Glide Screw™

Combines the Features of a Linear Bearing and Screw in One Compact Package

www.thomsonlinear.com
Introduction
What is a Glide Screw™? Part linear bearing, part lead screw; a combination of two
favorites to create something better than both. The patent-pending Glide Screw™
brings high performance, fast installation and less complexity in a small package.

Standard Sizes and Configurations Stocked for Immediate Availability!

•7 Metric Series includes 4, 6 and 10 mm nominal diameters
•7 Inch Series includes 3/16”, 1/4” and 3/8” nominal diameters
•7 Flanged and cylindrical nut bodies standard

Optional Configurations for Harsh Environments Available

•7 High temperature resistant – inside ovens or autoclaves (up to 175 °C)
•7 Clean room – in robot vacuum chambers, laboratories or medical equipment (ISO 6)
•7 Food grade – in packaging and food processing equipment

Custom Nut Configurations, Screw Diameters and Thread Leads Available

•7 Don’t see your perfect configuration – call us, we make custom sizes!

Easy to Install and Maintenance Free!

•7 All that is required is a Glide ScrewTM and an anti-rotation feature
•7 No need for reference surfaces or the pain of “floating” your system into alignment
•7 Plug and play! Install it and forget it!
•7 Integrated Thomson’s patented Lube for Life technology
• 7 Bearing grade plastic and stainless steel construction standard

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 Glide Screw™

Benefits of the Glide Screw™ Technology

The Glide Screw™ combines the features of a linear bearing and a lead screw in one
smooth operating package. Inch and metric sizes are standard. Custom sizes are also
available quickly and to your specification.

Glide Nut Housing

Glide Screw

Lubrication Block

Radial Bearing

Reduced Footprint
•7 Integrated lead screw / linear bearing
•7 Side load / moment load capable

Improved Equipment Uptime

•7 Screw and linear bearing are already aligned
•7 Component alignment is not critical – smooth and quiet motion
•7 Integrated lubrication block – Thomson Lube for Life standard

Lower Cost of Ownership

•7 Less complexity – faster installation
•7 Less components – simpler bill of material
•7 Maintenance free! No lubrication required

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Typical Application
Every engineer’s objective is to eliminate parts, streamline the design, simplify
installation and reduce the maintenance required – exactly what a Glide Screw™ does.

3D Printing or Engraving
Innovative and portable multi-axis printers / engravers are revolutionizing rapid prototyping and consumer
products. The Glide ScrewTM can reduce the number of components, decrease system complexity, decrease
assembly time and produce a better machine as decribed in the table below. It requires no maintenance, can
shorten overall guided length and has a longer life which makes our Thomson Glide ScrewTM the better design
solution and less expensive overall.

Generic design

Glide Screw™ design!

Generic vs. Glide Srew™ Design

Generic Glide Screw™

X, Y Area Compactness 4100 mm2 1600 mm2

Z Axis Length 64 mm 46 mm

Approx. Installation Time 45 min 15 min

Number of Parts 74 30

Self Aligning No Yes

Maintenance Free No Yes

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 Glide Screw™

Other Application Ideas

Fluid Pumps
Syringe pumps and integrated fluid pumps are a growing segment of the medical
Other Applications
industry. The stringent demands of these customers require smaller, cleaner,
The Glide Screw™
smoother, and quieter products. This is exactly the challenge the Glide ScrewTM
was designed to solve. improves performance
in a smaller and lighter
package. It is easier
and faster to install.
Also, it requires less
maintenance compared
to traditional lead
screw and linear guide
solutions. Other great
applications for the
Glide Screw™ include:

• Test tube handling

• Lab automation
• CD duplication
• Pick & place
Fluid Pipetting / 3-Axis Lab Automation • Syringe pumps
Lab automation and diagnostics require faster and more accurate systems • In vitro diagnostics
in smaller footprints. Optimized for z-axis applications requiring the smallest • Medical imaging
footprint, the Glide ScrewTM can replace traditional linear guided products that
are overdesigned and more expensive.

Generic design

Glide Screw™ design!

www.thomsonlinear.com/glidescrew 5
Engineering
The Glide ScrewTM is designed to actuate a moment load or a side load without
additional linear guidance or support. Therefore, the screw deflection is the
determinant feature and the following charts must be used when properly sizing a
Glide ScrewTM for an application.

How the Glide Screw™ Works

axial axial
The unique design of Glide Screw™ allows it to
load load
handle axial, radial and moment loads without
additional guidance. The result is an efficient and
space saving design that is quick and easy to install
with reduced maintenance needs compared to
traditional solutions. radial
load

moment
load

= load lines
= reactionary forces

End Support
Decide which type of end support you will use to 1.
enable accurate selection of diameter.

Fixed support – utilizes a support journal length at Max. Length

least 1.5 × the journal diameter – such as dual ball
bearings.
2.
Simple support – uses a single ball bearing, a plain
bearing, or a bushing. Max. Length

End support configurations shown at left: 3.

1. Simple / simple
2. Fixed / simple
3. Fixed / fixed
Max. Length

6 www.thomsonlinear.com/glidescrew
 Glide Screw™

Engineering
Moment Load and Radial Load Charts
Determine your end support configuration and then The lead of a Glide ScrewTM is defined as the axial
use the following charts to properly size the nominal distance traveled for one revolution of the screw.
diameter of the Glide ScrewTM. Select a product Select the appropriate lead of your screw based on
diameter that lies above and / or to the right of the the desired speed and resolution of travel. Note that
design moment or load. the Glide ScrewTM is limited to 300 RPM.

Inch Diameter Models

180 250

160 225

140 200
Moment load [in-lbs]

175
120

Radial load [lbs]

150
100
125
80
100
60
75
40 50
20 25

0 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Unsupported length [in] Unsupported length [in]

Metric Diameter Models

18 1000

16 900

14 800
700
Moment load [Nm]

12
Radial load [N]

600
10
500
8
400
6
300
4 200
2 100

0 0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Unsupported length [mm] Unsupported length [mm]

Screw diameters End support type Conversion factors

= 0.375 inch = 10 mm = fixed in both ends 1.0 in-lb = 0.113 Nm
= 0.250 inch = 6 mm = simple in one end and fixed in other 1.0 lb = 4.448 N
= 0.188 inch = 4 mm = simple in both ends

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Specifications and Part Numbers
Glide Screw™ configurations
GSF - screw and flanged nut assembly GSC - screw and cylindrical nut assembly
B B
D
F J
A h9 H
BCD

E
A h11 G H11

Part number example: GSC25x0500 = glide screw assembly, cylindrical nut, 0.250 inch diameter by 0.500 inch lead

Inch Series Dimensions

Screw Screw Screw and Nut Max Max Max Effic.
Dimensions [in]
Diam. Lead Assembly Axial Moment Screw [%]
[in] [in] Part No. Load Load Length
A B C D E F G H J BCD
[lbs] [in-lbs] [in]
0.050 GS_18x0050 46
0.188 30.0 20.5 6.000 0.375 0.750 0.281 0.875 0.140 0.125 0.094 0.188 0.177 0.625
0.125 GS_18x0125 68
0.050 GS_25x0050 40
0.250 45.0 47.5 10.000 0.500 1.000 0.313 1.000 0.140 0.150 0.125 0.250 0.237 0.750
0.500 GS_25x0500 82
0.063 GS_37x0063 36
0.375 0.500 GS_37x0500 70.0 137.5 18.000 0.875 1.750 0.563 1.500 0.200 0.300 0.188 0.438 0.406 1.188 78
1.000 GS_37x1000 83

Metric Series Dimensions

Screw Screw Screw and Nut Max Max Max Effic.
Dimensions [mm]
Diam. Lead Assembly Axial Moment Screw [%]
[mm] [mm] Part No. Load Load Length
A B C D E F G H J BCD
[N] [Nm] [mm]
1 GS_4x1M 45
4 4 GS_4x4M 89.0 2.3 150 10 20 6.5 20 2.5 3 2 5 5 15 75
8 GS_4x8M 82
1 GS_6x1M 36
6 6 GS_6x6M 133.4 5.4 250 13 26 7.75 25 3.5 4 3 7 5.75 19 75
12 GS_6x12M 82
2 GS_10x2M 40
10 6 GS_10x6M 311.4 15.5 450 22 44 12 38 5 7 4 10 9.85 30 66
12 GS_10x12M 77

Standard Products Clean Room/Vaccum Grade

• Acetal nut body with all stainless steel internal components • Class ISO 6 (Class 1000)
• 303 stainless steel screw • Vacuum rating of <10-6 Torr
• Integrated Lube for Life lubrication block • PEEK nut material with appropriate grade components
• Temperature Rating: -40° to 65°C (-40° to 150°F) • Alternative lubrication system
• Clean Room ISO 7 (Class 10000) Food Grade Configuration
High Temperature • Food grade lubricants
• PEEK nut material and high temperature internal components • Rulon nut body, USDA-H1 compatible
• Temperature Rating: -10 to 175 °C (15 to 350 °F)

8 www.thomsonlinear.com/glidescrew
 Glide Screw™

End Machining
Recommended end machining

End support type

fixed / fixed fixed / simple simple / simple

Inch Series End Machining Dimensions

Screw Screw Screw Root
Recommended Bearing Dimensions [in]
Diam. Lead Part No. Diameter
[in] [in] [in] OD ID W Bearing
A B C D E F G H L THD
[mm] [mm] [mm] Trade No.
0.050 GS18x0050 0.12
0.188 7 2,5 2,5 692X 0.197 0.098 N/A 0.098 N/A 0.022 0.120 0.075 0.157 N/A
0.125 GS18x0125 0.13
0.050 GS25x0050 0.19
0.250 13 4 5 624 0.295 0.118 0.610 0.157 0.374 0.020 0.217 0.150 0.256 M4×x0.5
0.500 GS25x0500 0.16
0.063 GS37x0063 0.30
0.375 0.500 GS37x0500 0.27 19 6 6 626 0.394 0.197 0.728 0.236 0.453 0.030 0.266 0.220 0.315 M6×0.75
1.000 GS37x1000 0.24

Metric Series End Machining Dimensions

Screw Screw Screw Root
Recommended Bearing Dimensions [mm]
Diam. Lead Part No. Diameter
[mm] [mm] [mm] OD ID W Bearing
A B C D E F G H L THD
[mm] [mm] [mm] Trade No.
1 GS4x1M 2.8
4 4 GS4x4M 2.8 7 2.5 2.5 692X 5.00 2.50 N/A 2.50 N/A 0.55 3.05 1.90 4.00 N/A
8 GS4x8M 2.8
1 GS6x1M 4.6
6 6 GS6x6M 4.4 13 4 5 624 7.50 3.00 15.50 4.00 9.50 0.51 5.51 3.81 6.50 M4×x0.5
12 GS6x12M 4.4
2 GS10x2M 7.3
10 6 GS10x6M 8.4 13 6 6 626 10.00 5.00 18.50 6.00 11.50 0.76 6.76 5.59 8.00 M6×0.75
12 GS10x12M 8.4

www.thomsonlinear.com/glidescrew 9
Installation
Comparing Alternative Technologies
The Glide Screw™ is both drive system and linear guide, so these features are already perfectly aligned
and cannot bind. Therefore, installation is simple and the mating components do not require high tolerance
geometric features.

Drive and Guide Technology Comparison

Feature Lead Screw / Linear Bearings Lead Screw / Profile Rail Glide Screw™

Small Footprint Good Better Best

Ease of Installation Better Good Best

Stiffness Better Best Good

Misalignment Tolerant Better Good Best

Lube for Life Lubrication Optional Optional Integrated

Total Cost of Ownership Good Better Best

10 www.thomsonlinear.com/glidescrew
 Glide Screw™

Installation
Basic Installation Guidlines
The success of the Glide ScrewTM in an application is primarily dependent on the end support configuration.
Since the Glide ScrewTM is a combination of a lead screw and linear bearing, the ability to handle non-axial
loads while maintaining positional accuracy is the key to a successful installation. The load capacity curves are
based on screw deflection and not the lead nut capacity. Therefore, stiffness of the assembly determines load
capacity.

Installation Step-by-Step

1.

Select end support configuration
A fixed bearing support should be selected when possible. 1
A simple support is typically a single radial bearing that
is allowed to float axially to compensate for misaligments.
Typical methods of attaching end supports is either base
mounting or flange mounting.

2.

Select motor and drive configuration
Select a motor and your means for coupling the screw to
2
the motor. Typically this is done by a belt, gearing or an
in-line coupler. It is also possible to directly integrate
a Glide Screw™ with a stepper motor, which can reduce
complexity and save space.

3. Select nut mounting interface 3

The standard configurations for the glide nut are flanged
nuts and cylindrical nuts but are by no means the only
solutions. Custom configurations, custom mounting and
design assistance are available from Thomson.

4.

Determine anti-rotation method
The Glide ScrewTM requires an external anti-rotation
4
feature on the nut housing to function correctly. Two
examples of acceptable methods are the finger / slot
solution or the bushing / linear shaft solution.

5. Mount the assembly into the application

The actual mounting of the Glide ScrewTM is easy once all of
the periphrials have been determined and designed. Just
5
bolt the assembly in place and fire up the system. No critical
alignment procedures are necessary as the drive system and
linear guidance are already in perfect alignment.

www.thomsonlinear.com/glidescrew 11
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Glide_Screw_BREN-0002-01A | 26 JUNE 2013 TJ

Linear Motion. Optimized.

Specifications are subject to change without notice. It is the responsibility of the product user to determine the suitability of
this product for a specific application. All trademarks property of their respective owners. © Thomson Industries, Inc. 2013