As the name implies, literally, the difference between a ball linear guide and a roller linear guide is the medium in which they roll. The ball linear guide uses rigid balls, and the roller linear guide uses steel columns.
The main difference between ball linear guides and roller linear guides is the bearing capacity.
The roller linear guide is used in the slider with a cylindrical roller bearing, which has a large total contact area and can bear a large load, while the ball linear guide is used in the slider with a spherical roller bearing, which can bear The load is relatively small.
The advantage is that because the total contact area is small, its frictional resistance is correspondingly smaller. In general, the ball linear guide is faster and less rigid, and the roller linear guide is slower, but its rigidity is good.
We can also distinguish them from the following, the structure diagram of the ball linear guide and the structure diagram of the roller linear guide.
Structure of ball linear guide:
Structure of roller linear guide:
Roller guides are similar to ball guides but offer a greater load capacity when compared to the equivalent-size ball version. Due to their compactness and precision, they are often used in medical applications.Cross roller slides offer very high accuracy and high load capacities. However, the nature of their design leaves them vulnerable to contamination and consequently they are predominantly used in a clean room or vacuum applications.