What different types of linear guideways are there?

Linear guideways can be divided into two groups: With physical contact between rail and carriage and without physical contact. Discover the advantages and disadvantages of both systems and find out which solution best suits your requirements.

With physical contact:

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  1. Roller linear guides
    A distinction is made between Gothic, flat and V-bend guides. The special feature of these guideways is their robustness. Dust and dirt have no effect on the operation of these guides. These guideways also allow for inaccuracies and therefore simplify the preparation of a mounting surface as well as the assembly and adjustment process. They also stand out due to their low maintenance requirements. However, the disadvantage of these guideways is their short service life in dynamic applications.

  2. Recirculating roller guides
    A distinction is made between the crossed roller guideway with carriage and the prismatic guideway with carriage. Prismatic guideways are used in machine tool applications. Due to their high precision, they offer optimum performance and their simple installation and adjustment make them popular in the field of heavy-duty machine construction. One disadvantage is their low operating speed. The crossed roller guide is characterized by a “stick-slip” effect. A resistance force of less than one Newton is possible due to the lack of wipers. The negative aspect of this guide is that it requires precise adjustment, otherwise premature wear will occur.Stick-slip effect: This is also known as the stick-slip effect and describes the back-sliding of solid bodies moving against each other. This can occur if the sliding friction is lower than the static friction.

  3. Sliding guides
    Sliding guides are the oldest guides in history. They have many properties: Load capacity, friction, cost, accuracy, good damping. With sliding guides, the guide elements are not separated by rolling elements. One of the disadvantages is friction coefficient. In addition, high-speed applications cannot be carried out due to rapid wear.

Without physical contact:

  1. Air bearing
    This form of guidance is the optimum of all guidance technologies. It is particularly suitable for dynamic applications. It is also characterized by its precision. Wear is also low.

  2. Hydrostatic guideways
    This type is frequently used in machine tool construction. The raceway between the carriage and guideway is filled with an oil film. This assembly functions as a sliding guide without physical contact. A major disadvantage is the high cost of manufacture.

  3. Electromagnetic linear guide
    This guideway functions along the lines of a magnetic levitation track. The arrangement of the magnetic poles creates a constant distance between the guide and the carriage. The moving object is thus in a magnetic suspension. The disadvantage is that the price per meter is particularly high.