PEEK CF30 Linear Guide Sliders for Industrial Automation

The requirement

A motion-system supplier needed a linear guide slider for a wear-loaded application, at a lower moving mass than the metal equivalent, and without the carbon-fibre composite delaminating while it was being cut.

The challenge

High wear demand during service, combined with a real risk of material delamination during cutting of the carbon-fibre composite.

Our approach

PCD tooling, dry machining with compressed-air cooling, and feed and speed tuned to avoid delamination at the cut edges.

Five steps from drawing to delivery

1. DFM review and material plan — The guide surfaces, the sliding geometry and the carbon-fibre content were reviewed before the programme was planned, and PEEK CF30 confirmed against the wear and load requirement.
2. Fixturing, tooling and programming — PCD tooling and a dry setup with compressed-air cooling, because carbon fibre must not be heated into a resin-rich edge.
3. Rough and finish machining — Feed and speed tuned to avoid delamination at the cut edges, with the sliding faces finished in one consistent pass so the friction behaviour stays uniform from part to part.
4. In-house inspection — Dimensional check of the guide surfaces and the sliding geometry on the CMM, with the sliding performance verified consistently across batches.
5. Documentation and delivery — A dimensional report per batch tied to the drawing revision, with EN 10204 3.1 material certificates and batch traceability.