DOI RECORD
Investigation of limiting load for linear motion ball guides incorporating the flexibility of the carriage
Abstract
The limiting load is a pivotal constraint for the design of Linear Motion Ball Guides (LMBGs). Although the modeling of the limiting load was reported, it remains unclear how the elastic deformation of guide affects the limiting load of the LMBGs. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel approach to calculate the limiting load for the LMBGs incorporating the flexibility of carriage. The flexible model of the limiting load of LMBGs is established by coupling deformation equation, Hertzian contact mechanics, deformation formulas of carriage, and the limiting load criteria. The limiting load considering the elastic deformations is obtained by solving the equation with the Newton iteration method. A case study on a commercial-grade LMBG is conducted to verify the validation of the proposed approach. The result shows that the elastic deformation of guide has an obvious impact on the limiting load of LMBGs, and the tensile limiting load is much less than the compressive limiting load. By aid of FEM, the formula of elastic deformation and contact load can be built based on the influence coefficient method. This study fills a gap in the modeling on the limiting load with taking into account the elastic deformation and provides new insights into the serviceability limitation of LMBGs.