Damage Condition
The rolling contact surface of the rail, the ball slide and the ball flakes away like scales.
Possible Causes
- Natural life of a linear guide
- Improper assembly (misalignment)
- Poor flatness of the mounting surface
- Insufficient lubrication or improper lubricant
- Developed from indentations or corrosion pits on raceway
- Intrusion of foreign matter and/or water
Countermeasures
- Re-assess model size to increase linear guide lifetime
- Improve assembly accuracy
- Improve accuracy of the mounting surface
- Change to a better lubrication method / Select a suitable lubricant
- Avoid shock load
- Review protective covers of equipment / Enhance sealing capability of the linear guide
Flaking 1
Part: Raceway of a Rail
Symptom: Flaking on the facing raceways of the rail
Cause: Assembly misalignment caused excessive rolling moment as a reaction
Flaking 2
Part: Raceway of a Ball Slider
Symptom: Flaking on the facing raceways of the ball slider
Cause: Assembly misalignment caused excessive rolling moment as a reaction
Source: NSK
