At the 2016 Hannover Messe, the motion plastics specialist igus presented the first carriage for linear guides with different radii. The adaptable carriage can thus go into a curve from a straight line and is therefore suitable for a variety of applications in industry ranging from furniture to stage equipment. Thanks to the new drylin carriages from igus, customers can now use curved linear guides with different radii. (Credit: igus GmbH) Even in the driver cabs of agricultural and commercial vehicles, there are specific requirements in a limited space is often expressed. Based on the proven drylin W linear plain bearings, the motion plastics specialist igus presented curved rails for linear guides for the first time a year ago. Thereby igus addressed the users’ demands for more and more customised requirements and perfect space utilisation. Application examples here are in the control cabins of construction and agricultural machinery. The advantages of drylin linear guides are ease of installation and maintenance-free use because the bearings do not have to be lubricated. This year igus goes one step further and offers the first carriage for linear guides with different radii on a rail. The carriage is adaptive, whereby it is possible, for example, to move from a straight line into a curve. “Entirely new possibilities open up especially in applications such as in office equipment or stage machinery,” explains Stefan Niermann, head of drylin linear and drive technology division at igus. Customised solutions for maximum freedom To compensate for the rail spacing, a pivoting spherical ball made of abrasion-resistant iglidur plastic is used in the new drylin carriage. Thus, the carriage can move on flat rails as well as on concave or convex curved rails. Just as the carriage for a fixed radius, the new version is also available with manual clamping, whereby the carriage can be fixed at any position. Users can order their custom curved aluminium rails with corresponding carriages from igus.