Thomson SSUPB16 Super Smart Pillow Block Double End Supported Linear Guide

Thomson SSUPB16 Super Smart Pillow Block Double End Supported Linear Guide

This Thomson Industries SSUPB16 Super Smart Pillow Block assembly is a complete double end supported linear guide system consisting of two parallel hardened steel shafts, four SSUPB16 Super Smart Pillow Blocks, machined aluminum end support blocks, and an aluminum table top with a grid of mounting holes. The Super Smart Pillow Block design integrates Thomson's self-aligning ball bushing technology into a compact, rigidly mounted housing, allowing the carriage to travel smoothly along the shaft length with minimal friction and self-correcting alignment.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Thomson Industries, Inc. — Port Washington, NY, USA
• Model: SSUPB16 (Super Smart Pillow Block, 1-inch nominal shaft series)
• Configuration: Double end supported linear guide
• Pillow blocks included: 4 × SSUPB16 Super Smart Pillow Blocks
• Shafts: 2 × parallel hardened steel Thomson shafts (1-inch nominal diameter)
• End supports: 2 × dark anodized aluminum double-end support blocks
• Table top: Aluminum plate with grid of through-holes and counterbores for mounting fixtures or loads
• Grease fittings: Visible on pillow block housings for lubrication maintenance
• Thomson blue identification labels intact and legible on all pillow blocks
• Motion type: Linear (reciprocating shaft-and-bushing)
• Complete assembly as photographed — no missing components observed

Applications

Thomson Industries' Super Smart Pillow Block (SSUPB) series is a standard linear motion component widely used in automation, robotics, pick-and-place machinery, semiconductor handling equipment, precision positioning stages, and general industrial machine building. The double end supported configuration — where both ends of each shaft are fixed in rigid support blocks — provides maximum shaft stiffness and load capacity compared to single end or unsupported designs, making it well suited for applications carrying heavier loads or requiring tighter deflection tolerances. The table top plate allows direct mounting of tooling, sensors, grippers, or custom fixtures, so the assembly can be integrated into a larger machine or used as a standalone X-axis stage. Thomson Industries has been producing shaft and pillow block linear guides since the 1940s, and the SSUPB series remains a widely recognized standard in North American machine design. This type of assembly is commonly found in legacy automation equipment, test fixtures, medical device assembly lines, and precision manufacturing machinery.