Linear guide system with rollers: a roller rail and runner blocks for heavy machine axes, preloaded, plugged and checked after mounting
Roller-type linear guide systems for heavy machine axes · Rollers at 45° for equal load in four directions, a 100 km life basis, preload and accuracy classes, rails supplied with mounting-hole plugs or cover strip, and speed limits by size
This page covers roller-type linear guide systems: profiled guide rails and runner blocks in which cylindrical rollers, rather than balls, carry the load, used on heavy machine-tool axes, robots and other high-rigidity machines. Ask three things first: the load and moment capacity the roller blocks give at your size, the preload and accuracy class matched to your rigidity and parallelism needs, and how the rail's mounting holes are closed and the installed guide is checked.
Roller-type profile rail linear guide systems, including roller guide rails, roller runner blocks, preload and accuracy classes, mounting-hole plugs and cover strips, for heavy machine axes. Ball and roller profile rail guides as a product family are covered on the Precision linear motion guide rail page, and long butt-jointed rails with oil-fed blocks on the Linear guideways for long axes page. Polymer sliding linear guides, linear modules and round-shaft bearings are outside this page.
CNFX editorial research · Sources checked October 12, 2026 · 3 sources
Rollers instead of balls: 45° raceways, line contact and a 100 km life basis
HIWIN describes its RG series as using rollers in place of steel balls, in four rows at a 45° contact angle, so that elastic deformation of the line contact is reduced and load ratings are equal in the radial, reverse-radial and lateral directions, with higher load capacity in a smaller size than ball guideways; its catalogue defines the basic dynamic load rating on a nominal life of 50 km for ball guideways and 100 km for roller guideways. [1] Bosch Rexroth arranges the running tracks of its roller rail systems at 45° for the same capacity in all four main load planes, and attributes the RSHP's load capacity and rigidity to the larger contact area of each roller, with roller edges machined to enter the load zone gradually. [2][3]
Values are as read from HIWIN's RGW dimension table; confirm them against the supplier's current data sheet before sizing.
Give the supplier the loads and moments on each block, stroke and speed, the required rigidity and running accuracy, the number of rails and blocks, the bed's reference edges, how the rail will be fixed (from above or below), the lubrication method and the environment (chips, coolant).
02
Preload class, accuracy class, and plugs or a cover strip over the rail's mounting holes
Rexroth supplies roller runner blocks in preload classes C2 and C3 as standard, with C1, C4 and C5 on request; rigidity rises with preload, and so as not to shorten service life the preload should not exceed one third of the bearing load. Its standard steel roller guide rails come in accuracy classes H, P, SP, GP and UP, can use either side as a reference edge, and are supplied for mounting from above with plastic mounting-hole plugs included, for mounting from below with steel plugs, or with a cover strip held by clamps or end caps. [2] HIWIN adds that heavier preload raises rigidity but lowers nominal life. [1]
Editorial note: ask whether plastic plugs, steel plugs or a cover strip suit the chips and coolant on your machine, and check running parallelism with an indicator once the rails are fixed.
Speed and acceleration limits by size, and published endurance tests
Rexroth gives its roller rail systems a maximum speed of 4 m/s, reduced to 3 m/s for sizes 55/85, 65/100 and 65 FXS and to 2 m/s for sizes 100 and 125, and a maximum acceleration of 150 m/s². [2] HIWIN reports sample tests on its RG series: an RGH35CA block at ZA preload, 60 m/min, 1 g acceleration, 0.55 m stroke and 15 kN external load, with a calculated nominal life of 1,000 km, showed no fatigue flaking after 1,135 km; an RGW35CC at 120 m/min over a 2 m stroke with 0.3 cm³/h oil and no external load showed none after 15,000 km. [1]
Editorial calculation: 60 m/min is 1 m/s and 120 m/min 2 m/s, half of Rexroth's 4 m/s limit for its smaller roller blocks; the speeds come from different makers' data and are not a comparison of the two products. [1][2]
04
Send the loads, accuracy and mounting details together
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Loads: [forces; moments; per block]
Motion: [stroke; speed; acceleration]
Guide: [size; block type; number of rails and blocks]
Class: [preload C2/C3; accuracy H–UP]
Rail: [mounting from above or below; plugs or cover strip; length]
Environment: [chips; coolant; lubrication]
1 company lists this product among what they make. Company figures are quoted from each
company's own website; every card states where the relationship came from.
Zhejiang CNCD Transmission Equipment Co., Ltd.
Manufacturing site to be confirmed for the order
Lists roller linear guides alongside its ball linear guide rails.
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
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Compiled and source-reviewed by the CNFX editorial team.
Each manufacturer above links to the page on that company's own website where the product is listed, with the date we checked it. How we source and review
· Page last updated 13 October 2026
Buyer questions
Why use a roller linear guide instead of a ball guide?
Rollers in line contact deform less under load; HIWIN and Rexroth arrange them at 45° for equal load capacity in all four directions, and HIWIN rates roller guides on a 100 km life basis against 50 km for balls. [1][2]
What preload classes do roller runner blocks come in?
Rexroth offers C2 and C3 as standard and C1, C4 and C5 on request, with preload kept below one third of the bearing load to protect service life. [2]
Why are there plastic caps on a linear guide rail?
Rexroth's rails for mounting from above are supplied with plastic mounting-hole plugs; alternatives are steel plugs for mounting from below or a cover strip. [2]
Sources and what still needs a direct check
Sources checked 2026-10-12. HIWIN and Bosch Rexroth describe their own roller guide systems in their catalogues and product pages.
