ADVERTORIALS


Timber plant reduces downtime with NSK linear guides


Thanks to the adoption of NSK’s linear guides with K1 lubrication units, a timber manufacturer managed to reduce conveyor downtime by a factor of more than 12, prompting annual cost savings of more than Ð77,000.


NSK high-load ball screws now offer even longer life


NSK has developed new technology that significantly extends ball screw life in high-load applications such as injection moulding machines and servo presses. The latest super long-life ball screws from NSK offer up to twice the service life of conventional ball screws thanks to the optimisation of load distribution. Resource conservation through extended life and the downsizing of machinery is a further advantage. The technology will have particular appeal for machine builders transitioning to electric designs.


By developing special long-life technology that balances load distribution more evenly,


NSK could extend the life of its ball screws up to twice that of conventional designs (application dependent). The new technology came about through a combination of NSK’s proprietary high-precision machining capabilities (including the development of dedicated machinery), the company’s digital-twin simulation technology, and its precision measurement systems (improved measurement accuracy by linking with machining data). As a further benefit for builders of machines serving high-load applications, adopting NSK’s new super long-life ball screw technology permits the use of a smaller shaft diameter, delivering a cost saving.


The importance of new developments in ball-screw technology are vital for many


machine builders. For instance, with sustainable development goals and carbon neutrality initiatives advancing in many countries, there is of course a need to enhance the environmental friendliness and functionality of industrial machinery. Here, manufacturers of injection moulding machines and servo presses, for example, are switching from hydraulic to electric drive systems using servo motors and ball screws to save energy.


Demand is increasing for high-productivity electric injection moulding machines capable


of handling more complex shapes and larger sizes. As a result, OEMs in this space are looking towards ‘high-cycle’ designs offering short processing times. Quicker, more frequent operation in turn demands the use of long-life ball screws.


NSK’s HTF-SRC series of high-speed, high-load ball screws (100-200 mm outer


diameter) takes advantage of the new super long-life technology. Notably, the dimensions are completely interchangeable with NSK’s current equivalent models, so no machine design changes are necessary.


NSK Europe Ltd. u www.nskeurope.com The British timber manufacturer supplies wooden beams to the building industry. At


one production station, a conveyor system transports the beams to a processing machine, performing forward and backward motion with rapid changes of direction. Due to the demands of this operation the company had to replace the conveyor’s linear guides every two weeks on average, a situation that was clearly unacceptable.


A request arrived from the company’s management team asking NSK for


recommendations on how to extend the service life of the linear guides. Analysis of failed units by NSK experts revealed that they were not capable of withstanding the high loads which occur at each change of direction. In addition, the linear guides sometimes jammed completely due to the intrusion of wood particles.


NSK’s recommendation was to adopt NSK linear guides equipped with fully integrated


K1 lubrication units. K1 units progressively release lubrication oil (embedded in the pores of a polyolefin resin) on to the raceway over a very long time period.


Since the upgrade, the system has been running for six months without a single failure.


The service life of the linear guides has thus increased by a factor of more than 12, with a corresponding reduction in related costs for material and downtime. In total, NSK’s cost benefit analysis showed annual savings of around Ð77,800.


The K1 lubrication unit is available for any linear guide in NSK’s range. As shown by


this example, linear guides equipped with the K1 are maintenance-free across a very long service life, even (and especially) under adverse operating conditions.


Along with the retrofit of the conveyor system, NSK provided comprehensive linear


guide training for the company’s maintenance personnel. Among the topics covered by the training were: differences in materials; product selection based on load capacity; and different types of linear guides and their options. NSK also explained the function of the K1 lubrication unit.


NSK Europe u www.nskeurope.com


56 DESIGN SOLUTIONS JULY/AUGUST 2022


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