Wexmar provides custom guide rail machining for machine builders, automation integrators and equipment OEMs. Our Canastota, New York shop produces CNC machined guide rails, wear strips, gibs, slide blocks, cam tracks and alignment guides on 3- and 4-axis horizontal machining centers, with in-house surface grinding for flatness and parallelism. Every quote is reviewed by a human estimator, and we work directly with the engineer who owns the drawing.
What guides and rails do and who buys them
A guide or rail constrains motion along a path. Straightness, flatness and parallelism decide whether a carriage runs smoothly, and hole positions decide whether the rail mounts without being bent into place. Typical buyers include:
- Machine tool and special machine builders needing gibs, ways and slide components
- Automation, packaging and conveyor builders needing guide rails and wear strips
- Industrial OEMs with custom linear motion hardware
- Defense and government programs with build-to-print guide hardware
How our custom guide rail machining works
Horizontal milling
Rails, gibs and slide blocks are milled on our Mazak FH4800, PFH4800 and Nexus horizontal machining centers. A horizontal spindle lets chips fall away from the work, which helps flatness on long faces, and the 4th axis lets us reach multiple sides of a rail in one setup, so mounting holes, dovetails and reference faces share a common datum. Pallet changers keep the spindle cutting on production quantities. Part length is limited by our machine envelopes, listed on the machine list.
Surface grinding
Reference faces, gib tapers and wear surfaces that need tight flatness and parallelism are finished on our in-house surface grinder after milling and any stress relief.
Stress relief and sequence
Long, thin rails move when material is removed from one side. We rough both sides, let the part relax, then finish. For critical parts, stress relief through qualified outside processors is scheduled between roughing and finishing. See CNC milling.
Typical materials
- 1018, 1045 and 4140 steel, including pre-hardened 4140
- Tool steels for hardened wear surfaces
- 6061 and 7075 aluminum for lightweight automation rails
- Bronze for gibs and wear plates
- 303 and 316 stainless for washdown and food equipment
- UHMW, acetal and nylon for low-friction wear strips
Critical features and how we hold them
- Flatness and straightness: controlled by balanced stock removal, stress relief and surface grinding.
- Parallelism of running faces: ground or milled from one datum face.
- Mounting hole position: drilled and counterbored in the same setup as the reference edge.
- Dovetail and gib angles: milled with form cutters and checked with pins and the CMM.
- Edge condition: running edges are deburred and broken consistently to avoid wiper and seal damage.
Typical tolerances and finishes
| Feature | Typical tolerance | Tighter on request |
|---|---|---|
| Flatness, per 12 in | 0.001 in | 0.0005 in (ground) |
| Parallelism of running faces | 0.001 in | 0.0003 in (ground) |
| Width and thickness | +/-0.001 in | +/-0.0005 in |
| Mounting hole true position | 0.005 in | 0.002 in |
| Dovetail angle | +/-0.25 deg | +/-0.1 deg |
| Running surface finish | 63 Ra (milled) | 16 Ra (ground) |
Values are typical and depend strongly on length, section and material. The quote confirms each callout.
Design notes
A symmetric cross section distorts less than one with a deep pocket on one side. Specify flatness per unit length as well as overall where the rail is long. If a rail is hardened, decide whether mounting holes are finished before heat treat and running faces ground after. Slotted mounting holes, or a datum edge and dowel pins, make installation easier than tight hole patterns on long parts.
Secondary operations
Heat treat, stress relief, hard chrome, nitriding, black oxide and anodizing are completed through qualified outside processors. We grind after heat treat or plating when the drawing calls for final flatness.
Quantity patterns
Guide and rail orders range from single replacement gibs to production runs of dozens to hundreds of matched rails for machine builders. Matched pairs are machined and inspected together so running faces agree across the set. Related parts include rollers.
Inspection
Flatness, parallelism and hole position are verified on our Brown and Sharpe CMMs and with indicators on a surface plate. FAI in AS9102 format, CMM reports and material certs are available.
Getting a quote
Send the drawing, material, length and quantity. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and an estimator will confirm price and lead time. Call (315) 400-2654 to discuss guide and rail parts.