October 4, 2017
We are pleased to announce that the linear guide "EXRAIL" of Nippon Bearing Co., Ltd (Headquartered in Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, CEO Toru Yamazaki) has been awarded the Good Design Award 2017 (hosted by the Japan Institute for Design Promotion).
Outline
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【Product Name】 The Linear Guide EXRAIL
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【Product Overview】
The EXRAIL is a linear guide developed especially for use in machine tools. The EXRAIL's distinctive feature is that it incorporates needle rollers instead of conventional rollers as its rolling element; as a result, it gives the EXRAIL high rigidity, high motion accuracy, and high damping capability. These elements are important factors for machine tools.
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【Product Design Background/Story】
The EXRAIL was developed under the plan to outperform existing products in the market. Its appearance has been refined to show pursuit for the highest quality and performance. The EXRAIL is also designed with a tag (brand emblem), not seen in any other NB products, to stand out amongst other brands and appeal to users its high quality and performance.
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【Thoughts On Design】
The EXRAIL is a linear guide developed for use in machine tools. Incorporating needle rollers instead of balls for its rolling elements helped realize ultra-high rigidity and ultra-high motion accuracy not seen in any other roller guides in the market. It is equipped with features such as dust prevention, ease of maintenance, and multiple lubrication ports to achieve high performance, and embraces a forme that scraps off the unnecessary elements to the utmost limit. The development team expressed the desire to show these high performing features to differentiate it from other products in the market at first sight. This lead them to design an iconic emblem that anyone can see from a distance, and to show that machine tools incorporating this product is a high performing machine with security. The brand emblem is L shaped across two sides in order to be seen from any angle, and uses the color called "passion orange," which expresses vitality and is symbolic of the company. “Only a high performing linear guide would embrace this type of emblem”
- About The Good Design Award
- The Good Design Award is a comprehensive design-promotion system that picks good design out of a variety of unfolding phenomena, and aims to enrich our lives, industries, and society as a whole by highlighting and celebrating these works. It is hosted by the Japan Institute for Design Promotion, a public interest incorporated foundation. It's precursor, the Good Design Selection System (or G Mark System), was founded in 1957 by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (the current Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), and has been engaged in this work for about 60 years. Recipients of a Good Design Award are granted use of the G Mark symbol, which has been an emblem of good design for over half a century.
Judge's Commentary
The EXRAIL showed ultra-high rigidity and ultra-high motion accuracy by utilizing needle rollers instead of balls as its rolling element. The orange emblem with the NB Brand logo shows its high quality and the overall design shows sophisticated design.