Linear Bearings & Shafts
Linear ball bushings and hardened shafts for smooth motion at 0.005 mm per 300 mm.
Linear motion where the straightness of the shaft sets the smoothness of the slide. Shafts are hardened and ground between centres, and bushings preloaded so the axis has no play.
4–6 weeks
10 pieces
ISO 9001:2015
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Shaft straightness | 0.005 | mm / 300 mm |
| Shaft diameter | Ø6–Ø80 | mm |
| Shaft tolerance | h6 | - |
| Shaft hardness | 58–64 | HRC |
| Shaft roughness | Ra 0.2 | µm |
| Bushing play | Preload available | - |
Available Materials
- Bearing steel 52100 (shafts)
- Stainless 440C
- Aluminium housing components
- Bronze (plain bushings)
Typical Applications
- Pick-and-place axes
- Test rig slides
- Press guides
- Optical stages
- Packaging machinery
Surface Finishes
- Hardened + ground
- Hard chrome on shafts
- Black oxide
- Passivate
- Pre-lubricated
Industries Served
- Automation
- Semiconductor
- Medical
- Packaging
- Instrumentation
What drives the price of this part
Derived from the callouts on this page. Where a driver is not on the drawing, it is not on this list.
- Tolerance
- Shaft tolerance at h6 is the tightest callout this family carries. Tightening a callout is a process decision, not a machining decision: below the standard ±0.005 mm the work moves to grinding or jig boring, and the price moves with it.
- Part size
- Shaft diameter at Ø6–Ø80 mm decides which machine the part lands on and how many setups it needs. Size is the driver buyers most often leave out of a first enquiry, and it is the one that changes the quote fastest.
- Material
- The first material listed, Bearing Steel 52100 (100Cr6), rates 4/10 on our machinability scale at 60–66 HRC hardened · 183–217 HB annealed. On this shop's scale a harder alloy means slower passes and more tool changes, and that is cycle time the quote has to carry.
- Order size
- Minimum order is 10 pieces, so on a first order setup and programming are spread over very few parts and they are most of the price. Repeat orders at the same quantity are cheaper without anything on the drawing changing.
See how cycle time is calculated in the machining time calculator and what else moves a price in the cost driver reference.
How these parts are inspected
Matched to the callouts above and the instruments actually on the floor.
- Coordinate measuring machine (Zeiss CONTURA G2, two machines, GR&R 8.4% on the critical feature)
- Dimensional report against the drawing, with a 100% check on critical features rather than a sample
- Certificate of conformance and the mill certificate with every shipment
- Rockwell hardness tester on the part, not only against the mill certificate
The full equipment list, with counts, is on the capability page; the inspection sequence is on quality and inspection.
Questions buyers ask
- How straight are the shafts really?
- 0.005 mm per 300 mm on a ground hardened shaft, measured on centres. Beyond about 1.5 m you should plan on intermediate supports, because the shaft sags under its own weight.
- Ball bushings or plain bronze?
- Ball bushings for low friction and light loads, bronze where the axis is slow, dirty or oscillating. Bronze also survives a washdown that would flush the grease out of a ball bushing.
Related part families
Precision Ball Bearings
ABEC 5–7 deep-groove and angular contact ball bearings, runout verified on every finished race.
CNC Turned Shafts
Turned and ground shafts, pins and spindles held to 0.005 mm TIR on bearing journals.
Machine Tooling & Inserts
Form tools, bushings and production inserts, hardened and ground to hold size across a long run.