New Using Nanopositioning Applications? Information About Linear Slides You Should Know
If you use nanopositioning applications, you know how important it is to stay in complete control. For this reason, it is important that you know as much information as you can on using linear slides. Below is some information about what linear slides are, as well as choosing the right system for your company.
Linear Slides
Linear slides are designed to work at high thrusts with precision stiffness and accuracy. The slides generally come pre-assembled and ready to install on your system. This will make it much easier for you to get the linear slides set up. There are many industries that use linear slides, such as factories, medical, automation, food processing, medical packaging, aerospace, automotive, and assembly lines. The linear slides that you purchase will come with the drives, motors, controls, as well as the electromechanical accessories that you need with your system. Many companies can custom design a system for you to ensure it works properly.
Linear Systems
There are types of systems you have to choose including belt drive, ball screw, and lead screw. What you choose depends on what you use the system for. For example, if you have heavy loads that need to go at high speeds, a belt drive system will work best for you. If your loads can go at a lower speed, a ball screw or a lead screw system would work well for you. No matter what system you choose, they are designed for extreme precise positioning.
When choosing a linear system for your company, manufacturers often recommend plastic because it lasts a long time, is inexpensive, and has low maintenance. Make sure the space between each bearing is correct while the bearings are sliding down the axle. This may be in the user's manual or you can ask the manufacturer if you cannot find this information.
If the bearings are not spaced correctly, this will cause them to bind, especially if your system is belt-driven. This is because belt driven systems have higher speeds. If you do not use a belt driven system, there will be lower speeds so the spacing is not as important as the belt driven.
As you can see, there is a lot of information about nanopositioning systems, and because you are new, things can get very confusing. For this reason, talk with the manufacturer about the different systems they offer. They can give you much more information to help you choose the system that would work best for your facility.