Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail for Lithography, Metrology, and Precision Motion

ADCERAX supplies Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rails in common rail cross-sections and lengths, and also produces custom rails to drawing with defined datum faces, mounting interfaces, and hole patterns for air bearing carriages and bridge/beam structures.

Catalog No. AT-0646490-S
Material ≥ 99.5% Al2O3
Running Face Straightness (target per length) Scan accuracy, repeatability, and drift
Running Face Surface Roughness (Ra target) Air film stability, noise, micro-slip risk
24H Standard Dispatch
Small Batch Support OEM
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An Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail is a precision-ground alumina (Al₂O₃) rail used as the running surface for an aerostatic linear guide. With compressed air, the carriage floats on an air film, enabling near-frictionless, non-contact straight-line motion.

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Benefits

  • Defined datum strategy: reference faces and mounting faces can be controlled as a datum set for easier assembly alignment.

  • Stable running surface: ground/finished bearing face supports consistent air film behaviour when air quality is maintained.

  • Non-lube reference option: chosen when oil/grease cannot be tolerated near metrology optics, sensors, or clean work zones.

  • Geometry repeatability for series builds: supports multi-unit builds where the same rail geometry is reused across platforms.

  • Interface-ready designs: rails can be produced with single-hole or multi-hole patterns, slots, pockets, and end details for fixtures.

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Properties

Property Unit 99.5% Al₂O₃ 99.6% Al₂O₃ 99.7% Al₂O₃ 99.8% Al₂O₃ 99.9% Al₂O₃ 99.99% Al₂O₃
Alumina content % 99.5 99.6 99.7 99.8 99.9 99.99
Density g/cm³ 3.89 3.91 3.92 3.93 3.94 3.98
Open porosity % 0
Color Ivory Ivory Ivory Ivory Ivory Ivory
Water absorption % 0 0 0 0 0
Young’s modulus (Elastic modulus) GPa 375 356 357 358 359 362
Shear modulus GPa 152
Bulk modulus GPa 228
Poisson’s ratio 0.22
Compressive strength MPa 2600 2552 2554 2556 2558 2570
Flexural strength MPa 379 312 313 314 315 320
Fracture toughness MPa·m¹ᐟ² 4
Hardness GPa 14.1 (≈1440 kg/mm²) 23 24 25 26 30
Thermal conductivity W/m·K 35 32–37 33–38 34–39 35–40 36–42
Thermal shock resistance ΔT °C 222 223 224 225 228
Maximum use temperature (no load) °C ≤1750 1755 1760 1765 1770 1800
Coefficient of thermal expansion 10⁻⁶/°C 8.4
Specific heat J/kg·K 880
Volume resistivity Ω·cm >1×10¹⁴ >1×10¹⁴ >1×10¹⁴ >1×10¹⁴ >1×10¹⁴ >1×10¹⁴
Dielectric constant (relative permittivity) 9.8 9.83 9.84 9.85 9.86 9.92
Dielectric strength kV/mm 16.9 23.2 23.4 23.6 23.8 24
Dissipation factor (loss factor @ 1 kHz) 0.0002

 

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Specifications

Type1 :

Round Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide RailSquare Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail

Model Size (W×H×L)mm Flatness (μm) Parallelism (μm) Verticality Weight (kg)
AT0646490-S 64×64×90 6 3 2 6
AT0686899-S 68×68×99 10.6 10.6
AT0707010-S 70×70×1200 8.4 8.4
AT0707012-S 70×70×1400 12.6 12.6
AT0808012-S 80×80×1200 17.6 17.6
AT0808014-S 80×80×1400 17.6 17.6

Type2 :

Square Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail 2

No. Size (W × H × L) Flatness (µm) Parallelism (µm) Verticality (µm) Weight (kg)
AT1020211-B 200 × 120 × 1100 3 3 3 39
AT1020215-B 200 × 120 × 1550 3 3 3 56
AT1216013-B 165 × 100 × 1300 3 3 3 45
AT3221015-B 220 × 100 × 1500 3 3 3 55
AT33717220-B 375 × 120 × 2000 3 3 3 150

 

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Packaging

  • Individual rail protection with bearing-face cover film or protective sheet to prevent scratches
  • Edge guards on corners and ends to reduce chipping risk during handling

 

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Packaging

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Applications

  • CMM & Metrology Scanning Axes

    ✅Key Advantages

    1. Consistent scan reference — a controlled running face supports stable aerostatic film behaviour during constant-velocity scans.
    2. Clean operation — no oil lubrication on the rail, reducing contamination risk near probes and optics.
    3. Predictable thermal modelling — alumina CTE is commonly published around 8 × 10⁻⁶ /K (typical alumina ceramic datasheets), supporting compensation planning.

    ✅ Problem Solved

    Metrology teams often trace repeatability loss to changes at the reference surface: wear debris, oil carryover, or small geometry shifts after cycles. Air bearing systems are sensitive to air quality and surface condition, so the rail is commonly specified with explicit roughness/straightness acceptance. For operations planning, downtime risk is not theoretical: published industry reports show unplanned downtime can reach hundreds of thousands to millions of USD per hour in high-value manufacturing environments, which pushes buyers to choose reference components with measurable acceptance data and re-order consistency.

  • Optical Inspection & Laser Scanning Motion Stages

    ✅Key Advantages

    1. Low particulate pathway — a non-lubricated running surface reduces particle transfer into optical paths.
    2. Stable air film interface — finished bearing faces help reduce micro-disturbances that can affect imaging stability.
    3. Integration-ready datums — reference faces support alignment routines between rail, encoder scale, and optics.

    ✅ Problem Solved

    Optical inspection and laser scanning stages often run high duty cycles with tight stability requirements. Small contaminants on the rail or changes in running-face condition can show up as scan artefacts or calibration drift. Air bearing guidance is frequently selected for low friction and smooth motion, but it becomes performance-limited if the rail surface finish and geometry are not controlled to the drawing. Buyers usually request inspection evidence on straightness/flatness and confirm cleaning/handling instructions as part of acceptance, because the motion reference surface is a primary contributor to stage stability.

  • Ultra-Precision Machining, Cutting, and Inspection Platforms

    ✅Key Advantages

    1. Wear-driven drift reduction — selected when metal-on-metal wear would change motion behaviour over service time.
    2. Rigid reference build — ceramic rails can be used as a stable motion datum in precision frames/gantries.
    3. Cleaner maintenance — no lubrication on the rail face, simplifying maintenance in sensitive work zones.

    ✅ Problem Solved

    Ultra-precision platforms often face a practical tradeoff: metal rails are easy to mount but can introduce wear drift or lubrication contamination; granite is stable but may be less convenient for certain interfaces; air bearing rails require controlled air quality and surface finish to deliver consistent behavior. When a production tool has to be recalibrated frequently due to drift, the cost is not only labor but lost throughput. Industry downtime studies quantify how quickly these disruptions accumulate, which is why buyers specify measurable geometry and surface requirements on the rail and prefer repeatable builds over “best-effort” machining.

Usage Instructions for Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail

  • 1) Installation

    1. Verify the mounting base flatness and cleanliness before rail placement; remove burrs and raised points.
    2. Use a defined datum plan: align the mounting face first, then the reference side face, then the end datum.
    3. Tighten fasteners in a progressive sequence to avoid bending the rail on an uneven base.
    4. If shimming is used, place shims at controlled locations and record the stack for service repeatability.
    5. Confirm air bearing carriage clearance and travel length before final torque.

  • 2) Operation

    1. Use clean, dry air; keep filtration and dryers maintained to prevent oil/water carryover.
    2. Avoid touching the bearing face with bare hands; oils can trap particles and alter surface behaviour.
    3. Ramp to operating speed after verifyinga stable air film; do not drag the carriage on an unpressurized rail.
    4. Keep nearby processes that generate abrasive dust away from the open rail surface.

  • 3) Storage

    1. Store with the bearing face protected by a cover film/sheet; keep in a clean, dry cabinet.
    2. Do not stack rails directly; keep separators between parts to avoid edge chipping.
    3. Maintain a labelled orientation (bearing face / mounting face) to prevent handling errors.

  • 4) Cleaning

    1. Use lint-free wipes and a compatible solvent (customer-approved); wipe in one direction.
    2. Inspect the bearing face under adequate lighting; remove particles before powering air bearings.
    3. Do not use abrasive pads or powders; they can change roughness and invalidate acceptance.

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail FAQ

  1. Q: What is an Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail used for?
    A: An Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail is used as the reference running surface in aerostatic guideway systems for scanning, inspection, and precision motion where lubricant-free guidance is required.
  2. Q: How do I choose between ceramic, granite, and metal rails for an air bearing stage?
    A: If your stage is sensitive to drift or contamination, choose a ceramic (alumina) air bearing guide rail. Ceramic supports lubricant-free running, low wear-driven drift, and stable geometry after acceptance—common for CMM scanning and optical inspection. Granite favours large-frame thermal damping but offers less interface flexibility; metal is easy and low-cost but has higher thermal expansion and wear/lube sensitivity.
  3. Q: Can ADCERAX make a custom Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail from my GD&T drawing?
    A: Yes. Custom rails are commonly produced to drawing with defined datums, hole patterns, end features, and bearing-face finish targets.
  4. Q: What air quality requirements matter most when using a ceramic air bearing guide rail?
    A: Dryness and oil control matter most because oil/water carryover can trap particles and destabilize the air film behaviour on the bearing face.
  5. Q: What are typical reasons a CMM air bearing guide rail fails acceptance?
    A: Common reasons include insufficient straightness over effective travel, out-of-flat mounting interface, bearing-face roughness outside the target, or handling damage to edges and corners.
  6. Q: Can the Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail be used in cleanroom-adjacent environments?
    A: It is often selected when lubricant-free operation is required; however, the surrounding process and air supply cleanliness still determine the contamination outcome.

Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail Feedback

  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    We used the Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail as the reference face for a scanning axis. The rail arrived with a clear datum definition, and the inspection data matched our drawing checkpoints.
    -- Mark R., Engineering Manager, Precision Motion Systems Inc.
  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Our CMM air bearing guide rail replacement needed a consistent mounting interface. The parts fit our existing base without rework, and the bearing face handling protection reduced cleaning time during assembly.
    -- Sofia K., Metrology Lead, Northbridge Measurement Solutions
  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    ADCERAX responded well to our drawing revisions and kept the geometry requirements clear. Pricing was stable across repeat orders, which helped us standardize the rail as a series component.
    -- Daniel M., Supply Chain Manager, OptiScan Equipment Ltd.
  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    The custom Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail included end features and hole patterns that matched our fixture design. Surface condition was consistent with our air bearing carriage behaviour after setup.
    --Hiro T., Product Engineer, Laser Micro-Processing OEM
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Customize Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail

Most drawings treat the rail as a datum reference, so customization focuses on the bearing surface, datum scheme, and mounting interfaces for the Alumina Ceramic Air Bearing Guide Rail.

  • Length & travel envelope: overall length, effective bearing length, end keep-out zones

  • Profile & section: rectangular / square / stepped section, relief grooves, weight-reduction pockets

  • Datum scheme: A/B/C faces, datum targets, inspection mapping points

  • Bearing faces: single-face / dual-face, face width, edge breaks, protected corner geometry

  • Air interface features: air feed holes, manifolds, groove layout (if used), port locations (by design)

  • Mounting holes: single-hole, multi-hole arrays, slot patterns, dowel pin holes, countersink/counterbore

  • End details: end steps, alignment shoulders, locating edges, stop faces, handling flats

  • Mounting interfaces: ground mounting face, side reference face, keyways, alignment keys, clamp lands

  • Surface finish levels: bearing face Ra target, non-bearing faces as-ground / fine-ground

  • Geometry tolerances: straightness, flatness, parallelism, squareness over functional length

  • Material grade: ≥99.5% alumina standard; higher-purity alumina on request

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