When designing new medical diagnostic instruments, the ability to manufacture products along with the ease of assembly can be just as critical as performance. A complex assembly and installation process can lead to higher costs and additional need for maintenance upkeep in the field.
A medical equipment engineering team was working to streamline the design of their motion control system for a diagnostic analyzer. The analyzer required precise movement to position the bio-samples in place as well as to sort and store them when not being analyzed. To solve their linear motion challenges, the company needed a driven linear guide system that was compact enough to fit into the pre-designed package and also precise enough to reliably move the samples into place.
PBC Linear was approached in order to bring a compatible substitute to the motion control assembly that consisted of 33 components including multiple complex machined pieces. Also, the machining and assembly processes was being completed by several separate vendors, resulting in a slower time to market. The PBC Linear team was resolved to streamline this process through the use of a single-piece, plain bearing assembly to simplify installation, improve reliability, and reduce the total installed cost.
The lead screw driven Mini-Rail® linear stage from PBC Linear was the recommended solution. Mini-Rail linear actuators use proven Simplicity® plain bearing technology to ensure long-lasting, maintenance-free travel. Its 303 stainless steel lead screw provided the optimum drive for accuracy and subtle adjustment. With this application, custom brackets were installed into the application for optimized fit. All of these advantages combined to create a Mini-Rail linear stage solution that offered the compact positioning the design team was searching for.
During testing, the design team saw an immediate savings in both time and cost, not to mention an improvement in reliability. The custom Mini-rail solution from PBC Linear reduced the total installed cost by 40-percent. Also, since PBC Linear does their machining in-house, the new solution streamlined processing and simplified machining vendors down to one.
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