Special guides for special applications

Eureka found only a handful of suppliers, one being IKO Nippon based in Milton Keynes, the UK arm of its Japanese parent. The company is a specialist in solid lubrication, linear motion rolling guides and has a variety of polymeric fluoride coated guides for engineers to choose from. The firm’s new ‘Clean Pro’ range of linear guides have a sub-micron thin film made of polymeric fluoride, which has almost the same hardness as PTFE resin, without using any binder. It is thermally and chemically stable, has a long life and, according to Nippon, the guides are “excellent for clean environments.” Indeed, in applications that require a ‘clean’ environment, it is often necessary to control any dust generated from the process. This usually occurs in the most advanced industrial manufacturing environments such as semiconductors, liquid crystals, electronic parts, medicines and food, where the use of oil or grease as a lubricant is restricted. DP Pointers * Clean Pro has low gas discharge and in a high vacuum ambient atmosphere can be used up to 200°C * The linear guides have a special, polymeric fluoride film coating for lubrication * The guides have a uniform sub-micron thin coating on all the surfaces