Crossed-Roller Guide
The crossed-roller guide contains cylindrical rollers arranged alternately at 90° to each other. This geometry allows it to accept loads from all directions — radial, axial, and as moments. It combines high stiffness with compact dimensions and short strokes.
Design and Operating Principle
In a crossed-roller guide, cylindrical rollers run in a V-shaped raceway system, with every other roller rotated 90° relative to its neighbor. This crossed arrangement means that each half of the rollers accommodates a different load direction: one set of rollers carries radial loads in one direction, the other in the reverse direction and axial loads. The result is omnidirectional load capacity from a single compact guide unit. Crossed-roller guides come in flat rail form (for limited strokes) and as crossed-roller rings (for rotary motion).
Typical Application Areas
Crossed-roller guides are preferred wherever high precision, omnidirectional load capacity, and compact dimensions are required: in coordinate measuring machines, optical systems, semiconductor handling equipment, machine tool swivel axes, and measuring/test fixtures. The short design is suited to limited strokes (typically under 500 mm); for unlimited strokes, the recirculation principle (roller recirculation) is used.
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