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Compact, precise linear guide rail delivers long service life, low noise and low maintenance for laboratory and clinical applications

Using a wealth of experience gained from its work within the medical sector, SKF has introduced a robust, miniature linear guide featuring low noise operation, smooth motion, high running accuracy and a self-lubricating, low maintenance design that is ideal for laboratory automation and medical equipment applications.

High availability coupled with very low or near-zero maintenance requirements are essential for components destined for critical medical equipment applications or repetitive laboratory processes such as robotic sampling and analyses. The new high-performance LLS Series linear guide delivers on these requirements, featuring a robustly constructed, factory pre-lubricated carriage, plus a lubricant reservoir that supplies long-term guide rail lubrication.

New design features include a novel enclosed ball recirculation system that facilitates easy and secure carriage mounting by ensuring that the balls are retained in place during assembly and storage, and a lubricant reservoir that delivers lubricant to the balls during each stroke. The carriage end-cap seals have been specially designed to ensure that the lubricant remains within the carriage and that contaminants are excluded from the recirculating ball system.

If delivered as component assemblies, carriages and rails are interchangeable within the same preload and precision classes, thanks to SKF's 'Zero Rail' design concept, maximising design/assembly flexibility and allowing significant reduction in OEM inventories. Carriages are available in sizes 7, 9 and 12, and rails are supplied in lengths of up to 1,000mm as standard (long lengths being available to order).

The new, all-stainless steel LLS Series has been sized according to market needs, with rail sizes 7, 9 and 12 available with SKF's standard length and height TA carriages. Carriages can be delivered with or without front seals, the former being indicated by the suffix 'R'. Carriage sizes 7TA/7TAR, 9TA/9TAR and 12TA/12TAR are currently available, while carriages with extended length (prefixed 'LA') are scheduled to be available later this year.

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