JLCMC Blog

Linear Motion

Linear Guide Rails and Bearings: What's the Difference and Which Should You Use?

Pick any machine that moves in a straight line — a CNC router, a pick-and-place unit, a 3D printer gantry — and somewhere inside it you will find either a linear bearing riding on a round shaft or a linear guide rail carrying a carriage block. Although they are sometimes discussed interchangeably, round-shaft linear bearings and profiled linear guide rails are two different linear motion systems designed for different levels of precision, rigidity, and load capacity. Both deliver low-friction, guided,......

Jul 15, 2026

Power Transmission

Unipolar vs Bipolar Stepper Motor: Key Differences and How to Choose

You're looking at two NEMA 23 stepper motors with similar torque ratings on paper and a price difference that doesn't quite make sense. One is listed as bipolar, the other unipolar. The datasheet tells you the holding torque, rated current, and step angle, but it doesn't explain why the winding configuration matters — or whether it matters for your application. It does, but not always in the way most comparisons suggest. The performance difference between unipolar and bipolar motors starts with a simp......

Jul 14, 2026

Fasteners & Hardware

Threaded Inserts Guide: Types, Uses, Installation Tips, and Mechatronic Applications

1. What Are Threaded Inserts? Threaded inserts are mechanical fastening components used to create strong, reusable internal threads in a base material. Instead of relying only on threads cut directly into aluminum, plastic, wood, cast metal, or a 3D printed part, a threaded insert is installed into a prepared hole. The insert then provides a durable female thread for a screw, socket head cap screw, or hex bolt. In practical terms, threaded inserts help materials hold screws more reliably, especially w......

Jul 13, 2026

Fasteners & Hardware

Threaded Inserts for Wood: Applications, Installation Tips, and Selection Guide

1. What Are Threaded Inserts for Wood? Threaded inserts for wood are metal inserts designed to create reusable machine threads inside wooden parts. Instead of driving a wood screw directly into the material, the insert is installed into a drilled pilot hole. A machine screw, hex socket screw, hex bolt, knob, handle, leveling foot, or adjustable stop can then be fastened into the insert. In simple terms, threaded inserts allow wood to accept machine screws more like a metal component would. That is use......

Jul 13, 2026

Linear Motion

What Actually Goes Into a Linear Guide Rail System

A linear guide rail system is more than one rail. On its own, the rail cannot provide guided motion. What supports the load and maintains positioning accuracy is how the rail, carriage, rolling elements, and seals work together. This is a quick tour of those parts, and how they add up to a complete motion axis. For engineers speccing a new axis and buyers matching a system to a machine. If you just need the basics — what a linear guide is or the different types of linear rails — start with those two g......

Jul 13, 2026

Partner Collaborations

How the miniMonster Team Built the CNC Milling Machine with JLCMC Components

Project Overview The Lemontart 33 Metal is a high-performance DIY CNC milling machine designed and developed by the miniMonster team on YouTube. Engineered for high-speed machining of aluminum, plastics, hardwood, and light-duty steel, the machine combines precision, modularity, and accessibility in a compact form factor. JLCMC is proud to support this collaborative project by supplying industrial-grade motion components, bearings, pneumatic fittings, and servo systems to innovators within the global ......

Jul 10, 2026