Bethel, Ct -- Tusk Direct has announced the availability of low-cost, miniature ball and crossed roller slides that provide the ideal solution for delivering precision linear motion in applications with tight space restrictions. The ball slides, which offer the smallest envelopes, start at only $75 while crossed roller slides that provide much higher load carrying capacity and improved stiffness and rigidity are available at $128 and up. These and all other Tusk Direct linear motion components can be ordered online at http://www.tuskdirect.com or by phone at 800-447-2042 (203-790-4611 in Connecticut) by noon for next day delivery.

Series BX1 ball slides have a cross-section ranging from 0.23 inches high by 0.38 inches wide, travel ranging up to 1.5 inches and a 1.5 pound load carrying capacity. The smallest of these slides is only 0.75 inches long, yet moves 0.50 inches with 0.0002” repeatability and 0.0005”/inch of travel straight line accuracy. These slides arrive ready to use without requiring any adjustment. Factory threaded holes make it possible to mount them simply by installing two screws. Their ball bearing design consists of hardened steel balls rolling between a set of four smooth rods on each side of the base, offering designers low starting and rolling friction.

Series RX1 crossed roller slides have a cross-section starting at 0.32 inches high and 0.56 inches wide and offer travel up to 2 inches. The unique feature of these slides is they can carry loads up to 66 pounds, providing the ideal solution for moving heavy components in tight surroundings. These slides use steel rollers, alternately crisscrossed with each other, in place of balls. The rollers move between a set of four, partially flat, smooth rods on each side of the base. The crossed rollers share a larger contact surface with the rods compared to the contact surface of steel balls. This bearing design allows crossed roller slides to carry increased loads and absorb greater impacts than equivalent size ball slides. Straight line accuracy is improved to 0.0001”/inch of travel and repeatability to 0.0001”.