Belt Drive, Slide Guide

Belt Drive, Slide Guide

Belt Drive

A belt drive consists of a toothed belt which is attached to the carriage of the unit. The belt runs between two pulleys positioned at either end of the profile. One pulley is attached to the motor while the other is mounted in a tensioning station. The belts are made of plastic reinforced with steel cords. High speeds, long stroke, low noise and low overall weight are typical features of belt driven units.

Slide Guides

A slide guide consist of a guide attached to the inside of the profile and a slide bushing attached to the carriage. The guide can be made of different materials (e.g. polished hardened steel, anodized aluminium) while the bushing is made of a polymer material. There are two types of bushings, fixed and prism. Prism bushings can move in relation to the guide which results in longer life and higher load capabilities. Slide bushings are silent, simple, reliable and robust and can be used in dirty and dusty environments. They are also resistant to shock loads, have a long life expectancy and require little or no maintenance.

Single Carriage

Single carriage units have one carriage. Some linear unit models also have the option of long or short single carriage. The long carriage handle higher loads but will have a longer overall length for a given stroke.

Double Carriages

Double carriage units have two carriages which gives them higher load capabilites than single carriage units. When ordering a double carriage unit the distance between the two carriages needs to be defined. This distance is called LA or Lc depending on the model.

Cover Band

Cover bands are used on some units to protect them from the ingress of foreign objects through the opening in the profile where the carriage runs. They are made of plastic (A) or stainless steel (B). In the case of plastic the cover band seals the profile by snapping into small grooves running along the carriage opening. In the case of stainless steel the cover band seal the profile magnetically using magnet strips mounted on each side of the carriage opening. Some units equipped with cover bands also have a self-adjusting cover band tensioning mechanism. This eliminates any slack in the cover band that can occur from temperature changes, thus improving the sealing degree and the expected life of the cover band.

3D CAD models are available at this link : www.tollo.com/3d_cad_drawings.htm