440 Stainless Steel Linear Shafting
Ways to Order
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel with 1" diameter and 12" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, meaning it has no internally threaded hole at..
$66.66
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel, 1" diameter, 36" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, which means it has no internally threaded hole at either..
$199.97
Linear Shaft of 440 Stainless Steel, 16mm diameter, 600mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled nor tapped -..
$92.75
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel with 3/16" diameter and 3" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, meaning it has no internally threaded hole at..
$8.80
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel with a 1.25" diameter and 36" length, round, solid and undrilled, featuring an optimized surface finish for self-lubricating Simplicity® plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. Made in the USA by PBC Linear® as RC 50 Plus™ hardened stainless steel, the shaft is not..
$220.94
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel, 1.25" diameter, 24" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, which means it has no internally threaded hole at either..
$147.30
Linear Shaft of 440 Stainless Steel, 25mm diameter, 600mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled nor tapped -..
$145.47
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel, 20mm diameter, 600mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled nor tapped -..
$103.65
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel with 5/8" diameter and 16" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, meaning it has no internally threaded hole at..
$59.91
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel with 3/8" diameter and 12" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, meaning it has no internally threaded hole at..
$27.08
Round linear shaft of 440C stainless steel, 8mm diameter, 300mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled nor tapped..
$35.51
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel, 6mm diameter, 150mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings and guide carriages. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled..
$12.95
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel, 4mm diameter, 150mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled nor tapped -..
$17.38
Linear Shaft made of 440 Stainless Steel with a diameter of 3/16" and a length of 12". Length tolerance: +/- 0.03"
Part Number
NIL03SS-012-000-SL
Diameter
3/16""
Material
440 SS Stainless Steel
Length
12"
Pre-Drilled
Not Drilled - Not Tapped
Type
$35.18
Pre-Drilled Linear Shaft of 440 Stainless Steel with a 2" diameter and 24" length, made in the USA by PBC Linear® with Simplicity® RC 50 Plus Hardness™. Pre-drilled with industry-standard hole spacing, but no tapping has been done. Click Configure CAD and Quote for tapping or custom lengths. Optimized for..
$615.42
Pre-Drilled Linear Shaft of 440 Stainless Steel with a 0.75" diameter and 12" length, made in the USA by PBC Linear® with Simplicity® RC 50 Plus Hardness™. Pre-drilled with industry-standard hole spacing, but no tapping has been done. Click Configure CAD and Quote for tapping or custom lengths. Optimized for..
$85.49
Linear shaft of 440C stainless steel, 1.5" diameter, 48" length. The solid, undrilled round shaft features RC 50 Plus™ hardness, Class L diameter tolerance, and an optimized surface finish for Simplicity® self-lubricating plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. This shaft is not tapped, which means it has no internally..
$516.20
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel with a 1.5" diameter and 36" length, round, solid and undrilled, featuring an optimized surface finish for self-lubricating Simplicity® plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. Made in the USA by PBC Linear® as RC 50 Plus™ hardened stainless steel, the shaft is not..
$387.15
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel with a 1.5" diameter and 18" length, round, solid and undrilled, featuring an optimized surface finish for self-lubricating Simplicity® plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings. Made in the USA by PBC Linear® as RC 50 Plus™ hardened stainless steel, the shaft is not..
$193.57
Linear Shaft of 440C Stainless Steel, 20mm diameter, 300mm length, made in the USA by PBC Linear®, featuring RC 50 Plus™ hardness and an optimized surface finish that enhances the performance of linear bearings such as self-lubricating plain bearings and ball bearings. Solid, not pre-drilled. Neither drilled nor tapped -..
$51.83
440 stainless steel linear shafting is hardened round shaft stock used as a wear-resistant running surface for plain linear bearings, linear ball bearings, and other linear motion systems requiring corrosion resistance. PBC Linear 440C stainless steel shafting is case-hardened to approximately RC 50+ and ground and polished to an 8–12 RMS surface finish. It is compatible with Simplicity® plain linear bearings using FrelonGOLD® liners as well as linear ball bearings that require a hardened shaft raceway.
The hardened surface provides the wear resistance needed for rolling-element contact while the 8–12 RMS finish also supports FrelonGOLD® liner transfer and reduces wear debris during plain-bearing operation. Compared with carbon steel shafting, 440C stainless steel provides increased corrosion resistance for washdown, packaging, automation, food-adjacent machinery, and other applications where both a hardened running surface and corrosion resistance are desirable.
These shafts are available in inch and metric diameters as solid round shafting or pre-drilled shafting for use with support rails. Inch shafting uses Class L diameter tolerances, while metric shafting uses Class M tolerances. Shafts can be ordered cut to length or in full lengths up to 17 ft (4.5 m), and individual sections can be joined for longer continuous travel. Custom end machining, tapping, and nonstandard hole spacing are available through Configure and Quote. 420 stainless steel is also available for applications requiring an alternative hardened stainless shaft material.
440 and 316 stainless steel shafting serve different bearing and environmental requirements. Choose 440 where FrelonGOLD® plain bearings or linear ball bearings require a hardened running surface. For more aggressive chemical, food and drug, or washdown applications using FrelonJ® or FrelonW® plain bearings on 300-series stainless steel, select 316 stainless steel shafting instead.
- 440C stainless steel solid round linear shafting
- Case-hardened to approximately RC 50+
- Compatible with Simplicity® plain linear bearings using FrelonGOLD® liners
- Hardened running surface suitable for linear ball bearings
- 8–12 RMS ground-and-polished surface finish
- Available in inch and metric diameters
- Solid round and pre-drilled shafting available
- Pre-drilled shafts available for use with shaft support rails
- Class L diameter tolerance for inch shafting
- Class M diameter tolerance for metric shafting
- Cut-to-length or full-length shafts available
- Maximum continuous length up to 17 ft (4.5 m)
- Shafts can be joined for longer continuous travel
- Custom end machining, tapping, and nonstandard hole spacing available through Configure and Quote
- Greater corrosion resistance than carbon steel with a harder bearing raceway than 316 stainless steel
- 420 stainless steel available as an alternative hardened stainless shaft material
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 440C stainless steel linear shafting?
440C stainless steel linear shafting is hardened round shaft stock that combines a wear-resistant bearing running surface with greater corrosion resistance than conventional carbon steel. PBC Linear 440C shafting is hardened to a minimum of RC 50 for use with FrelonGOLD® plain linear bearings and linear ball bearings.
What is the difference between 440C and 316 stainless steel shafting?
440C and 316 stainless steel serve different linear bearing requirements. 440C can be hardened to provide a wear-resistant raceway for FrelonGOLD® plain bearings and linear ball bearings. 316 provides greater corrosion resistance but cannot be heat hardened like 440C and is paired with FrelonJ® or FrelonW® plain bearings.
Is 440C stainless steel magnetic?
Yes. 440C is a martensitic 400-series stainless steel and is magnetic. This differs from 300-series stainless steels such as 316, which are generally considered non-magnetic in their annealed condition.
Can 440C stainless steel rust?
Yes. 440C stainless steel provides greater corrosion resistance than carbon steel but is not immune to rust, staining, or pitting in sufficiently aggressive environments. For severe chemical or chloride exposure, 316 stainless steel may provide better corrosion resistance when paired with a compatible plain bearing.
Why is 440C stainless steel used for linear bearing shafts?
440C stainless steel can be hardened while retaining useful corrosion resistance. The hardened surface resists wear and deformation at the bearing interface, making 440C suitable for linear ball bearings as well as compatible FrelonGOLD® plain linear bearings.
Why does shaft hardness matter for linear ball bearings?
Linear ball bearings create concentrated contact loads where the balls roll against the shaft. A hardened shaft surface helps resist indentation, grooving, and premature raceway wear under repeated rolling contact.
Why does surface finish matter on 440C stainless steel linear shafting?
Surface finish affects the interface between the shaft and bearing. PBC Linear 440C stainless steel shafting is ground and polished to an 8–12 RMS finish to provide a consistent running surface for linear ball bearings while promoting transfer-film development with FrelonGOLD® plain bearing liners.
What is the difference between 420 and 440C stainless steel shafting?
Both are hardenable 400-series stainless steels. 440C has a higher carbon content and can achieve greater hardness and wear resistance after heat treatment, while 420 has lower carbon content and offers different machining, toughness, and performance characteristics.
Can 440C stainless steel shafting be used in washdown equipment?
440C stainless steel shafting can be used in appropriate washdown applications where both corrosion resistance and a hardened bearing surface are required. For aggressive chemical, chloride-rich, or food and drug environments where corrosion resistance is the primary requirement, 316 stainless steel with a compatible FrelonJ® or FrelonW® plain bearing may be preferable.
Can 440C stainless steel shafting be used with linear ball bearings?
Yes. Hardened 440C stainless steel provides the wear-resistant raceway required by linear ball bearings. PBC Linear 440C shafting is hardened to a minimum of RC 50 and ground and polished to an 8–12 RMS surface finish.
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