Automotion Components Telescopic Rails
What is...
Features
Introduction
If you are looking for heavy duty, quality telescopic rails for industrial or commercial applications then these are the rails for you!
The best heavy duty telescopic slides on the market
These are unique rails that are not made from pressed steel but from cold-drawn steel section. The rails can take high loads, with very long strokes, with repeated use, low deflection and minimal play.
Commercial applications
- Very high load capacity.
- Strokes up to 4 metres.
- Cold-drawn steel section.
Anti-corrosion option
Alloy coating or nickel plating of the rails and sliders can be applied to provide a corrosion resistant solution.
Quality
Smooth running, hardened raceways. Special slides available.
Rail types
Our range of telescopic rails covers partial, full stroke and over-extension.
For more information refer to our product specifications pages or call our technical department.
Specifications & applications
Specifications
- Generally all our telescopic rails have induction hardened raceways.
- Cold drawn roller bearing steel.
- Maximum operating speed 0,8 m/s.
- Temperature range (mainly -30°C to +170°C).
- Electrolytic galvanised to ISO 2081, other anti-corrosion finishes on request.
- High load ratings with low deflection characteristics.
- Minimum play (even at maximum load ratings).
- Smooth, free running movement.
- Long strokes and heavy load ratings.
- Can be used in horizontal applications only (due to the use of a ball cage), with the exception of part number L1985 which uses roller bearings.
- Light duty “cage stops” are included on the telescopic rails to prevent damage to the ball cage. External end stops must be designed into your application (to protect the rails from high forces and possible damage on opening and closing).
- For telescopic rails with an “upper” and “lower” rail, the moving rail should be the lower one. Using the upper rail as the moving element effects the smooth running and the load capacity of the telescopic sliders.
- All load capacity fi gures are given for a single rail, and based on continuous use.
- Fix to structures using screws of strength class 10,9.
- Anti-corrosion option. We have a highly effective anti-corrosive coating option, and we utilise stainless steel ball bearings in this version.
Applications
Special purpose & packaging machines
Precision positioning systems
handling units
robotic systems • cutting machines
Seating
Sliding seats
disability ramps
seat extensions
Safety guarding
Extending protective systems
sliding gates
automatic pick & place
Logistics solutions
Container extensions
heavy duty extending systems
sliding doors
Disability vehicles
Sliding seats
extension ramps
Transport (naval)
Sliding hatches
pull-out storage
Transport (rail)
Seat adjustment
sliding doors
battery removal units
Transport (automotive)
Ambulance sliding systems
fire fighting vehicles
sliding panels
Transport (military)
Sliding seats
protective hatches
stretcher extensions
Logistics case study
“Load A increased from 600Kg to 1,000Kg and the stroke increased to 3.0 metres. Load B remained at 300Kg but the stroke increased to a massive 3.8 metres when fully extended. The total defl ection of the fully loaded rails was only 1.4°”
A customer had a project involving moving large components by road freight. The components had to be easily removed from the vehicle with full access to the part. To enable this, the technical design department of the customer had designed in the use of a number of full extension telescopic rails.
The loads initially considered were:
Load A – 300kg requiring a stroke of 2.5 metres.
Load B – 600Kg requiring a stroke of 3.0 metres.
After consultation with our technical staff it was confirmed that we could indeed supply these rails with the minimal deflection needed. As the project developed various other requirements were placed on the design that lead to a substantial increase in the loadings and strokes on the rails. Load A increased from 600Kg to 1,000Kg and the stroke increased to 3.0 metres. Load B remained at 300Kg but the stroke increased to a massive 3.8 metres when fully extended. The total deflection of the fully loaded rails was only 1.4 degree!
Automotion Components are proud to have supplied what may well have been one of the heaviest duty and longest stroke sets of telescopic rails in the UK. Around 30 sets have been supplied to date.
General Guidance
Product Specification
How to select a telescopic rail
Firstly, these telescopic rails are for heavy duty applications, they are not made from pressed steel but from cold-drawn steel, with hardened raceways.
As a result they can be used in demanding applications and for repetitive applications or for applications where a high degree of product reliability is required as well as smooth and consistent operation. They have smooth movement, minimal play and a low coefficient of friction. There are no better telescopic rails available!
Stroke required
In general the partial extension (strokes of 50% of overall rail length) telescopic rails are less expensive than the full extension rails and over-extension rails.
Where possible the use of a double direction rail (i.e. can stroke forward and backwards) can be very cost-effective, allowing twice the stroke for the same rail length, but this may not suit many applications.
Load capacity
The next consideration is based on the load to be carried. All loads given are for a single rail and assume the load is centred in the mid-point of the moveable rail, in its extended position.
Important: In cases where the rail has an upper and lower rail, the receiving rail should be the lower one.
Typically, a pair of rails is used and the load acts in the centre of both rails. In this case the load capacity of the pair of rails is calculated as follows:
P1 = 2 . C0rad
Some rails are more suited to axial loads and moment loads than others, dependent on their cross sectional form.
Rail shape
The different rail profiles and sizes allow rails to be chosen to suit various applications e.g.
L1984 - thin section.
L1992 - thin section (but lighter duty).
L1986 - low height.
L1988 - low height.
L1995 - very heavy duty.
L1996 - very heavy duty.
Anti-corrosion treatments
The telescopic slides have a standard electrolytic zinc plate coating (to ISO 2081).
We offer a number of alternatives to increase the anti-corrosion protection including nickel plating.
However, our preferred and most effective solution to inhibit corrosion is to apply a special corrosion resistant (Lanthane) plating to the rails and sliders and to combine this with stainless steel ball bearings.
This coating is applied after the zinc plating process and is a special trivalent chromium passivation that is approximately 15 microns thick (and is free of Chromium VI).
This applies a nano-particle coating and has extremely good results of 200 hours in salt spray tests before any signs of white rust.
Use with stainless steel fixing screws, strength class 10,9
Salt Spray Test (to DIN EN ISO 9227 NSS)
Testing conducted by independent institute
The coating on the telescopic slides is a soft coating and will (over time) wear off the raceways (which are subject to loads from the ball bearings) – this can be seen sometimes by a thin line on the raceways.
However lubricating the raceways with grease (as recommended) ensures, as far as possible, the good corrosion properties of the overall coating.
General
- Internal stops are used to stop the unloaded slider and the ball cage. Please use external stops as end stops for a loaded system.
- To achieve optimum running properties, high service life and rigidity, it is necessary to fix the telescopic rails with all accessible holes onto a rigid and level surface. When using two telescopic rails, please observe the parallelism of the installation surfaces. The fixed and moveable rails fit to the rigid assembly construction.
- Our telescopic rails are suitable for continuous use in automatic systems. For this, the stroke should remain constant in all moving cycles and the operating speed must be checked. The movement of the telescopic rails is enabled by internal ballcages, which may experience an off set from the original position with differing strokes. This phase off set can have a negative effect on the running properties or limit the stroke. If differing strokes occur in an application, the drive force must be sufficient to appropriately synchronies the ball cage off set. Otherwise, an additional maximum stroke must be planned regularly to ensure the correct position of the ballcage.
L1994
- The L1994 series accepts radial and axial loads as well as moment loads in all principle directions.
- Horizontal preferred (vertical application is possible, but prior to vertical installation, we recommend you consult our Technical Department).
- The installation of two partial extensions on a single profile provides a very high load capacity full extension, please consult our Technical Department.
L1986 and L1988
- The L1986 and L1988 series accept radial and axial loads.
- Horizontal preferred (vertical application is possible, but prior to vertical installation, we recommend you consult our Technical Department).
L1984, L1992, L1996, L1985 and L1989
- The L1984, L1992, L1996, L1995 and L1989 series accept radial loads. This should act in the vertical cross-sectional axis on the moveable rails.
- Horizontal preferred (vertical application is possible, but prior to vertical installation, we recommend you consult our Technical Department).
- When installing make sure that the load is placed on the moveable element (the lower rail). The opposite assembly negatively affects smooth movement and load capacity of the telescopic stroke.
- Installation must be done on a rigid, adjacent construction using all accessible fixing holes.
- Pay attention to the parallel alignment during assembly with a paired application.
Installation
Installation instructions
