Engineering Capabilities

A diverse team of engineers

This year, PBC Linear marks 40 years of engineering linear motion solutions. Our facility has always drawn product design engineers together from a wide range of disciplines in R&D, product design, and application-specific engineering. This mingling of minds and degrees of expertise allows us to specialize in several key industries. Our roots in aerospace, commercial, medical, hydraulic, and paper industries provide customers with a multi-dimensional approach to every type of project. The end results are cost-effective solutions that customers can use to get their linear motion applications up and running quickly.

A key focus for us is to help our customers slim down their products and design cycles. Using this ‘Design on a Diet’ philosophy, we collaborate with their engineers to develop new solutions to old design problems. Inside of our [engineered to order] process, we heavily use the Flow waterjet machine. Using a customer’s print, it allows us to literally go from art to part in as little as 30 seconds. We can have a prototype piece in our hands in just a few minutes.

Tools of the engineering trade

The PBC Linear engineering team utilizes cutting-edge tools to build superior product design:

  • State-of-the-art 3D modeling software
  • SolidWorks® Design Platform and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) ensures easy specification interface with customers
  • Design control processes based on the highest industry standards

The design process

The engineering team at PBC Linear begins the design process by offering their customers downloadable CAD material, as well as a library of technical data through PART Community—a web-based 3D CAD viewing program.

The team then uses customer specifications to formulate a solution for the proposed application. Next, a 3D representation of the application is created using SolidWorks®. Further refinements to the design are then added using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software.

Building and Testing the Finished Product

​Simulations are used to investigate the effects of static and dynamic loading, impact, vibration, heat transfer, and dimensional tolerances—showcasing where the “hot spots” of stress will be for each feasible strain on the system. FEA software exaggerates the strain to give engineers a clear picture of how each external factor affects all parts of the application.

Once the physical prototype is created, it is subjected to in-depth performance tests. Metallurgical analysis is also used to establish the product limits for temperature, load, speed, and stress, revealing life cycle capacities.