THK has launched a linear actuator for use in clean room, biomedical and containment environments. Called the CKR, the actuator consists of a linear motion guide and miniature ballscrew, and combines rigidity, accuracy and reliability in a compact, virtually zero maintenance unit. The CKR is a fully sealed unit, with the exception of extraction points that allow a vacuum line to be attached.

This lets a complete or partial vacuum be created within the body of the actuator, so dust or particles of lubricating grease generated by the motion of the guide and ballscrew can easily be removed to protect the surrounding environment.

This seal structure means it can meet Class 4 (ISO 14644-1:1999) clean room compatibility.

It is supplied as standard with AP-C coating that has low levels of particle emissions and resists corrosion.

Both the linear motion rail and ballscrew are treated with the coating.

The U-shaped outer rail houses the inner block and the ballscrew.

This construction is tough and rigid and enables, for example, components or loads to be moved and placed at high speeds to within +/-0.003mm repeatability, with the option to preload the device if required.

The load-bearing ball races on the guide are arranged so that the capacity is uniform in four directions (radial, reverse-radial and lateral).

As a result, the actuator can be used in any mounting orientation and for applications where the applied load extends beyond the body of the actuator.

This makes it suitable for use where the loading direction varies.

The CKR is available in a choice of lengths and with a range of option

Responding to customer demand THK has extended its range of high performance linear motion systems still further, with the launch of two larger sizes to the Super roller guide (SRG) series. The new 130 and 150mm versions incorporate THK’s patented Caged Roller technology, which combines exceptional levels of rigidity, accuracy and reliability, as well as offering a virtually maintenance free component, for demanding conditions in manufacturing, automation or process applications. The new sizes are part of a product family giving high performance, smooth movement through low rolling resistance, and reduced levels of friction, heat and noise.

The Caged Roller enhances rigidity and stiffness, while allowing loads to be moved or transferred smoothly and at extremely high speeds.

With grease pockets between the roller retainer elements providing the exact amount of lubrication where required, this results in extended operating life and negates the need for short term maintenance.

When compared with conventional roller guides the Caged Roller SRG gives far higher levels of radial and lateral stiffness, typically better than 40% higher while reverse radial stiffness is over 75% greater.

Extensive testing has demonstrated that, in practical terms, these units have a far lower rolling resistance than conventional devices, with far fewer fluctuations in rolling resistance, making them far smoother in operation.

These features ensure the SRG, whatever the size, is suited to tough and demanding industrial conditions.

The new larger sizes are available with a choice of static load capabilities and either compact or flange type carriages, and are supported by THK’s comprehensive UK customer and technical support services.

HK is currently celebrating ten years of production for its innovative Caged Ball linear motion (LM) technology. The first of THK’s Caged Ball LM guides rolled off the production line in the last quarter of 1996 and quickly set the standard by which all linear motion devices were measured, offering significantly lowered levels of friction heat and noise, together with greatly improved positional accuracy and repeatability.THK has been manufacturing linear motion guides since 1971 and the subsequent introduction of the first Caged Ball products, the SSR series, followed an intensive period of research and design, during which the company experimented with numerous prototype methods for improving the performance, functionality and operating life of linear guide mechanisms.

At the time of its launch, Caged Ball technology represented a major breakthrough for automation, positioning and handling systems, bringing a new level of innovation to the market.

THK’s patented Caged Ball system works by enclosing high precision steel balls within a separator cage, with controlled density grease pockets around the circumference of each ball.

This effectively prevents contact between the balls when in operation, leading to significant improvements in both overall performance and operating life, and to quieter, cleaner, smoother and higher precision movement, with a far longer service life than traditional ball raceways.

In the last decade, Caged Ball technology has enabled linear motion systems to be used in a wide and ever growing range of applications, including miniature pick and place systems in semiconductor manufacturing, position control devices in medical equipment and handling mechanisms in factory automation.

Today, the unique construction of THK’s Caged Ball linear guides continue to offer OEMs and end users alike a number of important benefits, helping to reduce machine operating costs while improving levels of performance with positional accuracy and repeatability to within submicron accuracies, rapid acceleration rates, velocities of up to 5m/s and typical operating life in excess of 50,000km of travel.

In the last ten years, the use of THK’s Caged Ball technology has grown steadily, reaching the point where Caged Ball products currently account for over 50% of all precision linear guides sold worldwide.

Just as importantly, THK is continuing to innovate, creating ever smaller, faster and lighter linear motion guides that look set to serve the needs of industry for the next decade and beyond

The latest high performance actuators and linear motion guides from THK, the leading global designer, developer and manufacturer of linear motion solutions, are helping Burnley packaging machinery to make considerable improvements to the performance of its packaging machines, enabling the company consistently to meet and exceed its customers’ increasingly demanding and tight deadlines. Perhaps as importantly, THK’s linear motion products are helping to improve the speed, accuracy and overall operating performance of Burnley’s latest packaging machines as well as dramatically reducing the number of components and engineering time required for system build. Lancashire based Burnley Packaging Machinery is a leading designer and manufacturer of a wide range of innovative packaging machinery including shrinkwrapping, overwrapping and sleevewrapping systems.

The long established company combines traditional high quality engineering skills with the latest design technologies to develop products that deliver superior performance and reliability.

Burnley Packaging operates throughout the global marketplace via an established agent and distributor network, as well as providing total product support, from the initial assessment of a potential customer’s packaging requirements through to comprehensive after sales services.

Burnley Packaging’s latest machine, the technologically advanced SDO400 servo driven overwrapper, for example, operates using THK’s high performance Caged Ball LM Guides, type SHS.

In addition the KR actuator, combining linear guide and ballscrew technology, provides an excellent level of accuracy and increased rigidity.

The innovative packaging machine, which can be used to wrap anything from boxes of tea bags to cigarette packets, wraps up to 70 packs per minute, using servo driven machine movements to ensure maximum flexibility.

The use of THK’s KR actuator enables smooth and consistent motion at high speeds, with excellent levels of accuracy, typically to within 18um in every 100mm of travel.

The use of the Caged Ball LM Guide technology, means operating noise and heat is reduced to an absolute minimum, while operating life is extended to in excess of 40,000km without the need for maintenance.

Prior to using THK linear motion products, all Burnley Packaging machines used a mechanical cam, lever and bearing construction.

Craig Fallows, Design Director at Burnley Packaging, explains: ‘In 2004 we decided it was time to revamp all our systems and bring them up to date’.

‘So we redesigned all our mechanical machines transforming them into servo driven systems’.

‘This has had a huge yet positive impact on our production processes’.

Fallows continues: ‘By comparison with the traditional cam, lever and bearing systems we previously used, the THK linear motion products we now use are modular and therefore include a minimal number of components, require no extensive assembly or engineering time and can simply be bolted into our packaging systems ready for immediate operation’.

‘Furthermore, this has helped us to reduce the volume of stock we hold by a considerable amount, while enabling us to consistently meet and sometimes even exceed our customers’ deadlines, which are becoming increasingly tight as a result of various market pressures’.

‘Most importantly though, we have been able to achieve our ultimate goal of providing our customers with a much faster and more efficient service, with better quality and technologically advanced products’

Schaumburg, IL – (September 6, 2006) In response to growing application demands, THK’s has designed a line of ceramic linear motion solutions. The use of ceramic rails, blocks, and in most cases, ceramic balls, contributes to non-magnetic characteristics and increases the range of applications. Ceramic components, as well as the use of titanium stoppers and resin circulation parts, result in a lightweight overall product and eliminate the possibility of corrosion. Ceramic products are strong enough for chemical environments and suitable for high-temperature applications.

Based on existing and proven THK designs, THK ceramic products include the LM Guide Type RCR, the LM Guide Type RSR, the LM Guide Type HCR and the Ball Spline Type LT. THK ceramic LM guides and ball splines are exceptionally ideal for use in medical equipment and semi-conductor manufacturing equipment.

THK manufacturers the widest range of linear motion products including conventional LM guides, ball screws, mechanical actuators and ball splines and more. All THK products have been designed and manufactured to meet the strictest requirements. THK’s experienced Global Engineering Team can provide customized linear motion solutions with our standard linear motion products as well as our mechatronics products for your most demanding applications.

Schaumburg, IL – (September 6, 2006) The Type RU Roller Ring from THK features compact, yet highly rigid construction. The double-row roller structure and integrated inner and outer rings of the Type RU result in 20 to 30 percent higher rigidity than competitor models.

The Type RU’s use of small rollers reduces differential slip and therefore the torque required for rotation is small.

Installing the Type RU is easy due to the inclusion of mounting holes on the inner and outer rings. Housings and presser flanges are not required, and few assembly parts are needed.

Design configuration is flexible per customer specifications.

THK manufacturers the widest range of linear motion products including conventional LM guides, ball screws, mechanical actuators and ball splines and more. All THK products have been designed and manufactured to meet the strictest requirements. THK’s experienced Global Engineering Team can provide customized linear motion solutions with our standard linear motion products as well as our mechatronics products for your most demanding applications.

Schaumburg, IL – (September 5, 2006) With the addition of its Types SLS/SLF, THK combines Caged Technology with its successful ball spline design.

The ball spline is a direct motion system in which the balls embedded in the spline’s external nut can convey torque while making smooth linear motion in the rolling groove of the precisely ground spline shaft. The incorporation of THK Caged Technology, and an optimized design of the ball circulation path, enhances this smooth movement in even vertical applications.

THK Caged Technology employs a synthetic resin cage with a patented curvature that cradles each ball and separates it from the next. The spaces between the rolling elements retain grease and act as a lubrication system for long-term maintenance-free operation. Additional benefits of Caged Technology for the Types SLS/SLF include high-speed operation due to evenly spaced balls, high rigidity equivalent to an LT shaft (±10%) and low noise with the use of a resin circulation path and optimum ball diameter.

Types SLS/SLF are available in spline shaft outer diameters from 15 to 100 mm. They are interchangeable with THK’s Type LBS. Application examples using Type SLS/SLF include inspection machine, medical equipment, wafer transfer, printing machine and pressing machine.

THK manufacturers the widest range of linear motion products including conventional LM guides, ball screws, mechanical actuators and ball splines and more. All THK products have been designed and manufactured to meet the strictest requirements. THK’s experienced Global Engineering Team can provide customized linear motion solutions with our standard linear motion products as well as our mechatronics products for your most demanding applications.

Schaumburg, IL – (September 5, 2006) THK’s new Solid Lubrication System S-Coating Series LM Guide offers completely oil-free operation. The S-Coating Series is suitable for use from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum of 10-6 Pa.

The solid lubricant used with this LM guide is highly adhesive and wear resistant. THK achieves these properties by applying the film via a unique deposition method specially suited for THK’s original circular arc contact structure.

The simple structure of the S-Coating Series offers a reduction in overall costs compared to using conventional linear guides with vacuum application.

THK manufacturers the widest range of linear motion products including conventional LM guides, ball screws, mechanical actuators and ball splines and more. All THK products have been designed and manufactured to meet the strictest requirements. THK’s experienced Global Engineering Team can provide customized linear motion solutions with our standard linear motion products as well as our mechatronics products for your most demanding applications.

Schaumburg, IL -(September 1, 2006) THK’s new TY Series Linear Actuator is designed to reach super high speeds of up to 5 m/sec. (16.4 ft./sec.), and accelerations up to 5Gs.

Integrated with THK’s own Type SHS LM guide, as well as the QZ lubricator, the TY Series operates long-term and maintenance-free. The TY Series features a compact cross section.

Meeting the demands of servo applications, THK’s new actuator provides standardized planetary gearboxes in 3:1, 5:1 and 9:1 ratios for optimum load inertia matching. Utility hardware is offered to allow for the easy construction of multi-axis systems, as well as to facilitate a variety of drive input shaft configurations.

THK manufacturers the widest range of linear motion products including conventional LM guides, ball screws, mechanical actuators and ball splines and more. All THK products have been designed and manufactured to meet the strictest requirements. THK’s experienced Global Engineering Team can provide customized linear motion solutions with our standard linear motion products as well as our mechatronics products for your most demanding applications.

Schaumburg, IL – (September 1, 2006) THK has added medium to low vacuum lubrication system to their vast LM guide line-up.

Featuring stainless steel construction, vacuum grease and special seals, this new LM guide is designed for use in environments from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum of 10-3 Pa. Stainless steel and a heat resistant resin allow the LM guide to be used in high temperature environments. It can withstand operating temperatures up to 150ºC, with a peak of 200ºC.

THK manufacturers the widest range of linear motion products including conventional LM guides, ball screws, mechanical actuators and ball splines and more. All THK products have been designed and manufactured to meet the strictest requirements. THK’s experienced Global Engineering Team can provide customized linear motion solutions with our standard linear motion products as well as our mechatronics products for your most demanding applications.