Different types of linear guides are available depending on the design, performance requirement, and environmental conditions.

Basic types:

• Profiled rail systems consist of a guide rail and one or more runner blocks with recirculating balls or rollers as rolling elements. Profiled rail systems offer high precision, rigidity, and load-bearing capacity.
• Linear bushings (also shaft guides or round guides) are compact, smooth-running, and economical. Thanks to their high precision and low friction, they are ideal for applications with high requirements in terms of accuracy and repeatability.
• Cam roller guides consist of a support rail with pressed-in steel shafts and one or more runner blocks with precision-ground cam rollers (usually angular-contact ball bearings). They are robust, resistant to dirt, and suitable for high speeds.
• Sliding guides use plain bearings instead of roller bearings. They are simple in construction and low in noise, but have a higher friction and lower precision and dynamics.

These basic types cover a wide range of applications – from simple guidance tasks to highly dynamic handling systems and high-precision machine tools.

The choice between a ball or roller rail system depends largely on the dynamics, maximum rigidity, and load-bearing capacity required. At Bosch Rexroth, both formats are also available with integrated features such as measuring and/or temperature control.

Ball rail systems use balls as rolling elements and are characterized by very low friction, extremely smooth running, and good dynamics. They are suitable for precise movements under light to medium loads.

Compared to roller rail systems, ball rail systems achieve higher speeds and are able to compensate better for minor geometric defects. Typical applications range from woodworking, automation and robotic systems, printed circuit board manufacturing, solar, battery testing, printing applications, assembly and handling, precision tasks, and measurement technology.

Roller rail systems use rollers as rolling elements. The larger contact surface of the rollers to the track results in significantly higher load-bearing capacity, rigidity, and precision.

Compared to ball rail systems, the friction is slightly higher and the dynamics lower. In addition, the noise level can be lower under very high loads. Typical applications include heavy loads and high precision requirements in machine tools, machining centers, and automation systems, as well as precision handling and machining tasks.

In order to select the right linear guide, it is important to precisely define your application's loads, motion profiles, precision, and environmental conditions, as these are key factors that determine the performance, service life, and cost. Here are the main selection criteria:

• Load capacities (static and dynamic)
• Positioning accuracy and repeatability
• Travel speed and dynamics
• Available installation space
• Environmental conditions such as dust, humidity, clean room, vacuum, or temperature
• Service life and maintenance strategy (e.g. central lubrication)

The selection and design process is simplified using digital tools such as the Linear Motion Technology Selector, the Runner Block Configurator, Guide Rail Configurator, and the Shaft Configurator for linear bushings. In addition to the CAD data, the e-tools also provide the technical documentation as well as information about lubrication.

Extreme environmental conditions can reduce the performance and service life of linear guides. Therefore, it is important to choose a guide that is suitable for use in specific environmental conditions. Bosch Rexroth offers a variety of standard and configurable linear guides for the following environmental conditions:

• Contamination and impurities – e.g. in wood or stone processing.
  Suitable solutions: profiled rail systems with special sealing systems (integrated and/or as an attachment) as well as fully sealed, highly robust linear bushings.
• Extreme temperatures – e.g. during glass production or handling in cold rooms.
  Suitable solutions: linear bushings and profiled rail systems in all-metal design. For example, the extreme temperature carriage NRTVG is designed for temperatures from -30 °C to 200 °C.
• Vacuum – e.g. in wafer processing, display production, or coating processes.
  Suitable solutions: linear bushings and ball rail systems made of solid metal. For example, the extreme temperature runner block NRTVG is suitable for a minimum pressure of up to 10^-7 mbar.
• Clean rooms – e.g. for manufacturing wafers and other semiconductor products.
  Suitable solutions: miniature ball rail systems made of corrosion-resistant steel as well as corrosion-resistant profiled rail systems, both suitable for use in clean rooms. In many cases, standard guides with suitable lubrication and a cover are also sufficient for lower requirements with higher clean room classes.
• Dry rooms in battery production.
  Suitable solutions: linear guides with low outgassing plastics (e.g. POM) and suitable lubricants.
• Areas at risk of corrosion – e.g. in battery production (electrolytes), electroplating and surface treatment, or steam sterilization in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.
  Suitable solutions: linear guides made of corrosion-resistant steel or with suitable coatings (e.g. zinc-iron or hard chrome plated), such as those available in the Rexroth range in NRII or NRFG versions.
• Food – in the primary, secondary, and final packaging area (e.g. packaging, palletizing, stacking) as well as for end-of-line control.
  Suitable solutions: Linear bushings in solid metal stainless steel design or miniature and ball rail systems in NRII or NRFG version (NRII food grade).

Linear guides from Bosch Rexroth are designed for high precision, reliability, and economy over the entire life cycle. This is ensured by advanced manufacturing techniques, high-quality materials, and rigorous quality controls, as well as seamless integration, energy efficiency, and a global presence – with first-class customer service, worldwide technical support, and access to spare parts.

Further benefits:

• Flexible interchangeability: Runner blocks and rails as well as shafts and linear bushings are interchangeable within defined series and sizes – without any adaptations or reworking. This simplifies mounting, servicing, and spare parts management as well as saving money, materials, and resources compared to a complete replacement.
• HP effect (high precision effect): The HP effect refers to a property of ball guide rails and roller rail systems in the Rexroth BSHP and RSHP series which enables particularly high movement accuracy and precision. The entry zone of the balls and rollers in the runner block adapts to the current operating load by means of optimized tracks and precise manufacturing with high-quality materials. The smooth entry without impulse-like reactions ensures smooth running, higher precision, and lower dynamic loads. This benefits, for example, high-precision workpiece machining.

These properties enable the efficient implementation of a wide range of applications – even under special environmental conditions or with specific requirements such as high precision, high speed, or with integrated functions such as measuring or temperature control.