Motion Design Guide: Track-Roller Linear Guides

Linear-motion systems are essential in everything from manually operated industrial drawers and doors to advanced Cartesian robots. Mechanisms that include the former operate without power, using inertia or manual power to move loads. Components to complete the latter include ready-to-install drive and guidance designs in the form of self-contained motor-driven actuators or linear-motion machinery subsections. Some designs simply rely on the rotary-to-linear mechanism or actuator structure for total load support.