Linear motion carriage system and method with bearings preloaded by inclined linear motor with high attractive force

摘要

A system and method of preloading linear motion bearings arranged to move between two orthogonal surfaces of each of a rail and an overlapping carriage, wherein a permanent magnet linear electric motor with a high attractive force between the coils and the magnets is inclined at an acute angle to the surfaces, such that the attractive force creates a preload force on each of the bearings; the magnet being fixed as a track in a trough along the rail, and the coils being recessed in a groove in the inner top surface of the carriage, both oriented at said acute angle, and providing through such preloading, a high degree of stiffness and load capacity in all degrees of freedom of the carriage except in the linear direction of movement along the rail.