribed for expensive motion components.

When an automated industrial application calls for a rail system, designers often turn to steel rails and components for their durability. However, there are many heavy-duty use cases where linear guides with aluminum construction are a better option than steel guides. Here are some of the reasons you should consider aluminum rail systems.