Technical Trend of Rolling Linear Guide Pairs
Introduction
Linear guides, which are used to guide the motion of objects, are widely used in many industrial applications. Rolling linear guide pairs, which consist of a guide rail and a carriage, are especially important components in motion systems due to their reliability and high rigidity. In this paper, the technical trend of rolling linear guide pairs is discussed by focusing on research related to their precision, oil bushings and flexural rigidity.
Rolling Linear Guide Pairs in Precision
One of the main factors to evaluate a rolling linear guide pairs performance is the precision of their motion. However, the precision of rolling linear guide pairs is hard to measure or characterize due to many external factors, such as the quality of the guide rail and carriage materials and environment disturbances (Shabana & Al-Rufaie, 2010).
To improve the precision of rolling linear guide pairs, researchers have proposed two lateral vibration modes for a guide rail-carriage assembly (Shabana et al., 2011). These lateral vibration modes could be used to characterize the performance of the rolling linear guide pair in terms of its lateral dynamic behavior.
Oil Bushings
The use of oil bushings in rolling linear guide pairs can provide efficient lubrication, low friction, and reduce the wear and tear of their components. Furthermore, they can reduce the noises generated by the components as they roll over one another. Currently, there are two different types of oil bushings used in rolling linear guide pairs.
The first type is the oil impregnation type of oil bushings, which utilizes the oil’s capillary action to lubricate the rolling linear guide pair’s components. However, this type of oil bushings can suffer from oil leakage or drying out, thus reducing the performance of rolling linear guide pairs.
The second type is the oil-filled type of oil bushings, which utilizes a preloaded reservoir of oil and external pressure to lubricate the rolling linear guide pair’s components. This type of oil bushings offers better lubrication and greater durability than the impregnation type oil bushings.
Flexural Rigidity
Flexural rigidity is another important factor to consider when evaluating the performance of a rolling linear guide pair. To evaluate the flexural rigidity of rolling linear guide pairs, researchers have proposed a mathematical model that can accurately predict the flexural rigidity of a complete guide rail-carriage assembly (Mieth & Genta, 2009). This model can be used to predict the flexural rigidity of rolling linear guide pairs under various loading and environmental conditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the technical trend of rolling linear guide pairs is continuously advancing with research focused on improving the precision, oil bushings, and flexural rigidity. Research into the precision of rolling linear guide pairs has resulted in the development of vibration modes that can characterize their performance. Oil bushings are used to lubricate the components of rolling linear guide pairs and reduce wear & tear. Finally, a mathematical model has been proposed to accurately predict the flexural rigidity of rolling linear guide pairs.
