For profile-rail guides sold to a German machine builder, matching mounting holes is only a starting point. Define the rail/carriage combination, interfaces, preload, accuracy class and application before shipping a trial set. We can coordinate agreed German sample receipt, document handover and authorised commercial follow-up. Measurement, assembly and technical acceptance remain with the responsible manufacturer and customer engineers.
A machining-centre builder, automation integrator and maintenance buyer may be asking for different deliverables. Establish whether the customer wants a complete guide set or a replacement carriage, and whether the application is a new design or an existing machine. That decision determines the trial and the quotation boundary.
Define a complete set or a partial replacement
Request rail length, carriage count, single/twin-rail arrangement, installation space and an authorised drawing revision. For an existing-brand replacement, establish whether cross-brand substitution is permitted and whether the whole set must change. Do not promise that a new carriage will run on an old rail from dimensions alone.
Check matching, interchangeability and accuracy definitions against the relevant series. Obtain a written manufacturer response identifying the proposed combination and limitations. A commercial cross-reference is not the customer engineer’s substitution approval.
| Buyer input | Manufacturer response | Quotation/trial output |
|---|---|---|
| Full designation, photographs, drawing revision | Candidate series and interchangeability limits | Controlled cross-reference |
| Length, pitch, end distance, height and carriage interface | Matching dimensions and deviations | Marked interface drawing |
| Complete set or carriage-only requirement | Mixing conditions and validation needs | Defined trial combination |
| Rail/carriage arrangement, load, orientation | Missing selection inputs | Open-item list with owners |
Read preload together with its rating basis
Thomson’s training example uses dynamic load rating C=21.1kN and preload 0.08C. The arithmetic is 1.688kN, approximately 1.7kN. It demonstrates why the proportion needs a rating basis; it is not a preload recommendation for your application or proof that series codes are interchangeable.
When a buyer asks for medium preload, obtain the specific series, definition and associated data. Schaeffler also treats preload class as a separate selection input. Two suppliers’ medium labels should not be presented as an approved equivalent without that check.
Reproduce the teaching calculation, then verify the actual series
Add an application record to the interface drawing
Provide stroke, speed, acceleration, load directions and positions, mounting, lubrication and contamination conditions to the manufacturer’s engineers. Preserve evidence of noise, stick-slip or wear on an existing machine; changing the brand is not a guaranteed cure for an unresolved failure cause.
Separate confirmed inputs from outstanding conditions. An interface drawing may be accepted while the mounting surface is unassessed; an accuracy requirement may exist without an agreed measurement method. Identify which missing input can change the model or price before dispatch.
Assign the German evaluation records
Agree receipt checks, assembly checks and the technical signatory. A warehouse can record agreed packaging, quantity and visible identifiers. Receipt staff cannot approve running accuracy, friction, temperature behaviour or service life. Measurement or external testing needs a competent appointed party, scope, authority and fees.
Link the sample ID to drawing revision, installation position, method and results. For abnormal operation, the technical owner determines the safe response. We coordinate information and commercial communication, rather than directing dismantling of operating equipment.
| Stage | Record | Decision to progress |
|---|---|---|
| Before dispatch | Combination, drawing revision, acceptance conditions | Manufacturer/customer authorise the trial |
| German receipt | Packaging, quantity, IDs, discrepancy photos | Items match the sample list |
| Customer evaluation | Method, conditions, results, issue ownership | Written technical approval or change request |
| Recurring supply | Approved version, change control, labels | Order lines identify the approved combination |
Carry sample approval into recurring supply
Approval of one rail length and carriage configuration does not approve the whole range. Changes to preload, materials, seals, lubrication or the supplied combination should follow the agreed revalidation process.
Document small-batch quantities, replenishment, lead-time basis, returns and the technical contact. A German delivery address is not the contracting seller. Review entity and tax arrangements against any actual local stockholding or sales model.
Arrange the local assignment
Send the buyer type, guide series, trial stage, authorised drawings and the German tasks you want performed. We can discuss receipt, buyer communication, document transfer and authorised quotation follow-up alongside entity/VAT arrangements.
Appoint the technical parties for inspection, assembly and approval. We confirm local feasibility, responsibilities and charges before execution; a receiving address is not a technical-service promise.
Sources and checks
Checked: 2026-10-31