Reliance RGLS slide reduces parts count and costs

Thermo Electron has used Reliance's linear products in its AA series spectrometers since 1999. As the product has evolved, Thermo Electron has repeatedly drawn on Reliance's linear motion expertise to help achieve specified criteria and maintain accuracy requirements.

Thermo Electron's design engineers first approached Reliance with an interest in using two lead screws in their spectrometer design, one to control the prism rotation and the other to control the optical grating.

As the AA series developed, the designers were also challenged with providing a mechanism for height adjustment of the flame. Engineers at Reliance were able to satisfy this requirement by designing in a screw rail.

With both the evolution of the product and the manufacturing world's demand for higher quality yet lower price, Thermo Electron sought to simplify the spectrometer design. Once again turning to Reliance for support, the screw rail was replaced with Reliance's new screw-driven RGLS slide. These slides integrate a lead screw and slide into one neat, space-saving package that is economical, has fewer parts, and that also facilitates assembly and gives excellent robustness and rigidity.

Anti-backlash drive

The RGLS slide consists of an aluminium guide and carriage, driven by a precision rolled stainless steel lead screw. The product offers exceptional torsional stiffness and stability with a wear-compensating anti-backlash driven carriage and a standard lead accuracy of 0.0006mm/mm.

Incorporating Reliance's screw-driven RGLS slide into Thermo Electron's Spectrometers not only simplified the assembly by reducing the number of parts and simplified the bracketry, but also reduced the radial play, thereby ensuring Thermo Electron continued to meet the high levels of accuracy demanded by its customers.