Linear guides benefit garment and textile printing machines

A leading specialist in the development and manufacture of high-speed industrial digital printers for the garment, apparel and home textile industries is benefiting from the many attributes of NH/NS series linear guides from NSK, says the company.

In particular, the special surface treatment protects the linear guides from wear in the company’s latest direct-to-garment digital printer, an important attribute due to the number of impressions that the new machine performs.

“The next-generation printing machine provides garment decorators and screen printers with a unique tool for mastering the current and future challenges of the textile supply chain,” adds NSK. “Notably, the high-volume machine delivers typical annual production capacity up to hundreds of thousands impressions.”

Specific set of challenges

“All of the company’s fully integrated printing solutions provide quality, reliability and value to customers,” states NSK, “but meeting these objectives means using appropriately specified components.”

When developing its new printer, the company knew that the linear guides for providing motion in all the axes would have to overcome a specific set of challenges. The inside of a printer is a challenging environment for linear guides, because the combination of humidity and evaporation caused by the printing process leads to high wear.

With the machine manufacturer insisting on premium brand products and reliable supply partners, the company turned to NSK for the solution. NSK’s team of expert engineers undertook a comprehensive review of the application and working environment, recommending its NH/NS series linear guides, which feature a special surface treatment to protect against the causes of wear.

Up to 30% more dynamic load rating

“NH/NS series linear guides offer many notable attributes, including far greater service life, due to the inclusion of innovative features like specially developed ball groove geometry. In addition, up to 30% more dynamic load rating (over previous generation products) helps to provide end users with double the fatigue life in a significantly more compact and lightweight format.”

Low-temperature chrome and fluoride low-temperature chrome treatments are also available to deliver even more endurance, while stainless steel versions are described as ideal for use in potentially corrosive environments.

Aside from the advantageous technical characteristics of NH/NS series linear guides, the industrial digital printer manufacturer wanted flexibility from its potential supplier, due to rapid company growth and the machine’s anticipated fast ramp-up from concept to production. However, NSK was able to provide complete assurance of its ability to support demand from its strategically located workshop and warehouse facilities across Europe.