Circular Linear guide solutions

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the design of a custom circular linear guide system with a 65° arc and an 8.5 cm radius. The user, Jarfi, seeks a miniature solution with a rail diameter not exceeding 6 mm and a similarly sized slider. Existing products are deemed too large, prompting the exploration of alternative sliding mechanisms, such as bearing balls or guide wheels. Recommendations include defining specifications more clearly and considering custom fabrication, with resources like Hepco Motion and BWC provided for further exploration.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of circular motion mechanics
  • Familiarity with linear guide systems
  • Basic knowledge of bearing components and their specifications
  • Experience with CAD software for design visualization
NEXT STEPS
  • Research custom circular linear guide fabrication techniques
  • Explore bearing ball and guide wheel integration methods
  • Learn about the specifications for selecting bearing components
  • Investigate CAD software options for creating detailed design renderings
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Mechanical engineers, product designers, hobbyists working on custom motion systems, and anyone interested in miniature linear guide solutions.

Jarfi
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I am working on a system that uses circular motion of 65° of a circle with 8,5cm radius.

Thing is, What first comes to mind are Linear guides with a curved/circular track and I've found some examples such as;
http://ind-techno.com.ua/en/cat/20/556/78030/
http://www.globalspec.com/FeaturedP...Circular_Linear_Motion_Guide_Type_HCR/98366/0
and
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/High-Quality-And-Precision-Circular-Linear_1974273476.html?s=p

But it's way too big, the sliding part is supposed to be as small as possible, tiny actually. The diameter of the rail itself can't be more than 6mm. And the "slider" or what you call it can't be much larger. It can't be too wide.

And yes there are a ton of miniature linear guides out there, and there are existing Circular Linear guides, but I have yet to find BOTH of these merged into one.

It was my thought that perhaps a linear guide like that is not the solution? should I try to add my own sliding mechanisms or try to incorporate bearing balls or wheels to hold up the sliding part?

If anybody knows some solutions or terms generally used for this it'd be helpful, I purely self taught in these matters hence the ignorance on mechanical systems design.
Also if anybody doesn't get what I have in mind I can try to elaborate further,

thanks in advance

-Jarfi.

EDIT: for unknown reasons alibexpress seems to not allow linking products
 
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Suggest that you define your specifications better, you'll get better answers. Direct & moment loads, lifetime, speeds, etc., are all required to effectively size & select bearing components. Provide a sketch of your desired path: linear/curved/2D/3D? Based on your limited information, you may be required to fabricate a custom solution. Look into www.hepcomotion.com or www.bwc.com for some interesting solutions & possible ideas.
 
tygerdawg said:
Suggest that you define your specifications better, you'll get better answers. Direct & moment loads, lifetime, speeds, etc., are all required to effectively size & select bearing components. Provide a sketch of your desired path: linear/curved/2D/3D? Based on your limited information, you may be required to fabricate a custom solution. Look into www.hepcomotion.com or www.bwc.com for some interesting solutions & possible ideas.

I will check these sites out for products. I am almost certain It needs to be custom designed with either bearing balls or guide wheels, problem is getting it simple and cheap and easy to design.

It is a 60° version of this: http://www.tpa-us.com/images/bsc-series-products.jpg but I think I will cut holes in the rail to make it lighter. I also have pseudo CAD renderings that I made for this thread to further explain what it is.

The path is curved like in the link above, it is simply a miniature version of it. The lifetime is as much as possible, speeds are low but the movement is constant for up to hours, similar wear as in a 3d printer guide rail

Again these pictures are just for concept work, the surface will have mounting holes in it, and this system(dimensions) can be modified to some extent for an easier solution.
1.JPG
2.JPG
3.JPG
4.JPG
 

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