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igus® inc.

PO BOX 14349

East Providence

RI 02914

+1 800 521 2747
+1 401 438 7270
US(EN)
Always Lightweight. Always Grease-Free.

Linear bearings & slides from drylin®

Unlike re-circulating ball bearing guides that roll, drylin® linear bearings & assemblies are engineered to slide. Sliding elements made of high-performance, self-lubricating plastics allow the linear bearing assembly to be maintenance-free and resistant to external influences. The special materials also allow the linear bearings to run extremely quietly. By making the switch to drylin® linear bearings, costs are also reduced by up to 40%.  Configure your own linear bearing assembly in just a few steps with our configurator tool as well.  Choose the components that fit the needs of your application, calculate service life and send directly to your shopping cart.  Use the drylin® linear guide configurator.

Tech Up, Cost Down
Upgrade your current linear bearings and slides by switching to igus®.  By switching drylin®, customers can increase their technology and reduce their costs by up to 50%.   In addition to these benefits, igus® products offer fast shipping times within 24hrsonline service-life calculators and tools for nearly all product lines, and tested reliability.


Browse our linear bearings & slides

drylin® W linear guide rails

drylin W linear guide rails

  • Dirt-resistant and durable
  • Easy to assemble
  • Lightweight and quiet-running
  • Largest rail variety
Learn more

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drylin® N low profile linear slides

drylin® N low profile linear slides

  • Low height between 6 and 12 mm
  • Lightweight
  • Rails in silver or black anodize
  • 4 rail widths between 17-80 mm
Learn more

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drylin® T linear guide rails

drylin T

  • Easy alternative to ball guides
  • Identical in connection and drilling dimensions
  • Automatic adjustable bearing clearance
  • High static load capacity
​​​​​​​Learn more

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drylin® R linear slide bearings

drylin R

  • Compatible with standard ball bushings
  • Interchangeable liners
  • Highly wear-resistant
  • Durable and dirt-resistant
Learn more

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drylin® Q square rails

drylin Q

  • Non-rotating
  • Space saving and lightweight
  • Bearing clearance infinitely adjustable
  • Durable and self-lubricating
Learn more

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drylin® NT telescopic rails

drylin® NT telescopic rails

  • Step-less stroke lengths up to 600 mm
  • Useful in hygienic environments
  • Durable with ease of use
  • Self-lubricating and quiet
Learn More

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Contact a linear bearings and slides expert

Whether you're interested in turnkey, fully assembled solutions or looking to build your own customizable project, let us assist you with a solution based on your specific application and requirements. Contact us via the form below or call us at (800) 521-2747 to discuss your project today!

Contact an igus® expert now

Request a Free Sample Box

drylin sample box

Simply fill out the form below and we will ship you a free sample box.

Request a sample box

Request or Download the Catalog

drylin catalog

Request the catalog below or download and browse the digital version.

Request a Catalog

Browse other drylin® linear parts

HTS linear screw actuator

Linear actuators

Explore our range of linear and screw-driven actuators with rails or quad blocks, as well as belt-driven actuators and more.

Browse our linear actuators
Gantries & cartesian robots

Gantries & cartesian robots

View our selection of gantry robots for xyz linear motions including XY actuators (single rail) as well as XY and XYZ gantry robots.

Browse gantries and cartesian robots
lead screw and lead screw nuts

Lead screws and lead screw nuts

Browse our range of lead screw nuts and flange nuts, stainless-steel or aluminum lead screws, and various accessories.

Browse lead screws and nuts

Engineer's Toolbox Resources

 

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q: What are the most important things to consider when using
    drylin linear bearings?

    A: The location of both the drive force and payload's center of gravity, as well as load-force, speed, and precision requirements need to be taken into consideration.  Typically drylin® has a clearance range of 0.02-15mm, but we do offer many preloaded or adjustable versions.

  • Q: How does igus® test its linear bearings and what certifications
    are available?

    A: igus® has the world’s largest ‘motion plastic’ test lab where we perform over 15,000 tests per year.  For an overview of this and the certifications and approvals please click this link

  • Q: How long do drylin® linear bearings last and are the liners
    replaceable?

    A: igus® provides an online lifetime calculator which calculates wear per km (or mile), calculates the stack-up clearance for your application, a pdf report of your application, as well as other valuable engineering information.  And yes, the liners are easy to replace and offer several ‘quick change’ options. For a video please click here.

  • Q: What is the longest linear rail or shaft that you offer?
    Can they be joined together?

    A:  Depending on the size we stock rails in lengths between 2000mm – 4000mm.  Most sizes can be joined together.  For more information please click here.

  • Q: Do you cut rails in-house, and can you do custom machining?

    A: Yes, we cut rails in-house to an overall +/-2mm length tolerance on a chop saw.  The rails are cut to the desired length with the holes symmetrically placed.  We also carry no-hole rail and are able to customize the parts based on your needs—simply provide us with a drawing and we are happy to help. We also offer a linear shaft configurator which provides both 2D and 3D CAD files, assigns a part number, and allows you to order online.

  • Q: Can drylin® linear bearings be used outdoors,
    saltwater or in washdown environments?

    A: Since drylin® is self-lubricating and does not require oil or grease they are ideal in dirty, dusty environments. Since drylin® is based on corrosion-resistant bearing liners and either anodized aluminum or 300-series stainless rails/shafts they are commonly used in splash-water, underwater, saltwater and chemical washdown applications.  We have passed saltwater testing in several major boat manufacturer’s test labs.

  • Q: Does drylin® offer noise reduction advantages
    over metal or RBB’s?

    A: drylin® rails and slides offer a significant amount of noise reduction compared to recirculation ball bearing systems. In most cases drylin® plastic bearings technology is 4 times quieter (-20b) compared to metal. This is due to our maintenance free sliding elements made of high-performance, self-lubricating plastics. For more information, please click here.

  • Q: What materials do igus® slides and rails come in?

    A: igus® offers linear rails, pillow blocks and carriages. We offer shaft options in several different material options: steel, stainless and nonferrous options like hard/clear anodized aluminum and carbon fiber, in both inch and metric sizes. Our linear slide bearings , pillow block and carriage options include stainless steel aluminum and diecast zinc. 

  • Q: What is a floating bearing and when are they needed?

    A: drylin® floating bearings offer advantages for nearly all applications. They offer an easier assembly, less adjustment necessary and lower wear and drive force by elimination of misalignment forces on the bearings. To help prevent binding simply mount the linear guides with one guide fixed and the other guide floating. This allows for lower friction-forces, lower wear, as well as being easier to assemble.

  • Q: Does igus® offer curved rails?

    A: Yes, igus® has options for curved rails in full circle, half circle and quadrant. We also have options in  convex and concave. Additional information can be found here

  • Q: How do I align my igus® rails?

    A: When two linear guides are mounted in parallel, with bearings on each guide connected by a plate or carriage, precautions must be taken to prevent binding, or “jerking” motion that can be caused by misalignment between the rails, uneven loads on each bearing, or differences in manufacturing tolerances between rails and bearings. Here are some helpful tips for aligning igus® rails.

  • Q: Can igus® parts be interchanged with my current system?

    A: Yes, in most cases igus® products can be easily retrofitted to replace up and running systems. Our drylin® T and R are often used as a direct replacement recirculating ball bearings systems, and even drylin® W has a cross-reference option.



The terms "igus", "Apiro", "chainflex", "CFRIP", "conprotect", "CTD", "drylin", "dry-tech", "dryspin", "easy chain", "e-chain", "e-chain systems", "e-ketten", "e-kettensysteme", "e-skin", "e-spool", "flizz", "ibow", "igear", "iglidur", "igubal", "kineKIT", "manus", "motion plastics", "pikchain", "plastics for longer life", "readychain", "readycable", "ReBeL", "speedigus", "triflex", "robolink", "xirodur", and "xiros" are legally protected trademarks of the igus® GmbH/ Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany and where applicable in some foreign countries.

igus® GmbH points out that it does not sell any products of the companies Allen Bradley, B&R, Baumüller, Beckhoff, Lahr, Control Techniques, Danaher Motion, ELAU, FAGOR, FANUC, Festo, Heidenhain, Jetter, Lenze, LinMot, LTi DRiVES, Mitsibushi, NUM,Parker, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Siemens, Stöber and all other drive manufacturers mention in this website. The products offered by igus® are those of igus® GmbH