Doubling the life of conventional linear guides

NSK has developed an NH Series and an NS Series for its Linear Guide line-up, which will launch in July 2014. These products will be used in wide variety of production equipment in machine tools, electronics manufacture and automobiles. Due to the expectations of improved productivity and longer maintenance intervals in these sectors, the linear guides used in such devices must be able to last a very long time. Linear guides are able to support load through the mechanism of contact between balls and the ball grooves. The technology used to design and manufacturing the ball grooves determines the life of linear guides. Using powerful analysis technology, the company was able to develop a new shape for the ball groove, which optimises the contact surface pressure distribution for a dramatic improvement in life. These series of guides will also enable the downsizing of some devices. These new linear guides achieve more than twice the life and 1.3 times the dynamic load rating compared to the conventional LH and LS Series products, which in turn improves the life of devices. Also, since these new linear guides are compact and have long life, they make it possible to downsize devices. Installation dimensions are the same as the conventional LH and LS Series products, which in turn means that the these new NH and NS Series linear guides can be used as is without changing the design of devices. In addition, popular options such as NSK K1 lubrication units that provide for maintenance-free operation for a long period of time and random matching parts that provide for the free combination of rails and ball slides can be used with these new linear guides.