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

• What was needed: three linear guides for the axes of the vending machine
• Requirements: Suitable for food, long service life, smooth operation
• Area of application: Vending machinery

Putting learnt knowledge into practice is something those attending the Student Engineering Academy, and also the five students from the Rosenstein grammar school in Heubach, Germany, get to do. With the training workshop at EMAG LaserTec GmbH, they built a spice-vending machine for supermarkets to speed up selection and shopping.

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.

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.