Way Covers – The Ultimate Guide
What are way covers?
Way covers are manufactured to improve CNC machine protection and guarantee a longer machine lifecycle. Way covers are known by different terms, such as: machine bellows, telescopic covers, bellow covers, machine slideway protection, and more. The way covers are available in 2 options: Steel Way Covers and Fabric Way Covers. We will highlight the two way cover options and the way cover repair aspect of both products.
What’s the difference?
Steel Way Covers
Steel Way Covers feature a telescopic way cover function that provides reliable slideway and CNC machine component protection. Protection from destructive materials, corrosive liquids, and environmental concerns is the steel way covers function.
Steel Telescopic Way Cover
Telescopic steel way covers provide protection of slideways and CNC machine components from abrasion and harmful liquids. Additional components can be added to the telescopic steel way cover to improve speed, durability, and enhance access to the machine.
Furthermore, steel way covers are easy to tune and repair – let us take care of your steel way cover repair. In addition, optional components can be integrated into steel way covers to enhance the durability, speed, and machine access that fits your employee needs.
Fabric Way Covers
Fabric Way Covers are machine bellows that are designed to protect CNC machine components. These type of machine bellows are constructed from lightweight material. Bellow fabric way covers are perfect for restricted space due to their high compression ratio.
Fabric Way Cover
Our accordion bellows are manufactured from premium quality plastic fabrics and foils. The material for the fabric way covers and our bellow design process are standard – the customizable aspect for our way cover design process are the mechanical portion, thermal strain of the bellows, swarf, chips, and corrosiveness of the chemicals that may come into contact with the way cover.
Furthermore, fabric way covers offer protection from dust – including complex designs that feature extension systems or lamellas. Custom designs are available for laser machines and other CNC machine products.
Why Repair Way Covers?
Steel Way Cover After Use
Repairing a way cover is important to ensure that your machine equipment protection is kept up to standard and assures a longer lifecycle. The way covers or way shields can be designed precisely for parts such as: ball screws, splines, ball bushings, and more. Protecting your machine equipment from harmful abrasive particles to maintain accuracy and efficiency is the primary role of way covers and why way cover repair is important. When way cover bellows are installed on a machine for enhanced protection, it completely seals out dust, dirt, and chips. A machine way cover is designed specifically for your machine protection. Shaver Industries designs and repairs OEM way covers (x,y,z axis way covers) from manufacturers such as: Haas, Okuma, Kuraki, Takumi Seiki, Hurco, Fives Giddings and Lewis, OKK, Toshiba, Enshu, Nakamura, TOS, FPT, Fryer, Kitamura, Fadal, Milltronics, Matsuura, DMG Mori Seiki, Daewoo, and many more. All of our way covers are designed and manufactured to meet most industry specifications for your CNC machine equipment protection needs.
Way Cover Components
Additionally, steel way covers feature components that can be integrated onto the way cover to enhance the functionality and improve efficiency based on your CNC machine protection needs. Components that can be integrated onto the steel way cover are:
Dampening Elements – bumpers that are used based on your CNC machine speeds.
Wedge Dampener – softens impact and wear-and-tear on boxes.
High-Speed Module – Guides that are ideal for linear machines that can accommodate speeds up to 2Gs.
Way Extension Brackets – This components extends the machine ways and provide the support needed for the way cover while it is in a position of compression.
Lifting Lugs – Provides easier installation and lifting assistance for the way cover.
Conclusion
In conclusion, steel way covers and fabric way covers (bellows) are manufactured and repaired at Shaver Industries utilizing over 35 years of experience manufacturing way cover products and CNC 
machine protection. Our quality control department ensures that the way covers over-exceed your needs and meet exact specifications. We take machine protection seriously, that’s why we’re the trusted way cover supplier for Fortune 500 companies. Shaver Industries manufactures and repairs all way cover shapes, mounting options, and wiper systems – offering a fully customizable experience to ensure your specifications and machine enhancements are met.
Does your company equipment feature CNC Machines and other related equipment? Have any questions? Let the experts protect your machinery and ensure efficiency and safety. Reach out to us at sales@shaverinc.com and one of our product experts will answer any questions that you may have.
