Linear guides have been widely used in CNC machine tools, 3D printing equipment, packaging machinery, woodworking machinery and other fields that require precise transmission control and positioning. However, these linear guides are very easy to rust during use due to the influence of the external environment.
Now, linear guides and ball screws have been widely used in CNC machine tools, precision testing instruments, all-electric injection molding machines, robots, robotic arms, 3D printing equipment, packaging machinery, woodworking machinery and other fields that require precise transmission control and positioning. However, these linear guides are very easy to rust during use due to the influence of the external environment. The rust of linear guides is mainly caused by two reasons: one is the metal erosion of the bearing itself, and the other is the erosion of the tool elements.
The metal erosion of the linear guide itself accounts for the vast majority. Due to the special reasons of the working environment, rust is often unavoidable. Especially when the weather is hot, the operator's hand sweat can also cause the linear guide to rust. Sweat can easily cause the linear guide to rust, so do not touch the guide directly with your hands. People will definitely sweat, and to avoid the rust of linear guides in your hands, you should wear gloves, finger cots or special tools when holding linear guides. Human sweat is a colorless, transparent or light yellow, salty and weakly acidic liquid with a pH value of 5~6. In addition to sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium salts, it also contains a small amount of organic acids such as urea, lactic acid and citric acid. When human sweat comes into contact with metal, a sweat film will form on the metal surface, which will cause electrochemical effects on the metal and corrode the metal.
Heavy Duty Linear Guide
Of course, there are effective protection measures, and this situation can be completely avoided, such as wearing professional gloves for professional parts removal to install and operate. What aspects of the guide will be affected by the metal erosion of the linear guide? First, the surface brightness; second, the chemical structure and composition of the metal material; third, the solution composition and pH value on the metal surface.
In fact, the main reason for the rust of linear guides is that we don't know enough about the use of linear guides. Generally speaking, when the linear guides leave the factory or when they are processed by the processor, a layer of anti-rust oil will be wiped on them, so why do they still rust? That's because many people put the guide rails in the warehouse after using them, and they don't take any protective measures after use.
After we use them, we should wipe a layer of anti-rust oil on the linear guide rails. Don't think it's unimportant. This is a very important step; don't think that the processor has already added oil. In fact, anti-rust oil evaporates quickly. Put it in a normal temperature warehouse and don't mix it with corrosive things. Unify the warehouse brackets and don't put unused linear guides underground, because the anti-rust oil evaporates quickly underground, so you must pay attention to this.
If it is installed in the equipment and is blocked by an aluminum alloy frame outside, you can wipe some anti-rust oil or lubricating oil regularly to prevent the lubricating oil from evaporating. After working for a long time, the machine and the guide surface will rub against each other, resulting in a larger friction coefficient, which is not good for the service life of the slider.
If the linear guide is exposed to the outside and is in close contact with the outside air, dust, etc., in this case, it is recommended to be more diligent and perform cleaning and maintenance once a week. Use a cloth to wipe off the oil stains on the guide itself and the dust and debris from the outside, and then apply lubricating oil or grease again. Regular maintenance must be performed so that the linear guide can cooperate with the mechanical automation equipment for a long time.
The most important thing to prevent the guide from rusting is to keep the surface of the linear guide clean. When cleaning, the appropriate method must be selected according to the properties of the surface of the rust-proof object and the conditions at the time. After the surface is dry and cleaned, it can be blown dry with filtered dry compressed air, or dried with a dryer at 120℃~170℃, or wiped dry with clean gauze. Finally, apply anti-rust oil to the linear guide. The application of anti-rust oil can be divided into: soaking, brushing, spraying, etc.