The GV3 range from HepcoMotion – still innovating after 20 years

The new side-access adjustment carriage feature, and twin taper roller bearings are likely to be well received by engineers looking to reduce maintenance time and extend service life. 

Side access adjustment saves valuable maintenance time 

The addition of the new side-access adjustment (SAA) carriage to the GV3 range of products is likely to be a popular choice for applications where components are mounted to the carriage plate, or access is restricted. The SAA reduces downtime as there is no need to remove mounted fixtures from the carriage plate when adjusting the bearings. This is particularly advantageous if the customer has complex components mounted to the carriage plate that would be time-consuming to remove and then re-attach. Engineers can simply adjust the bearings with the fixtures in place to remove any wear or play, to return the system to its original running condition. 

SAA carriages are highly convenient for any type of maintenance that requires the carriage to be removed as there is no need to run the carriages off the end of the slide to remove – it can be done anywhere along the slide. This saves having to dismantle part of the machine in cases where the ends of the slide are blocked for example. 

Engineers will find the SAA carriages highly intuitive to set. Adjustment is made via two hexagon screws located in the side of the carriage plate. Importantly, any fixings or customer mounted mechanisms do not need to be removed from the carriage, reducing inconvenient and costly downtime. 

Twin taper roller bearings for extended life

A further addition to the GV3 range is the new twin taper roller bearings. Ideally suited to applications requiring higher load capacities, the twin taper roller bearing is physically the same size as the standard Ø 54 bearing, yet offers 10x the life. The twin taper roller bearing also offers increased rigidity – a key requirement for many applications where precision needs to be high. Twin taper roller bearings are greased for life internally, with nitrile seals providing a high degree of sealing against ingress of water or debris. Twin taper roller bearings are available in combination with SAA carriages.

Catering for a wider portfolio of applications, the new twin taper roller bearings join Hepco’s current range of bearings comprising of standard, slimline, vacuum and extreme temperature, and floating bearings. Hepco’s floating bearings are proving to be a popular solution for when two systems are mounted in parallel as they ‘float’ by up to +/- 1.25mm in the axial direction, allowing misalignment to be overcome and avoiding binding of the linear system. Set-up times are greatly reduced as floating bearings overcome the need to accurately set opposing slides perfectly in parallel.

New catalogue 

In line with the new GV3 components, Hepco is pleased to launch a new GV3 product catalogue and an accompanying technical guide providing more in-depth, technical detail and additional components. Hepco has also produced a series of six animations, highlighting the major benefits of V Guide technology against ballrail systems. These can be found on Hepco’s website as well as on Hepco’s YouTube channel.   

The new catalogue has been created to provide users with the information needed as quickly and efficiently as possible. When accessing online, interactive hyperlinks take users directly to the information they require – such as the product pages, technical guide, CAD files or product animations for example. Designed with engineers in mind, the new catalogue is inherently user friendly yet packed with an array of comprehensive information.