Linear axes in the accumulating roller chain conveyor

As an expert in conveyor technology, Broich Systemtechnik develops customised solutions for transporting workpieces in industry. The wide range of conveyor systems also includes accumulating roller chain conveyors. In these systems, workpieces are fed into and removed from the safety area of a machine tool at a fixed distance and interval.

The workpieces are placed in prisms by hand and transported into the safety area. There they are lifted from the conveyor track by pneumatic lifting systems, fixed in place and processed by an automatic grinding machine. A machine safety fence ensures the safe separation of the danger zone, and the system control is programmed and installed by Broich Systemtechnik itself.

An important component of the system is the track width adjustment - and here the designers were on the lookout for suitable components. These should enable the conveyor tracks to be flexibly adapted to different part sizes. The track width should be able to be precisely increased or reduced manually in order to optimally serve the required range of parts.

The challenge here is that the conveyor track is around 2,500mm and must be adjustable exactly parallel over its entire length. The conveyor track, which is adjusted via the lead screw units, weighs over 300kg. This is why particularly robust and precise linear units were required.

igus offers the perfect solution here with drylin SLW lead screw units. Two lead screw units are used per conveyor, which are synchronised via a toothed belt and can be easily adjusted using a hand crank. This makes it easy to precisely adjust the track width and safely move the heavy weight.

The special feature of our drylin linear units: They are equipped with tribologically optimised polymer liners that are completely lubrication-free externally. This reduces maintenance costs and eliminates maintenance downtime.

Compared to recirculating ball bearing systems, the plastic liners also score points with a larger load-bearing surface, which protects the rail profiles and leads to a longer service life.

For applications with low speeds and especially for manual adjustments, the lubrication-free linear systems with plain bearings are the perfect solution.