interviews
17.11.2023
R number versus descriptive designation: Making sense of the Rexroth designation system
Bosch Rexroth is a premium manufacturer of drive and control technology with a large range of product groups in the field of linear motion technology, which we stock at PICARD. Examples include ball and roller guide rails as well as the associated carriages and linear ball bearings (or ball bearing sets). A key feature here is that the entire range of products is managed using a special designation system consisting of so-called R numbers. The company uses ‘descriptive designations’ in addition to the R numbers. In an interview, Bosch Rexroth’s Rolf Spickermann explains what exactly this means and why the use of this system leads to a better understanding on both the manufacturer and the customer side.
Welcome, Mr Spickermann. Thanks for being with us today. To start off, please tell us a bit about yourself. What are your responsibilities at Bosch Rexroth?
Rolf Spickermann: My name is Rolf Spickermann and I am Partner Development Manager for the Indirect Sales Channel for Central Europe at Bosch Rexroth AG. I act in this role as a customer representative and technology representative for linear motion technology for companies such as PICARD.
Bosch Rexroth is a global technology leader in the field of drive and control technology. How long have you been developing linear motion technology?
Rolf Spickermann: In the early 1960s, Bosch Rexroth, still operating under the name Deutsche Star Kugelhalter GmbH, became the first European company to manufacture standard ball bushings. Manufacture of hardened and ground steel shafts was also started at this time. Complete units were then also available as ready-to-install solutions, with the bushings supplemented by housings, shaft trestles and shaft support rails for open ball bushings. Development of the profile rail guide and the linear motion systems consisting of guides and drive units followed in the 1980s.
The 10-digit R numbers assigned to all of your linear motion products make them impossible to be mixed up. Why do you use a special designation system?
Rolf Spickermann: With the large range of linear motion technology products from Bosch Rexroth, it was important for us to develop a simple system in which each product variant with its accessories and add-ons could be represented through a logical numbering system. This provides a quick and easy means of identification for both us and our customers.
Concretely, this means that: Every number in the 10-digit R numbering system has a meaning. Let’s take our carriages as an example: The first two digits in the R number indicate the shape. Is it a ball guide (16) or a roller guide (18)? The next two digits represent the type designation. This is followed by a digit indicating the size (e.g. ‘1’ means size 15, ‘2’ means size ‘25’ and so on). Then there are two digits indicating the preload and the accuracy, respectively. Finally, the last two digits stand for the seal / ball chain. Once you’ve internalised this coding system, you can easily identify any product in the ball and roller guide rail area as well as the associated carriage. Another big advantage of a numerical coding system is that it bypasses language barriers.
You also use so-called descriptive designations, or designations containing descriptions of specific characteristics such as type, size or design, in your designation system. What’s the main advantage of using the combination of an R number and a ‘descriptive designation’?
Rolf Spickermann: Different abbreviations of specific characteristics are stored in text form behind each so-called descriptive designation. By means of them, a product can be found more quickly in the catalogue system. A feature that many of our customers greatly appreciate. A few examples of these descriptive designations are:
KW = ball carriage (german: Kugelwagen), KS = ball guide rail (german: Kugelschiene), RW = roller carriage (german: Rollenwagen), RS = roller guide rail (german: Rollenschiene), MW = miniature carriage (german: Miniaturwagen), MS, miniature guide rail (german: Miniaturschiene), KB = ball bushing (german: Kugelbuchse) and so on.
The combination of an R number and a descriptive designation is unbeatable because it unites the advantages of both systems: The R number may be very informative, but it is hermetically sealed, i.e. impenetrable. The descriptive designation alone does not provide all the details, but it is one of the most commonly used designation systems and is quite easy to decipher. This is especially helpful for customers who have little to no previous contact with our special Rexroth designation system.
We stock your monorail guidance systems with suitable carriages as well as shaft trestles and linear ball bearing units. The ball bushings from the linear ball bearing units are also separately available: What makes them so special?
Rolf Spickermann: The advantage here is clear: Customers can use the ball bushings freely in their designs and integrate them into their applications in individual ways. This means that they can design the housings according to the application requirements, for example, with additional seals, lubrication fittings or specific fits.
Compared with other manufacturers, you have a very extensive range of ball bushings. How did this come about?
Rolf Spickermann: The evolution of Bosch Rexroth linear motion technology began with round-shaft linear guides and they continue to be an important part of our portfolio today, so we are of course constantly working on finding new solutions and optimisations to meet customer needs. As a result, numerous other ball bushing product variants have been introduced on the market over the years. Our motto is: ‘The right ball bushing guide for each application’.
With the slogan ‘We Move. You Win.’ your company shows that it aims to help actively shape the future. What does that mean for you?
Rolf Spickermann: We are in constant communication with our customers so that we can stay on top of the constantly changing market conditions. At the same time, we think ahead – which market trends are emerging and which new challenges are arising for our customers? Based on our findings, we proactively develop solutions today that our customers will need tomorrow. This means that if we move and evolve in time, our customers will ultimately win. Our goal is to keep improving the efficiency and sustainability of our customers’ linear movements. You can find out more here on this website.
Thank you for sharing your interesting insights with us, Mr Spickermann!