[kunte]

Some time ago I got about 10 pieces of THK HSR20 linear carriages with only 120 mm rails. New rails are quite expensive, so I'm looking for used rails or cheaper rails for these strollers. I wonder if there is a cheaper alternative for thk strollers? I found a seller of used busbars on ebay some time ago, but I haven't heard back from them.

[Todd Zuercher]

If you don't care that much about quality, you can get super cheap Hiwin HGR-20 rail

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
this is my go-to store for new-old-stock and secondhand motion components. Had a dozen or more purchases over ten years, including new old stock 20mm HSR rails/cars
and 32mm BNFN C5 ballscrews for my current machine.

https://www.ebay.com/str/industrialp....m47492.l74602

Craig

[kunte]

If you don't care that much about quality, you can get super cheap Hiwin HGR-20 rail

Are the Hiwin HGR-20 rails the same as for the THK HSR20?

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
supposedly all 20mm rails conform to a standard and can thus be swapped interchangeably between compliant manufacturers.
How good that is I cannot say, I have always used rails and cars from the same manufacturer.

Be aware that in China there are a ton of Hiwin ripoffs, especially AliExpress. They look exactly like Hiwin, including using the same part number as genuine, the same color components etc,
but they are in fact copies of genuine Hiwin. The only thing to recommend them is their price. I suppose for non-critical applications they would be OK.

Craig

- - - Updated - - -

Hi,
supposedly all 20mm rails conform to a standard and can thus be swapped interchangeably between compliant manufacturers.
How good that is I cannot say, I have always used rails and cars from the same manufacturer.

Be aware that in China there are a ton of Hiwin ripoffs, especially AliExpress. They look exactly like Hiwin, including using the same part number as genuine, the same color components etc,
but they are in fact copies of genuine Hiwin. The only thing to recommend them is their price. I suppose for non-critical applications they would be OK.

Craig

[kunte]

I checked the Hiwin website, they have CGR, HGR, EGR guides.
Until now, I have not dealt with such guides, so I do not know what the differences are between these rails.
At first glance, there are differences in the type and shape of the trolley, but are the rails the same?

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
if you are buying genuine Hiwin rails then they'll be nearly the same price as THK. Hiwin (genuine) is very good....and therefore the price is up there close to THK, NSK, Bosch Rexroth etc.

If you are buying Hiwin copies, and one look on Aliexpress will convince you that they are much cheaper, then you can probably afford to get rails and cars....they really are that cheap.
I'd save your THK HSR20's for genuine THK rail. THK and NSK are probably the two best and most respected brands in the world for linear motion. To use your HSR's on lesser rail; seems
a shame.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...Cquery_from%3A

Two 120mm rails and four 20mm cars for $65NZD or approx $45USD. Bloody hard to beat that!

Craig

[peteeng]

Hi Kunte - Linear rail and car makers have standard lines that comply with ISO 12090-2. If the THK rail has a part no on it then you can check if its made to the ISO code. If so then any suitable ISO car or rail will be interchangeable. But bearing makers also have propriety lines that may not conform to the ISO code. If your rail is such a rail then you will need the matching THK car. Peter

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
kunte already has the cars, THK HSR20's. They are the 'standard' car and fit 'standard' rail. I used new old stock THK HSR20's and THK rail for my machine.

Craig

[joeavaerage]

Hi,

Whats wrong with these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194797114984

That is genuine THK rail, all be it second hand, 485mm long, more than ten of them available and for $29.90USD each, dropping to $23.92 for four.

Or what about these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193739599328

Again, genuine THK rail, new old stock, two lengths 840mm long for $200USD and free shipping. Whats not to like?

Then what about these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/20421632136...9GHKXMPB5M3WPG

New, old stock THK 20mm rails and cars, three rails, six HSR cars 580mm long for $300USD. I realize that you don't really need the cars, but these are perfectly matched and BRAND NEW,
at a small fraction of new cost.

Craig

[kunte]

At the moment, I don't have any project where I need linear guides. I happened to find THK trolleys with 120mm long guides in the workshop,
which I got for free some time ago. I used supported ball guides on the mediapan cnc. If I could get the rails for these carts cheaply,
I would replace the supported ball guides with THK guides.
I was looking for rails for these strollers quite some time ago, but the price was too high. I find it difficult to find my way in the flood of markings and types of linear guides,
because my knowledge of the English language and time is limited.
At first glance, some of the rails look similar, but I've never had the chance to try things out.
I would also like to know if the rails for the THK CGR, HGR, EGR and HSR trolleys are the same and the difference is only in the dimensions of the trolley and the purpose?

joeavaerage and peteeng thanks for the info and links.

My carts and rails are marked THK GBL01060, but I don't know what this mark means.

[pippin88]

THK publishes very detailed catalogues with drawings and dimensions

[peteeng]

Hi Kunte - Very interesting - I went to the THK site and that part number is not recognised. I looked at all the car and rail series but no GB series. I also did a google global search and no linear bearing with that code. More research needed! Peter

[joeavaerage]

Hi kunte,
I linked to a short length (480mm) piece of THK rail.....why don't you just buy one? You'll soon know whether it fits or not. $29.90USD plus shipping.....you've got to start somewhere
or you'll end up procrastinating and never get anything.

Craig

[kunte]

As far as I understood from the document that peteeng attached, the lines for HSR and SHS are the same. Now at least I know what I have to look for.

[jason003]

Hiwin HGR-20 rails are not directly compatible with THK HSR20 systems. The rail profiles and block designs differ between brands—even if the nominal size is similar. To use Hiwin rails, you’d need to replace both the rails and the matching Hiwin carriages. Mixing brands (e.g., THK blocks on Hiwin rails) risks poor fit, reduced accuracy, or premature wear. Always stick to matched sets for optimal performance!

[jason003]

you can look here: https://www.coolenbearings.com/thk/linear-motion-guides , which have detailed data sheet. But I think you need to be sure of the full model number of THK.