NSK, a global leader in motion and control is opening a new ‘state of the art’ linear guide cutting facility in the Netherlands. Based at the company’s European Distribution Centre in Tilburg, the 1.6-million-euro plant will enhance service levels for customers in key European markets that include Germany, France and Italy.

The opening ceremony will take place on 15 May and will feature guided tours of the cutting plant, live demonstrations and presentations highlighting NSK Europe’s commitment to innovation and quality. The event marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey towards excellence in manufacturing, and although NSK Europe already has a linear guide cutting facility at its UK site in Newark, the addition of Tilburg will help to optimise the company’s service level for these products in mainland Europe.

Eduardo Rodriguez, director Seiki MU Linear Motion and sector director Industrial Services at NSK Europe, said: “With customers around Europe demanding faster delivery and response times, the new plant in Tilburg will allow us to deliver linear guides in a matter of days anywhere in Europe. The Tilburg site triples our existing capacity and, with quality guaranteed, we are better placed than ever to respond quickly to the needs of our customers.”

Customers manufacturing automated handling systems, packaging equipment and other common industrial machines such as metal shears will now be guaranteed a seven-day delivery service anywhere in Europe. In such applications, precise sales forecasting is difficult, so manufacturers will often order linear guides at short notice, so a rapid response from NSK is paramount.

At the Tilburg plant, NSK Europe’s expert production team can cut linear guides to custom lengths, add chamfers to the rails, grind button rails, change the preload, assemble sliders into rails, laser mark customer references, wash the products and provide industry-leading packaging services to prevent any potential for damage during transit. Upon reaching full capacity, the ISO9001-accredited facility will achieve a production output of more than 1,000 linear guides each week.

Pictured right: at capacity, the new NSK linear guide cutting facility will produce more than 1,000 components each week

A growing numbers of manufacturers are already taking advantage of the company’s NH/NS series linear ball guides, which offer 1.3-times higher dynamic load ratings and twice the life of conventional guides. NH/NS series linear guides are compatible with a variety of options, including lubrication units and dust-resistant seals, while complete interchangeability allows free matching of the rail and slide.

Similarly, NSK’s RA series linear roller guides deliver a long operating life and high-load capacity. Users also benefits from high dust resistance and maintenance-free operations, while the optimal size of roller ensures high stiffness values and reduced vibration. Operating alongside the new Tilburg plant, NSK Europe’s existing linear guide cutting facility in Newark will continue to serve customers in the UK and Ireland.