When purchasing components for a linear system, the price tag does not give a complete picture of the cost. The installation is also a factor that affects. Therefore, ready-made solutions can be a way to create a better overall economy.
How can ready-made solutions lower the cost of linear systems?
Unlike buying different components and then combining them into a specific linear unit, ready-made solutions are, as the name suggests, assembled when they arrive. The advantage of this is that all preparatory work, such as design and technical calculations, has already been done. The units are optimised for smooth linear movement. The time otherwise spent on preliminary work can be saved and used for other things.
Although a ready-made linear solution is often more expensive to purchase than the individual components, it can still reduce the cost because assembly time is shorter. In addition, can the machine’s structure usually be simplified, regarding scope, processing and precision requirements.
Overall, it is more important to calculate the cost of the complete solution, than the price of the individual components.
Increased quality with a lower total cost
A ready-made solution is tested and complete when delivered, and all the components are adjusted to work smoothly together. Deviations in parallelism, that could occur when assembling individual components, are eliminated in advance. Furthermore, the functionality is optimised for the included parts. The finished unit is also better sealed and resists dirt better. It can increase service life and reduce maintenance costs. Overall, a ready-made unit can improve the solution's total quality. Also, the total cost could be lower thanks to the time savings and the increased service life.
When is a ready-made solution preferable?
A ready-made unit has many advantages from a cost perspective, although it may initially be more expensive to buy. They work best when the design does not have special performance requirements or very odd specifications. As the device is ready-made, it has certain limitations regarding, for example, length or speed. If you have specific demands, is it easier to optimise the performance in a solution constructed with individual components.
The ready-made solution is encapsulated and resists dirt better. On the other hand, it is more difficult to see if it needs extra cleaning. Although some repairs are simple and cost-effective, replacing individual components in a pre-built unit can be difficult. Sometimes, the entire unit needs to be exchanged, which may also be the easiest solution.
Whether a finished solution provides a better overall cost than individual components must therefore be decided on a case-by-case basis. In the end, it is the application's requirements that determines the conditions.
