Linear slides are motion devices composed of a stationary base and a moving carriage. They provide smooth, precision linear motion and positioning for many different types of automated machinery, including medical lab equipment, machine tools, packaging equipment, metrology equipment, processing equipment and many other applications.
HKP’s linear slides feature HKP’s core products – stepper motors, guide rods and lead screws – which are integrated into a convenient package that is designed by linear motion experts, fully assembled, and tested to work seamlessly.
Linear slides provide a number of advantages to customers that might not know where to begin designing their own miniature slides, or who may be behind on project timelines. Purchasing motors, guide rods and lead screws separately (often from different vendors) can create procurement issues. It can increase assembly costs, and it may also slow down delivery times, as creating linear slide assemblies from scratch requires design, development and testing resources.
How do Linear Slides work?
The motor provides rotary motion which rotates the screw. As the screw rotates, the nut and carriage move along the screw.
What are the Components of a Linear Slide?
- Base or end-block mount: is the foundation of the unit. Mounted onto the customer’s device, the base brings support to the entire unit.
- Guide Rail: is a stationary part of the unit that serves as the path for linear motion and provides load support.
- Motor: provides the force needed to move an object (such as a camera or other device).
- Lead Screw: as the motor rotates, the threaded lead screw that is connected to the motor turns. The nut and carriage that are connected to the screw slide down the length of the screw as it turns. The screw is supported by a rotary bearing assembly.
- Bearings/Bushings: are integrated into the carriage to reduce friction and allow for smooth movement along the guide rail.
- Carriage: is the moving component that slides along the guide rail. The item that needs to move (such as a camera or laser) is attached to the carriage.
Number of axes – Single-axis systems have only one carriage and move along the X-axis. Stacked or coupled units (referred to as multi-axis positioning systems) move along two axes in the X-Y plane.
HKP's MiniSlide offers Flexible Design Options:
- Two motor options: a 21mm, size 8 hybrid linear actuator, and a 20mm, 19000 series can stack linear actuator.
- Nine different lead screw options ranging from ~0.3mm to 8 mm – providing resolution down to 0.001524mm (0.00006 inches) per step, axial forces up to 45N and accommodating stroke lengths of up to 150mm .
- Four different lubrication options
- A rotary encoder feedback option
- English or metric mounting hardware standards are available.
Ideally suited for small lab, medical equipment and optical stage applications, MiniSlide assemblies are highly configurable, simple to integrate, and they offer a compact low profile with a stable platform, all at an economical price point saving engineering time. Common applications for MiniSlide assemblies include:
- Sample handling equipment
- Spectrometers
- Chromatographers
- Molecular analyzers
- Optical microscopes
- Other inspection equipment.
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Today more than ever, lab equipment and automation designers must fit sophisticated motion control solutions into compact spaces. These device makers need solutions that are uniquely suited for their application while being economically priced. MiniSlide solves these challenges while reducing the time, cost and performance concerns associated with developing guided linear assemblies from individual components.
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