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Hybrid linear bearing combines rolling, sliding

The DryLin® WJRM hybrid bearing from igus®, a manufacturer of cable carrier systems for automated machinery, has developed with the goal of reducing driving force, especially in applications involving the manual adjustment of machine-guard doors, partitions, and adjustable locks, or for light-handling tasks. To accomplish this, the company took the advantages unique to sliding and rolling movements and combined them.

A self-lubricating plastic, sliding sleeve bearing ensures the hybrid linear system is robust, dirt and moisture resistant, lightweight, and economical. A maintenance-free polymer roller that carries the main load reduces driving force requirements by a factor of 4 to 5 and makes heavy applications, such as manually closing machine doors up to 110 lbs., easier, the company says.

With a housing made from blue-chromed die-cast zinc, the new bearing is the latest extension to the company's DryLin W guide line. The compact system is constructed so that the rollers fit inside the linear profile without increasing the height, which remains at a low profile of 0.71 in. Standard linear guide profiles can be used and are available in three styles for shaft diameters of 0.39 in., as individual rails for more flexibility and as double rails for quick installation without time-consuming alignment. The latter comes with a distance between rails of 1.57 in. or 3.15 in.

DryLin W is a flexible, modular linear guide system made from hard-anodized aluminum profiles, die-cast zinc housings, stainless steel or aluminum and plastic plain bearing materials. The wide variety of different combinations within this easy-to-install system allows users to optimize available design space. The linear guides work without lubrication as dry-running systems and do not require maintenance during operation. They use plastic liners made from iglide® J or iglide J200, both of which are low-wear and have a low coefficient of friction. They also are chemical-resistant, vibration-dampening, and absorb negligible amounts of moisture.