With installation assistance
The upper head incorporates a geometry that eases positioning of the cage onto the guide pillar. Essential when the die set carries several guide units at once.
Official distribution in SpainGuide elements
The guide elements that, together with the guide pillar, align the two halves of a stamping die. Complete Steinel Normalien range with seven guide types and load capacities certified to DIN ISO 14728-1.
Guide types
7 · plain + rolling
Combinations
126 per mounting Ø
Load capacity
DIN ISO 14728-1
Guide standards
DIN 9831 / ISO 9448
01
What are guide elements?
The guide elements —the guide bushes and ball cages (in international technical terminology, guide bushes and ball cages for die sets)— are the components that work paired with the guide pillar to ensure alignment between the upper and lower die shoe on every press stroke. This alignment, held to instrumentation-grade tolerances, determines the cutting clearance between punch and die and, by extension, the edge quality of the stamped part and the tool's service life.
Surisa is the Spanish distributor for the complete range from Steinel Normalien GmbH, the leading German manufacturer of standardized die-set components. The products comply with DIN 9831 / ISO 9448 for plain guide elements and DIN ISO 14728-1 for the dynamic load capacity of the cages.
02
Plain guide vs ball guide vs roller guide
The three available guide technologies cover complementary working ranges. The choice is not a matter of quality but of suitability for the application.
| Technology | Stroke | Side thrust | Speed | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain | Full pillar stroke | High — distributed over the surface | Up to 20 m/min | Periodic lubrication or solid lubricant |
| Ball cages | Limited by the cage (Stroke/2 rule) | Medium | 30–40 m/min and above | Almost none |
| Roller cages | Limited by the cage (Stroke/2 rule) | Very high — 6–12× a ball of the same Ø | ≥ 40 m/min | Almost none |
Stroke/2 rule. In rolling guides, during the stroke the cage advances half the axial travel of the guide element. This limits the usable stroke to the distance available between the cage and the assembly's mechanical stops.
03
Single mounting diameter: 126 interchangeable combinations
The main advantage of the Steinel Normalien system is that all guide elements share the same external diameter per housing family. A die set designed for a plain guide can be converted into a die set with ball guiding without additional machining operations — you simply replace the guide element.
2
guide diameters
internal diameter
7
guide types
3 plain + 4 rolling
3
mounting configurations
smooth · shoulder · flange
3
guide lengths
by series
126
combinations per mounting Ø
What type of guide does your die need?
Our engineers help you choose between a plain guide, ball cage, or roller cage based on side thrust, stroke, and working speed.
04
Plain guide — three variants
The three plain technologies share the mounting geometry but differ in the lubrication system and materials. Click each type to expand its data.
01
Steel with bronze coatingSteel / bronze
Diseño
- The hardened steel body (63 HRC) absorbs the lateral loads and prevents the guide element from deforming under heavy load application.
- The galvanic bronze layer on the running surface is very hard (250–300 HV), extremely wear-resistant and honed to the highest surface finish.
- Excellent thermal conductivity to quickly dissipate frictional heat.
- The internal lubrication system consists of parallel grooves joined by connecting channels.
Lubricación
- The internal system design ensures uniform lubricant distribution across the entire sliding surface and effectively protects against dirt.
- Depending on the guide load, it must be periodically resupplied with high-performance lubricant (SZ9850 / SZ9853); it accepts connection to a centralized lubrication system.
Usos
- Suitable for long strokes, high side thrust, and contamination-prone environments.
- Sliding speed up to 20 m/min.
- With an optimal design of lubrication, clearance, stroke, radial load, and heat dissipation, frequencies of up to 800 strokes/min are possible.
- Guide clearance of 2–7 µm (Ø 32 mm) — for greater clearance, specify when ordering.
- Dry-running properties available.
GRÁFICO · Permissible lateral load (N, log. scale) vs guide element length 20–150 mm · curves per Ø
02
With solid lubricantSolid lubricant
Diseño
- The hardened steel body (63 HRC) supports the solid-lubricant bushing, takes the lateral loads and prevents deformation of the guide element under heavy load.
- The integrated sintered bronze bushing (CuSn10) with solid lubricant (MoS₂) is self-lubricating and low-maintenance.
- The bushing has a hardness of 65 HV: extremely wear-resistant and honed to the highest surface finish.
Lubricación
- The sintered bronze with solid lubricant takes on the lubricating function between the guide element and the pillar.
- The lubricant film uniformly covers the entire inner wall of the guide element.
- The adherent, coherent film prevents corrosion of the guide element and pillar during shutdown or start-up.
Usos
- Also suitable for extremely small strokes and radial movements.
- Sliding speed up to 20 m/min.
- Guide clearance of 3–10 µm (Ø 32 mm) — for greater clearance, specify when ordering.
- Optimal for low-maintenance applications.
- Excellent dry-running properties.
03
Bronze with solid lubricant ringsGraphite rings
Diseño
- The bronze guides (CuZn25Al5) with integrated graphite rings (soaked in hydraulic oil) are self-lubricating and low-maintenance.
- With a class 22 HRC hardness, the guide elements stand out for their high stability.
- Several solid-lubricant rings are integrated flush with the sliding surface inside the guide element.
- Excellent thermal conductivity to quickly dissipate frictional heat.
- The self-lubricating system significantly reduces maintenance costs.
Lubricación
- The solid lubricant held in the rings takes on the lubricating function between the guide element and the pillar.
- The adherent, coherent film prevents corrosion of the guide element and pillar during shutdown or start-up.
Usos
- Suitable for axial movements with a wide stroke.
- To ensure an optimal film, the stroke must always be greater than the distance between the solid lubricant rings.
- Sliding speed up to 20 m/min.
- Guide clearance of 3–10 µm (Ø 32 mm) — for greater clearance, specify when ordering.
- Optimal for low-maintenance applications.
- Dry-running properties required.
05
Precision ball cages
Ball cages (ball cage retainers) replace sliding contact with rolling contact. The precision hardened steel balls are arranged in an axial spiral, so that each ball travels its own raceway — this increases service life by avoiding repeated indentation.
- Free installation position. The aluminum, brass, and plastic cages allow longitudinal and rotational movements.
- Load capacity C₁₀₀B. Certified to DIN ISO 14728-1 · Ø 10–80 mm · cage length up to 160 mm.
- Preload. Adjustable to the guide diameter.
CHART · dynamic load capacity C₁₀₀B (DIN ISO 14728-1) · Ø 10–80 mm
Additional versions available
With retaining ring (DIN 471)
The ring prevents the cage from coming out of its housing during tool disassembly. In operation, it also prevents progressive cage wandering over long strokes.
With locking device and screw
Aluminum only. During full retraction of the guide element, the locking plate retains the cage on the guide pillar. The solution for applications where the pillar and the guide element separate completely on every cycle.
The ball cages in three materials and their characteristics
Aluminum
- Lower mass than brass → lower inertia on motion reversals
- Optimal heat resistance
Typical application: dies with frequent disassembly, tools with several guide units.
Brass
- High wear resistance and stability
- Low ball-cage friction · optimal thermal conductivity
Typical application: optical and electronic measuring devices, high-volume production.
Plastic (Hostaform C)
- Lower mass than aluminum → high-speed tools
- High resistance to chemically aggressive media
Typical application: high cadence, environments with chemical corrosion.
06
Precision roller cages
In roller guides the balls are replaced by barrel-shaped cylindrical rollers (saddle shape). The main advantage is load capacity.
6–12×
static load of a ball of the same Ø
2–3×
dynamic load of a ball of the same Ø
Cage material
Aluminum
Rollers
Hardened steel · barrel profile (saddle shape)
Movements
Longitudinal only — not rotational
Side thrust
High
Cutting clearance
Small (optimal geometric precision)
Capacity
C₁₀₀R to DIN ISO 14728-1
Design and performance
- The rollers sit free to move in the bores and are arranged in an axial spiral, so that each roller travels its own raceway.
- They can be used in any installation position for longitudinal movements; they do not allow rotational movement.
- Long service life: the contact radii of the barrel profile prevent critical deformations in the corner zone — the oscillation under load is less than 0.05 µm.
- Low mass: lower inertia forces at the reversal points and reduced cage wandering on long strokes.
- Suitable for high side thrust and small cutting clearance: one roller withstands 6–12× (static) and 2–3× (dynamic) the load of a ball of the same Ø.
- With optimal use, a travel speed of 40 m/min and above.
Preload and maintenance
- Preload increases the radial stiffness of the guide but reduces ease of sliding. Excessive preload overloads the guide through an excessively high surface pressure of the rollers.
- Recommended preload value: 2–4 µm.
- They accept a limiting sleeve or stop to limit the cage travel on the pillar.
- Practically maintenance-free: adequate lubrication at assembly is enough for correct long-term operation.
CHART · dynamic load capacity C₁₀₀R (DIN ISO 14728-1) · Ø 19–80 mm
07
Mounting instructions at a glance
Fixing by mounting configuration
| Configuration | Fixing |
|---|---|
| Smooth | Glued with Loctite 603 adhesive (Steinel ref. SZ9742). Do NOT press — pressing deforms the internal diameter. The adhesive surfaces must be free of grease. |
| Shoulder | The shoulder is pressed against the plate with clamps or screws. |
| Flange | The flange is pressed against the plate with screws. |
Additional critical rules
- Guide elements must always carry a lubricant film when mounted.
- The die-set plates must approach parallel to each other.
- When the rolling guides close, the rolling elements must roll, not slide.
- Stroke/2 rule: the cage advances half the axial travel of the guide element.
08
Industrial applications
Steinel Normalien guide elements are used in any application that combines stamping press, blanking or forming with high-precision alignment requirements.
Automotive
Progressive dies for body panels, drawing, and chassis and frame components.
Appliances and white goods
Deep drawing and cutting dies for sheet metal.
Electronics and connectors
High-cadence progressive dies for terminals, contacts, and housings.
Metal packaging
Cutting and drawing dies for cans, lids, and packaging components.
Precision stamping
Fine blanking — tools with very tight dimensional tolerances.
Die-making subcontracting
Standardized die sets with interchangeable guide elements for the machine shop.
09
Frequently asked questions
01 Why can't plain guide elements be pressed in during mounting?
Plain (smooth) guide elements must be glued with Loctite 603 adhesive (Steinel reference SZ9742), never pressed in. The reason is geometric: radial pressure deforms the internal diameter of the guide element, which alters the nominal clearance with the pillar or the preload of the ball cage. The bonding surfaces must be completely free of grease. Guide elements with a shoulder or a flange, on the other hand, are mounted by pressing the shoulder or the flange against the plate with auxiliary clamps or screws.
02 When should you choose a ball cage, roller cage, or plain guide?
The plain guide (steel/bronze or solid lubricant) accepts the highest lateral load because it distributes it over the entire surface of the guide element, and it allows strokes as long as the pillar itself. It is the choice for dies with significant side thrust. The ball cage offers the highest precision and the best speed/maintenance ratio, but its usable stroke is limited by the Stroke/2 rule and it tolerates lateral loads less well. The roller cage combines high speed with load capacity (a roller withstands 6–12× the static load of a ball of the same Ø), but it only allows longitudinal movements — not rotational ones.
03 What load capacity does a Steinel ball cage have?
The dynamic load capacity of Steinel cages is certified as C₁₀₀B to DIN ISO 14728-1 (ball cages) and C₁₀₀R to DIN ISO 14728-1 (roller cages). The values cover diameters from 10 to 80 mm and cage lengths up to 160 mm, with detailed curves in the technical catalog for each Ø × length combination. The capacity increases with cage length and with diameter, since both parameters increase the number of balls or rollers in simultaneous contact.
04 What does the "Stroke/2" rule mean in cage sizing?
During the movement of the guide element on the pillar with a ball or roller cage, the cage travels half the stroke of the guide element. This means that for a total travel of 60 mm of the guide element, the cage moves 30 mm. As a result, the usable length available for the cage must be at least (stroke / 2) + cage length + retention margins. A short cage will limit the usable stroke of the die; a cage that is too long will increase the assembly height without adding any load capacity.
05 Can a pillar and guide element from different ranges be combined in the same die?
To ensure the nominal clearances and preloads, it is advisable to work with a pillar and guide element from the same range and series. The h3 tolerances of the pillar are designed to pair with the internal diameters of the corresponding guide element — 2–7 µm clearance in the steel/bronze guide element, 3–10 µm with solid lubricant, controlled preload with a ball cage. Mixing manufacturers can introduce out-of-range deviations and compromise the precision and service life of the system.
Ready to specify your guide elements?
We distribute the complete Steinel Normalien range in Spain. We advise you on guide types, interchangeable combinations, and delivery times.