Miniature Slider Foot Deformation via Surface Roughness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniature slider structures experience deformation of foot portions due to uneven surface roughness when a working platform is installed, leading to vibration, reduced precision, and accuracy issues in linear slides.
Innovation Solution
A polishing process is used to control the roughness of the mounting surface of the slider to a range of 0.01 to 0.1 microns, reducing deformation and enhancing precision without altering the surface flatness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the mounting surface is ground with conventional processes, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but the roughness Ra can only be controlled at a minimum of about 0.2 microns, causing deformation of foot portions when the working platform is installed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a polishing process to change the surface roughness parameter from conventional grinding limits (Ra ≥ 0.2 microns) to a finer range (Ra ≤ 0.1 microns). This parameter change enables the mounting surface to better support the working platform without causing foot portion deformation, while the polishing process remains practically implementable in manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The polishing process is performed on the mounting surface before the working platform is installed. This preliminary action ensures that the surface is properly prepared in advance, preventing deformation issues that would occur if conventional grinding alone were used. The surface is pre-conditioned to the required roughness level before the platform mounting stress is applied
2Manufacturing precision
If the mounting surface roughness is reduced to improve precision, then foot portion deformation is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to the polishing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surface roughness parameter to Ra ≤ 0.1 microns through polishing, which directly reduces foot portion deformation. While this adds a manufacturing step, the parameter change itself is straightforward and can be integrated into existing manufacturing workflows without requiring fundamentally new equipment or processes
3Volume of moving object
If the mounting surface is made smaller for miniature sliders, then the overall device size is reduced, but the effect of surface roughness on foot portion deformation becomes greater
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a localized polishing process specifically to the mounting surface area, creating a zone of enhanced surface quality (Ra ≤ 0.1 microns) on the miniature slider. This local quality improvement ensures that the critical mounting area has sufficient surface precision to prevent foot portion deformation, even though the overall slider is miniature in size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface roughness parameter on the miniature slider to Ra ≤ 0.1 microns, which compensates for the reduced size effect. The parameter change ensures that surface irregularities do not cause excessive stress concentration and foot portion deformation in the miniature configuration
4Measurement precision
If the clearance between rolling members and foot portions is reduced to improve precision, then operation accuracy increases, but the slider becomes sensitive to foot portion deformation and vibration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by polishing the mounting surface to Ra ≤ 0.1 microns before the working platform is installed. This prevents foot portion deformation in advance, ensuring that the clearance between rolling members and foot portions remains stable during operation. The preliminary surface preparation counteracts what would otherwise be deformation-induced clearance variation
Solution Approach 2:
The polishing process is performed in advance to establish a stable geometric foundation. This preliminary action ensures that the foot portions maintain their intended geometry, allowing the clearance to be optimized for precision without the penalty of vibration from deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A miniature slider structure having foot portions and a linear slide are provided. The linear slide includes a slider and a slide rail. The slider straddles the slide rail so that the slider can be reciprocated on the slide rail. The slide rail extends in a direction. The slider includes a plate and two opposite foot portions extending downward from the plate. The slider straddles the slide rail through the foot portions. The plate has a mounting surface. Through the polishing process on the mounting surface of the plate, the roughness Ra of the mounting surface is controlled to be in the range of 0.01 microns to 0.1 microns so as to reduce the deformation of the foot portions when the working platform is installed.