With the growing trend for companies to move away from manual machine operation to specialised mechanisation as part of cost saving programmes, industrial equipment supplier BMG has made a substantial investment in expanding its product range to meet specific demand in economical and highly complex applications.

“BMG’s quality branded linear motion products have been carefully selected for excellent accuracy and smooth linear motion, easy integration, energy saving and environmental protection,” says BMG bearings, seals and gaskets division business unit manager Wayne Holton.

He adds that, BMG’s linear way products include linear guides, runner blocks, rails, ball screws, bushings and shafts, designed for use in diverse applications.

This includes original-equipment manufacturers, the machine tool sector, automotive plants, design houses, packaging, beverage plants, robotics, brick and glass manufacturing, paper, pulp and wood industries and for measuring systems.

Key to precision instruments are linear guides, which are used in conjunction with compact ball screws that are locked onto a platform and linked to a servo motor, to produce linear motion. The primary function of the guide is to allow the platform to maintain high precision, high rigidity and high load motion, he notes.

BMG’s cable carrier systems, which ensure smooth and quiet motion of machinery, extend from individual components for standard applications, to complete system solutions for more complex applications.

Standard components are suitable for machine tools, cranes and steel, as well as medical and laboratory systems, while specialised components are required for more demanding applications, such as industrial robots, offshore rigs and aerospace.

Holton explains that BMG also supplies custom manufactured systems for specific requirements. Cable carrier systems are available in heavy duty steel and durable, lightweight plastic materials.

The company’s slew ring bearings, which link two mechanical components on one axis of rotation, are capable of handling axial, radial and moment loads.

The advantages, compared to a traditional bearing arrangement, include the requirement for a reduced number of rolling elements, less machining, quicker and easier assembly, weight and space saving, and thus lower capital investment and operating costs. Downtime for maintenance is also reduced, he states.

The range includes ball and roller, wire race bearings and high precision slewing rings – with or without internal or external gears.

BMG’s advanced linear motion products meet the demands of reliability, rigidity and smooth motion required from applications requiring high machining accuracy under high speed.