tech talk
Learn more at www.igus.com/drylin-drivetechnology
Pre-assembled linear slide tables from
igus
®
are designed to save engineering
time and resources. They are also flexible
enough to meet the demands of a wide
range of applications. Compared to
recirculating ball bearings, self-lubricating
drylin
®
linear bearings used in linear slide
tables offer various technical advantages
and significant cost savings when used in
most applications.
The two most common types of actuators
from igus
®
are lead screw driven actuators
and belt-driven actuators. There are
differences between the two that are
important to understand before deciding
which to use in a given application. In
order to help facilitate the process, igus®
also offers an easy to use online drive
technology configurator.
Belt-Driven Actuators vs.
Lead Screw Systems
Lead Screw Systems
Lead screw systems use a lead screw nut to convert the rotary motion of a motor or hand wheel into the
linear motion of the carriage assembly. For more information on lead screws, read this tech talk. Lead
screw actuators are ideal for low-cycle positioning applications rather than applications that are constantly
cycling (belt-drives are the best option for these applications). Due to the amount of torque that lead
screws are able to generate, they are well-suited for moving heavy loads up to 25,000N (5,625lbf). There
are many lead screw diameters, leads and materials available, as well as stepper motors, DC motors and
hand wheel accessories. The limiting factor for speed is dependent on the type of lead screw bearing
support used: iglide
®
plain bearings or sealed radial bearings. Moving a given screw at an RPM higher than
its recommended length can potentially lead to resonance and noise. igus
®
plain bearing tables' maximum
allowable RPM is 100RPM. Using the chart on the following page, the maximum length vs. RPM for tables
using ball bearing supports can be found.
