How can I recognize my lead screw’s thread direction?
By Zoe Moser The thread cutting direction right or left can be easily determined with a visual inspection. If you look at the lead screw from the front, you can best see the difference...
Category: Linear Motion
Extend the Reach of a Universal Robot with a 7th Axis
By Adriana Glazer Sooner or later, the issue of extending the reach of robots for working efficiently will arise. In this article our focus will be on the 7th axis (or linear axis) for...
How to Choose a Linear Actuator
By Thomas Urbach Screw-driven or belt-driven linear actuator? Linear actuators are an important element in automation and mechanical engineering and help with a variety of tasks, from simple to extremely complex ones. Picking the right one is...
Hidden Ways Linear Plain Bearings Can Save Cost
By Matt Mowry We often talk about how much more cost-effective linear plain bearings are compared to linear ball bearing systems. This is mainly due to the different techniques that are used within the manufacturing process...
What Are the Different Types of RV Slide Out Mechanisms?
By Avory Brookins Image: By Claygate at en.wikipedia – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14390773 It’s obvious why RV slides ‒ also known as slide outs, pop outs or bump outs ‒ would be beneficial...
How Do Plastic Linear Plain Bearings Work Without Lubrication?
By Matt Mowry Some of us understand the difference between a recirculating ball bearing and a linear plain bearing, but you might not be as familiar with how linear plain bearings actually work to...
Shaft considerations for bearing applications part 2: roughness
By Nick Van Tol In a continuation of our 3-part series, deciding which shaft/pin is best for your application, Part 2 will be a short discussion on the importance of surface roughness. Even if...
Which Shaft Material is Best for My Application?
If you check out most linear bearing manufacturer’s websites, you will see an assortment of different shaft material options. Take the drylin product offerings for example: Hard-anodized aluminum, case-hardened steel, multiple stainless materials, carbon fiber…...
Colour Difference Between Aluminum Rails & Shafting
By Matt Mowry We get this question a lot, and when I say we get it, I mean, we get it—we understand. Let’s say that you are designing a piece of equipment and the linear bearing systems involved are...
The Rise of Automation: How I Learned to Love the Robot Revolution
By Matt Mowry If there is one thing I can say with absolute certainty about the future of global industry, it is that the automation age has fully begun. Over the past few decades,...