Linear
guidance rails are composed of circulating
ball runners which slide in a rail.
So, a unit includes a fixed guidance profile with 2 ball bearing
tracks and one or several
ball runners.
Ball runners
The circulating ball runner is the mobile part of the system.
It has two circular circuits allowing the runner to travel
in the rail.
Each rail can be fitted
with one or several runners according to the application or
the load to be carried.
Steel runners are available in 2 lengths : long runners are
better adapted to the biggest loads. Each runner has two drilled
threads allowing the fixing of the mobile part.
Runners are adapted to the rail ( general manufacturing tolerances
are around 1/10th of millimetre). You shouldn't place a runner
in a rail other than the one with which it was delivered.
Guidance rails
The linear guidance rail is made from a cold drawn steel profile
(some small dimension rails are in aluminium).
This manufacturing method causes a strain hardening which gives
the material the wear resistance qualities of half-hard steel.
The usual length is 3 metres and reaches 5 metres maximum for
some rails. Should some applications need very great lengths,
the rails can be prepared for an end to end mounting. The rails
are fixed with screws.
At the customer's request, the pitch as well as the number of
holes can be adapted to the specific conditions of use ( drilling
and in length tolerances : JS13).
Be careful: drilling is an option. Without a request
from the customer, linear rails will be delivered without drilling.
Travel
The usual travel of the
runner is equal to the rail
length minus a runner length and the stop
measurement, i.e. approximately 10 mm at each end.
Length
Linear slides are available in stock in lengths between
100 mm and 3000 , in steps of 50 mm.
The
products are delivered with transport end stops meant to prevent
the runner from coming
out of its guidance rail
.They cannot be used as a permanent end stop extension.
It is very important to allow the runners to stop. Indeed,
if the runner should come out of its guidance rail, the balls,
not being trapped, would get mixed up. It would then be impossible
to mount the runner again : we make up for the manufacturing
tolerances by using slightly different ball diameters.
Manufacture on request
The technical chart data corresponds to characteristics that
are commonly used.
Fittings
for fixing (brackets, studs...)
can be provided as an optional extra.
Surface treatment
All
Chambrelan slides come with a treatment against corrosion.
The standard treatment, i.e. bichromated yellow zinc plating
for steel slides and colourless anodisation for aluminium
versions, suits most uses. The average endurance of bichromated
zinc plating is 250 hours in salt spray.
Other or extra treatments can be carried out according to
the application or the environmental requirements.
Steel
White, black, olive green zinc plating
Organo-mineral finish on zinc plating (withstands salt spray
for 500 hours)
Mounting on the major axis : it is the ideal slide mounting
because it allows a better distribution of the forces.
Mounting on the minor axis : slides mounted on the minor axis
will have a reduced carrying capacity. For a steel unit, the
load has to be reduced by approximately 40 %.
The load is the maximum effort
a ball runner mounted on the major axis can bear.
The loads shown in the specification charts are given per runner.
Although they are calculated with a large safety margin, the
loads have to be modulated according to the use or type of mounting
chosen for the apparatus. So, an intensive use forces us to
reduce the maximum load carried. Likewise, a mounting on the
minor axis reduces the maximum safe load.
N.B. : This type of product carries the loads subjecting it
badlyto a torque . So, you have to centre the load as much as
possible, or use a second runner to cancel out this torque.
Nitruration
The
materials that we use to produce slides are carbon steels
from type XC10 to XC38. They suit most industrial applications.
However in the case of high use rates such as on a car production
line, or in case of fast movement (more than 0.5 metres per
second) we advise this surface treatment.
This treatment gives the material a surface hardness
of about 35 HRC, a hardness equivalent to the ball
bearings'. Resistance to wear is thus greatly improved. Obtained
under vacuum, it penetrates the material better than salt bath
treatments. In this way increased hardness is effective to a
depth of almost 3 tenths of a millimeter .
Conditions of uses
Linear rails with circulating ball carriers are reliable
and robust products which will give you complete satisfaction
with regular and smooth travel when mounting and conditions
of uses are complied with.
The rules for a good mounting are :
1 - The whole set has to be mounted on the major axis
2 - The rail has to be mounted on a level surface
3 - The load has to be distributed uniformly
4 - The runner mustn’t undergo a torque
Be careful : Some mountings are not advisable : mounting
on a uneven surface or in an overhanging or corrosive environment
or in excessive heat. In case of improper mounting, the runner
will move erratically causing wear within the ball tracks
and thus reducing the lifespan.
Contact us to select the rail adapted to your particular
application
Advice
Generally speaking, you have the choice beteween :
Long runners for the heaviest loads.
Short runners for the lightest loads or upright uses.
N.B. : Two runners are usually enough to support the load
; you may always add another one if you wish to ensure a better
support of the load ( in the case of insufficiently rigid
structures ) .
Chambrelan SAS - BP 995, 76 061 Le Havre Cedex, France - Tel : +33 (0) 2 35 24 62 80 - Fax : +33 (0) 2 35 25 02 00
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Characteristics
Linear
guidance rails are composed of 
The circulating ball runner is the mobile part of the system.
It has two circular circuits allowing the runner to travel
in the rail. 
The linear guidance rail is made from a cold drawn steel profile
(some small dimension rails are in aluminium). 
The
products are delivered with transport end stops meant to prevent
the 
All
Chambrelan slides come with a treatment against corrosion.
The standard treatment, i.e. bichromated yellow zinc plating
for steel slides and colourless anodisation for aluminium
versions, suits most uses. The average endurance of bichromated
zinc plating is 250 hours in salt spray.
Mounting on the major axis : it is the ideal slide mounting
because it allows a better distribution of the forces.
The
materials that we use to produce slides are carbon steels
from type XC10 to XC38. They suit most industrial applications.