When an industrial designer is called upon to design a linear motion system and install it, one of the critical factors he needs to consider is the alignment of the machine and its components. In this article we present possible solutions to solve the problems associated with misalignment.
The misalignment of linear systems is one of the main causes of overloading of the rails, a factor that generates forces capable of reducing the working life of the designed solution. In fact, a misaligned system generates friction and overheating, contributes to higher energy consumption, and increases noise. The sum of these factors leads directly to the reduction of the working life of the system, with all the resulting negative effects in terms of productivity, yield and efficiency as well as in relation to the ROI for the end customer.
How, then, to compensate for misalignment problems?