Find linear slides including linear technology, linear motion, machine slides and more. From ball bearings and roller slides to XY tables, you will find the linear slide you need. Use the time-saving Request for Quote tool to submit your inquiry to all the linear slide manufacturers and suppliers you select.
Linear motion components, assemblies for automated equipment. Ball and crossed roller slides, bushing, shafts, support, multi-axis positioners, motor ready lead screw actuators, subminiature to heavy duty, high accuracy, long travel available. Same day shipment, Life-load calculators, cad drawings.
Velmex makes manual and motor driven dovetail and twin rail slides and stages, X-Y and rotary tables, UniSlide and BiSlide Assemblies for scanning, indexing and positioning. Our slides move sensors, antennas, transducers and more. We were established in 1967. See our website for more information, or call us today!
SETCO offers 3D & 2D dovetail slide modeling as the largest independent North American manufacturer and rebuilder of precision spindles & slides. 21 standard sizes and hundreds of standard configurations. 167 off-the-shelf models: Dovetail, Hardened Way & Linear Bearing Slides. Home of MASTER/SETCO slides.
ROLLON Corp's technically superior, innovative linear motion solutions, from linear actuators to linear bearings to linear slides, can perform no matter what the load or plant conditions. Our heavy-duty drawer slides are of the highest quality. Check out our linear revolution today!
Introducing our Vector Trio linear guide system, another superior and
economical linear motion solution. Compact design with 3 rollers fixed to the carriage
plate that roll between 2 track sections. No need for carriage set-up or
adjustment. Radial load capacity up to 1,382 lbs. Rail lengths up to 12 ft.
Pacific Bearing delivers innovative products for Smooth & Quiet Linear Motion™, solving the toughest linear & rotary problems. We pioneered Simplicity® linear bearings and slides, Redi-Rail® linear slides and other linear guides and linear rail systems: Dolphin Guides®, Mini Rail® and Hevi-Rail®.
Linear slides are precision products designed to turn
motion or torque into thrust. They play a vital role in rolling motion
applications. Linear slides are used to move mounted mechanisms across
a given axis. Complete linear slides normally consist of at least a base, a saddle,
adjusting screws and a straight gib. Linear slides can move loads consisting
of lightweight miniatures to payloads of several hundred pounds. Linear
slides
are resistant to contamination, extremely durable in shock load conditions
and run smoothly on lightweight frames.
Linear motion is basically movement in a straight line, from point A to
point B. Linear motion is divided into speed and direction. That combination
is called velocity. Linear motion is not typically used to actuate mechanisms,
so it is often converted to other motion types. Many machines work by
other kinds of motion, such as rotary motion. However, linear motion is
often necessary in a process, making linear slides invaluable.
There are two principle types of linear slides. The most common variety
is the ball bearing auto-slide. The other type of auto-slide uses crossed
rollers. Linear slides assemblies use non-recirculating precision balls and rollers
that move against highly polished and hardened rod ways, greatly reducing
friction. When browsing through various linear slides, know for what applications
the linear slides will be used. For immense loads and safe operation, dovetail
linear slides will be appropriate. On the other hand, if a self-lubricating slide
with a smaller maximum load carrying capacity is required, ball bearing
slides, the most common linear slides, would be an appropriate choice.
Businesses that test computer floppy drives, do robotic welding and perform
lots of transportation tasks use linear slides on a daily basis. These
linear slides are also used in machine tools, instrumentation, gauging and positioning
devices. The plastic and metal extrusion, printing, textile and glass
manufacturing industries utilize linear slides. Linear slides are used
in the medical and electronics industry because of the smoothness and
quietness of the guide rollers. Linear slides are used in the wood/construction
and packaging industries, as well, because of their durability. A complete
linear slides system should be considered when assistance in straight-line work
is needed.
Ball bearing slides,
also referred to as “ball slides,” are the most common type
of linear slide because of their self-lubricating qualities, which increase
their reliability. Ball bearing slides, which perform with a smooth
linear motion, typically use four hardened and ground shafts that surround
the balls at four different points.
Crossed roller slides
utilize rollers that crisscross each other and usually move between
a group of four semi-flat and parallel rods, which surround them. The
design of crossed roller slides allows them to carry up to twice the
load of ball bearing slides and to absorb larger impacts.
Dovetail slides
are used in high load applications that require long travel distances
and/or damping. Dovetail slides consist of a saddle or flaring tenon
and a fixed base.
Linear positioners
consist of a drive that is attached to a fixed slide base and two extended
springs that pull the slide top toward the screw end, against which
it is firmly held. As the screw is turned clockwise, it moves the slide
top forward along the linear axis, and because of the spring pressure,
the screw retracts when turned counter-clockwise, resulting in a smooth
linear rotation.
Linear motor positioning
stages are reliable single- or multi-axis mechanical systems
that position a payload and consist of few components, including a linear
motor, bearings, encoder, limit switches, cable carrier and bellows.
Linear motor positioning stages move payloads vertically or horizontally
without mechanical transmission devices and at varying rates of acceleration
and speed.
Machine slides are precision products used in CNC machining.
Precision slides
consist of a carrier, a base and ways fitted together with a gib and
gib screws, which allow for adjustment to ensure accurate movement.
Precision slides are basically motion guides that are used to feed and
retract parts, tools or fixtures on all kinds of equipment.
Roller slides use perpendicular rollers and have a higher load capacity than ball bearings.
Roller tables are the quietest type of bearing table.
Rotary stages
rotate on an axis, typically positioned in the center, and provide rotary
motion used in positioning and moving objects. Rotary stages are utilized
to adjust the roll, pitch and yaw of objects, as opposed to linear stages,
which position objects in space.
Standard slides
integrate roller or ball guides to permit the engineering of complete
systems easily and with a minimum of assembly time.
Actuator –
A mechanism used for controlling or moving an object indirectly, as opposed
to manually.
Auxiliary Carrier – An optional
carrier for linear slides that increases the load capacity.
Axial Loading – A load with
a force moving along a shaft or another type of axis.
Base Mount – To attach linear
slides by either fastening directly to “T” slot nuts located
in the slide base or by using the base mounting.
Bearing – A device whose support
allows smooth, low friction motion between two loaded surfaces moving
against each other.
Breakaway – The minimum amount
of force or pressure needed to actuate movement of a device, such as a
cable, cylinder or rotary actuator, through a complete stroke.
Carrier – A device attached
to the linear slide, commonly with a bearing system, and responsible for
supporting and moving the load.
Center of Gravity (COG) – A
single point at which the weight of an object is most concentrated. The
object would remain in equilibrium if supported at the COG.
Coefficient of Friction – A
measurement of resistance of a single object sliding across another.
Dead Length – The part of a
linear slide or band cylinder that is necessary for mechanisms and mounting.
Dead length plus stroke length equals the total length of the linear slide
or band cylinder.
Deflection – The amount of bend
under a specific weight load.
Gib – A
wedge-shaped piece of metal or wood designed to hold structural parts in
place and/or provide a bearing surface.
Inertia – The amount of resistance
of an object to change velocity. If a linear slide has a large inertia,
more torque will be required to move it.
Leadscrew – A device that changes
rotary motion into linear motion.
Proximity Sensor – A device
that senses the end of a stroke on a linear slide. Proximity sensors
supply signal to any of various controllers.
Rotary Actuator – An actuator
that provides rotational movement.
Rotor – The shaft on a rotary
actuator that rotates on its own axis.
Shock Absorber – A device implemented
with linear slides to decelerate heavy loads at high speeds.
Stroke Length – The distance
the carrier and its load move on the linear slide.
Tenon – A finger-shaped projection
that fits into a corresponding hole.
Torque – The twisting or turning
force that produces rotation.