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Feature
LINEAR MOTION
The MX roller type linear guide
IKO FINDS THE RIGHT
LINEAR SOLUTION BY ASKING
RELEVANT QUESTIONS S
ometimes it just takes looking from a different perspective to accomplish set goals, and “Nobody ever told us that” is a
phrase that IKO UK & Ireland’s technical sales engineers are greeted with on a regular basis. For example, IKO UK & Ireland was asked
to solve a particularly interesting issue at a customer suffering from heavy contamination of its current linear bearing arrangement from fine dust particles. The customer produced a drilling rig which
traversed over a 40m length. In this case, the carriages needed to pass over multiple joints where each rail, laid end to end, met. The customer was unaware that, due to the rail manufacturing process, the existing product had 45-degree chamfers at each end. When placed end to end, this arrangement created a crevice where dust and contaminants could gather. Unfortunately, these contaminants transferred to each carriage’s rolling elements and raceways as they passed over these areas, eventually causing premature bearing failures. In fact, IKO’s rails, like with all of its linear products, are triple-ground, and every part of the
rail and carriage is inspected fully before final assembly. In addition, IKO can offer rails with square-machined faces that will sit flush, with minimal to no gaps (butt joints). This significantly reduces the chance of contaminants building up in these regions, and of course reduces the risk of premature failures in the carriages.
HIGH PERFORMANCE To bolster this defence against contamination, IKO UK & Ireland proposed the use of its MX range fitted with its patented RC sealing system. The MX range is IKO’s roller type linear rolling guide, offering the brand’s highest level of rolling performance in terms of load capacity, rigidity, friction and accuracy. The MX carriages providing an increase in stability and rigidity for the drilling rig to operate from. The RC seal consists of scrapers (to deal with
larger contaminants such as welding spatter), c-wiper (to add lubrication to the rail surfaces), end seals, inner seals and even under seals (to protect the rolling elements from contaminants). On this occasion, the contamination protection was then further enhanced by switching
from grease lubrication to oil instead. This simple, yet effective switch, combined with the MX carriages fitted with RC seals, drastically improved the life of the carriages, from around 3-4 months previously to more than 12 months, with no intervention or need for additional maintenance. In this case, as in so many others, IKO UK &
Ireland worked with clients to look at the issues at hand, the current bearing arrangements, and specific application requirements before then going through a review of what was possible technically and what the best solution would be.
A TRUE BUSINESS PARTNER IKO UK & Ireland prides itself in being not just a supplier, but also a true business partner. It is always looking to give customers the best possible service and the best technical support, no matter what the environment. Contact IKO UK & Ireland today to discuss your motion control requirements.
IKO UK & Ireland T: 01908 566144
enquiries@iko.co.uk
FEATURE
FEBRUARY 2023 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 47
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