NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Toshihiro Uchiyama) today announced that it has added a new right/left hand ball screw series to its ToughCarrier Single-Axis Actuator lineup for applications in automobile, semiconductor and LCD manufacturing equipment. NSK’s ToughCarrier, designed for automobile, semiconductor and LCD manufacturing equipment, has been well received in the market for its high load bearing performance, which is made possible by employing a roller as the rolling element of the guide. In recent years, the trend toward smart factories for automobile manufacturing equipment, etc., leading to the realization of “Industry 4.0” has increased, resulting in a demand for electrification for power savings and smarter equipment. In response to these needs, NSK has added a right/left hand screw series to its ToughCarrier lineup. These new products have the right hand and left hand screws integrated onto the same axis, making it possible to operating clamping motion with a single motor. Also, thanks to the key feature of ToughCarrier, a high-load, high-rigidity guide, it is now possible to electrically power the large-part conveyance and chuck mechanisms used in automobile manufacturing equipment. Product Features 1. Super high load capacity The world’s first right/left screw single-axis actuator employing a roller as the rolling element of the guide achieves super high load capacity. In fact, it achieves more than four times the life and rigidity of NSK’s Monocarrier™, which uses a ball guide. 2. Helps make production equipment smarter and more power conservative The integration of the right and left hand screws onto the same axis makes it possible to perform clamp operations using a single motor, thereby making this the optimal mechanism for upgrading from pneumatic and hydraulic chucks. In this way, the new product will make for smarter production equipment and more power-efficient factories. In 1991, NSK developed and released the world’s first Monocarrier actuator with an integrated design incorporating a ball screw, linear guide and base. Monocarrier actuators are used widely in automotive and other production machines, using electric drives to replace hydraulic solutions and enhancing compactness. NSK will continue to provide solutions tailored to the needs of various markets, in order to serve a wide range of industries.