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Application Stories for Linear Motion Products
Linear Guides Avoid Stalls on Injection Machines

Load Bearing Linear Guides for Injection Machines

Heavy Duty Linear Guides

The linear motion system in Cleveland Machine and Tool’s wax injection machine, critical for their unique sheet metal and investment casting solutions, faced significant challenges with its original bearing assembly. This US-based manufacturer struggled with time-consuming assembly processes that inflated labor costs and inconsistent vertical motion due to inadequate lubrication. The machine’s horizontal functions, reliant on a pressure switch to trigger the injection cycle, were compromised as the 300-lb system’s vertical and horizontal adjustments strained the linear bearing assembly, prematurely triggering the switch and increasing manufacturing time and costs. Cleveland Machine and Tool sought a cost-efficient motion control solution to address these assembly and maintenance issues.

Components:

Hevi-Rail Linear Guides, Linear Plain Bearing Pillow Blocks

Retrofit or OEM:

Retrofit

Problem:

An installed linear bearing assembly had to adjust a 300 lbs system vertically and horizontally. the strain of the load caused the original linear motion assembly to put extra load on the system and pre-maturely shutoff.

Solution:

Hevi-Rail linear guides are designed to provide medium-accuracy linear motion under high radial or axial loads. They effectively disperse loads throughout the bearing to handle up to 60 tons.

The PBC Linear solution

Cam roller linear guides from PBC Linear addressed Cleveland Machine and Tool’s wax injection system challenges, where the original bearing assembly caused time-consuming assembly, high labor costs, and inconsistent vertical motion due to lubrication issues. For the 300-lb load, PBC Linear recommended Hevi-Rail® solid steel linear rails and heavy-duty cam roller bearings, made of case-hardened steel to disperse radial or axial loads up to 60 tons, enabling smooth, reliable vertical adjustments.

For horizontal motion, a Simplicity® pillow block bearing support rail assembly with enclosed plain linear bearings with self-lubricating liners that eliminated the need for grease or oil, handling 20x the load of traditional ball bearings without shaft or bearing damage. This optimized slide assembly ensured precise, low-maintenance repositioning for various injection molds, reducing cycle times and premature pressure switch triggers.

Results / ROI

The new solution worked great. Assembly time is reduced significantly and the movements are much smoother. The wax injection system no longer triggered early and could easily be adjusted to different customers’ mold sizes. Cleveland Machine and Tool thought the assembly worked so well they decided to implement the design throughout all of their investment casting machines.

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