Longer operating life with NSK DH/DS series linear guides

With its new long-life DH/DS series, NSK can offer linear guides that achieve twice the running distance of the company’s conventional alternative. This extended operating life is thanks to a number of design innovations, including new material and special heat treatment that promotes a world-leading dynamic load rating.

By selecting DH/DS series linear guides from NSK, customers will benefit from enhanced longevity and reliability, which in turn contribute to productivity gains. Furthermore, such are the robust attributes of the new linear guides that design engineers can ‘downsize’, thus aiding overall system reductions in both weight and friction, as well as energy consumption.

Among the myriad of industry applications set to benefit are semiconductor and LCD manufacturing equipment, automated conveyance systems, manufacturing equipment for the automotive sector, machine tools, steelmaking equipment, railway platform doors and CT scanners; essentially any equipment or machinery that requires extended-life linear motion products in order to achieve high reliability and long-term stable operation.

NSK’s conventional NH/NS series linear guides meet customer needs for reliability by optimising contact surface pressure distribution between rolling elements (balls) and raceway grooves. However, with more and more companies shifting to smart factory operations, equipment is required to further elevate productivity by improving tact times, functioning around-the-clock, consuming less energy and offering a compact form factor. Linear guides must therefore keep pace by delivering even higher reliability and longer life, a thought process that prompted NSK to develop the new DH/DS series.

Providing much of the gains in operating life is the company’s proprietary TF material and special heat-treatment technology, which enables DH/DS linear guides to offer a world-leading dynamic load rating. NSK’s expert R&D team has developed and refined TF technology over many years. In essence, this unique heat treatment controls the amount of retained austenite in steel to significantly extend the fatigue life of components such as linear guides and bearings.

NSK provides a broad line-up of DH/DS linear guides, all of which are interchangeable with the conventional NH/NS series. Options include high-performance seals, protectors and lubrication units to suit specific application requirements.