Lubrication-free linear guides for maintenance-free spice vending machines

Profile

• What was needed: Three linear guides for the vending machine axes
• Requirements: Food grade, long service life, smooth motion
• Application area: Vending machinery

Using learned knowledge directly is something those attending the Student Engineering Academy, and also the five students from the Rosenstein grammar school in Heubach, Germany, get to do. In the training workshop at EMAG LaserTec GmbH, they built a spice vending machine for supermarkets to speed up selection and purchase.
 

Problem

In order for the system to be able to take the right spice out of the vending machine, the inventors needed smooth, long-lasting linear guides for the axes. A belt drive was chosen to drive the Z-axis. The challenge was to find a linear guide that absorbs the high vibrations. The components also had to be suitable for use in the food sector, and their service life had to be as long as possible.

Solution

The students contacted igus and found the perfect solution: three linear guides from the drylin W modular system. They ensure that all compartments are easily accessible so that the right spice can be taken out and dispensed. The tribo-plastic sliding elements in the guide carriages need no external lubricants whatsoever and are suitable for use in the food industry. The absence of greases also means that no dirt will accumulate on the linear carriage and block the guide. The guides can easily absorb the vibrations on the Z-axis.