New Case Study: Laser-Etching Machine Finds Solution In Compact Rail

For over thirty years, CMS Laser has provided laser drilling, cutting and welding capabilities for a range of applications. When one of its customers reported contamination-induced linear bearing failure in its laser-etching machines,

The Challenge

CMS Laser needed to find a new linear system that could handle high loads and operate reliably in a contamination-prone environment. Here’s how CMS Laser overcame these challenges using the Rollon Compact Rail.

Contamination And Bearing Failure

CMS Laser manufactured three stovetop laser-etching machines for an appliance company in 2011. The machines measure 10 feet across and incorporate heavy sliding doors, which workers need to be able to open wide enough to load the stainless-steel stovetops for etching.

Over the years, the machines were subjected to a lot of airborne dust and debris, byproducts of the laser-etching process. The doors’ small roller bearings soon became jammed with contaminants, causing them to seize up.

Machine Requirements

To enable easy loading of large parts, the doors needed to slide enough to create a six-foot-wide access opening. The resulting moment was substantial, as the pair of Rollon bearing carriages on each slide rail were required to support a cantilevered load when fully extended. Additionally, the bearings would need to resist contamination.

The Rollon Compact Rail

CMS Laser selected the Rollon Compact Rail, which can handle up to 15,000 and 100,000 Nm of force in the radial and axial directions, respectively, exceeding the doors’ high-load requirement. It also combats contamination by design: the bearings utilize large rolling elements that can pass over any debris that falls into the rail. As a result, they can easily roll over metal chips, dust and other contaminants.