New at Rodriguez: Miniature Profile Rail Guides of the BM Series

The new miniature profile rail guides from the Rodriguez range feature a robust, innovative ball retention system that ensures no balls are lost during assembly or maintenance. (Image: Rodriguez GmbH)

Rodriguez has expanded its range of profile rail guides. In addition to ball roller guides in the classic X-design in sizes 15 to 45 mm, miniature guides with rail widths of 7, 9, 12, and 15 mm are also available for particularly compact constructions. Recently, Rodriguez presented a new miniature version with an innovative ball retention system at the AMB in Stuttgart.

Miniature profile rail guides can be used in very tight spaces. Rodriguez typically offers stainless steel variants with narrow and wide rails. The ready-to-install miniature versions are smooth-running, highly dynamic, and corrosion-resistant. They are therefore ideal for applications where quick, repeatable positioning is essential, such as in cleanrooms, semiconductor, and medical technology.

Clean operation without friction losses

Safe and precise: The new miniature version of the BM series features a robust, innovative ball retention system that ensures no balls are lost during assembly or maintenance. The ball retention also causes less friction than the common wire version and allows for quiet and uniform operation, as Alexander Reimann, Product Manager at Rodriguez, explains: “Our new ball retention system dispenses with the usual, sensitive wire or spring steel used to hold the balls in the carriage and prevent them from falling out, and thus with the groove. The seal sits directly in the raceway and effectively prevents dust and dirt ingress – an advantage also for applications in measurement and laser technology or 3D printing.” The highly wear-resistant front seal also lasts longer than a standard rubber seal.

Durable and interchangeable

In addition to outstanding running properties and reduced noise development, the miniature guide rail offers high durability. Thanks to the integrated lubricant reservoir, which only contacts the rail surface, maintenance intervals can be optimized – in tests, a lifespan of 20,000 km was achieved. With the miniature profile rail guides, speeds of up to 5 m/s and acceleration values of up to 140 m/s² can be reached. They are available both as assembled product sets and individually with separate, interchangeable carriages. Thanks to reference edges on both sides of the carriage and rail, they can be mounted universally.