Carbon-fibre linear guide is ultra light and non-magnetic

Available for travel lengths of up to 2m, the drylin W linear guide system is up to 60 per cent lighter than a traditional steel rail system, and 40 per cent lighter than aluminium. This lightweight system enables designers to develop a more cost-effective system - especially in aerospace and motorsport applications where weight may constitute money, or where highly dynamic movements are important, such as robots for manufacturing or high-speed pick-and-place applications. In addition, the carbon drylin rail is available as a completely metal-free belt-drive system, which integrates igus plastic pulleys and xiros plastic ball bearings. Being completely free from metal, these linear guide systems can be used without restrictions within X-ray equipment.

Rob Dumayne, a director at igus, says: "We have tested this system using iglidur L250 for the plastic carriage and have seen optimum wear and friction coefficients, meaning manufactures can benefit from a metal-free solution which, like all products from igus, requires no lubrication and is therefore maintenance-free. The one-piece carriage, combined with iglidur L250 tribo-optimised plastic, running on carbon fibre rails creates what may be the lightest linear system in the world."

A third configuration is also available, namely an SAW drylin linear module with ball screw drive. This is based on the lubricant-free drylin W linear guide with a carbon rail profile, a dry-tech linear carriage and a lead screw made of steel, stainless steel or hard-anodised aluminium.

Follow the links for more information about the new carbon drylin W linear guide system, carbon-fibre, metal-free belt-drive guide and carbon fibre linear module with ball screw drive.