Los cojinetes lisos tienen un diseño muy similar a los cojinetes de elementos rodantes, excepto porque se deslizan sin el uso de ningún tipo de rodillos. Si las superficies de apoyo tienen forma cilíndrica, a menudo se les llama bujes. Los casquillos pueden ser de metal o de plástico, o incluso se puede forzar la presencia de un fluido a presión como el aire para evitar el roce entre las dos superficies.

Dovetail guides

Dovetail (also known as dovetail) slides are generally constructed of cast iron, but can also be made from a hard shell of aluminum, acetal, or stainless steel. Like any bearing, a dovetail slide consists of a stationary linear base and a moving carriage. It has a protruding v-shaped or dovetail-shaped channel that locks into the correspondingly shaped groove of the linear base. Once the dovetail carriage is adjusted in the channel of its base, it is arranged in the linear axis of the channel, where it can make a free linear movement, but without leaving the direction marked by the rail. When a platform connects two or more parallel guides in a dovetail shape, a sliding work table is created that offers greater load carrying capabilities.

Dovetail slides are advantageous when it comes to load capacity, affordability, and durability. Capable of long travel, they are more shock resistant than other bearings and are mostly immune to contamination from chemicals, dust and dirt. They can be motorized, mechanical or electromechanical. When they are electric they can be driven by different different devices, such as ball screws, chains, belts or cables, which work with stepper motors, linear motors or flywheels. Dovetail slides are direct contact systems, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications, including numerically controlled machines, conveying devices, specialty machines, and workholding devices. Mainly used in manufacturing industries and laboratories, dovetail guides are ideal for high precision applications.[3]​.

Composite guides

Guides or slides can be constructed with two or more sections.[5]​ When it has two sections, it can only extend approximately 3/4 of its total compressed length. A composite slide typically has three sections: a fixed and floating intermediate member and the section attached to the box. A composite design can extend at least as long as the compressed device and usually a little longer. In the case of drawer slides, this allows them to be completely removed from the cabinet where they are housed, allowing access for service or cable connection to the back of the cabinet.

Guides for electronic equipment cabinets

Shelf slides are designed specifically for mounting electronic equipment in 19" or 23" racks. They can be plain bearings, ball bearings or roller bearings. They are sized to fit into racks with tabs on their sides to engage the racks' mounting holes. In some cases, a slide rail is mounted to the frame with an adapter bracket attached to the other end to accommodate different frame depths.[6]​ The outer member is attached to the frame and the inner moving member is usually bolted to the side of the mounted equipment. Slides are normally composed of 2 or 3 parts, allowing full extension of the mounted equipment and usually include a provision for sliding the inner member completely free to allow removal of the equipment from the cabinet, and may also include stops to prevent it from accidentally coming out of the frame.

There may be special configurations that, for example, can be attached to equipment without the use of screws or can be attached to an appropriately designed rack. But the basic geometry is the same regardless of how it is mounted.

Los cojinetes lisos tienen un diseño muy similar a los cojinetes de elementos rodantes, excepto porque se deslizan sin el uso de ningún tipo de rodillos. Si las superficies de apoyo tienen forma cilíndrica, a menudo se les llama bujes. Los casquillos pueden ser de metal o de plástico, o incluso se puede forzar la presencia de un fluido a presión como el aire para evitar el roce entre las dos superficies.

Dovetail guides

Dovetail (also known as dovetail) slides are generally constructed of cast iron, but can also be made from a hard shell of aluminum, acetal, or stainless steel. Like any bearing, a dovetail slide consists of a stationary linear base and a moving carriage. It has a protruding v-shaped or dovetail-shaped channel that locks into the correspondingly shaped groove of the linear base. Once the dovetail carriage is adjusted in the channel of its base, it is arranged in the linear axis of the channel, where it can make a free linear movement, but without leaving the direction marked by the rail. When a platform connects two or more parallel guides in a dovetail shape, a sliding work table is created that offers greater load carrying capabilities.

Dovetail slides are advantageous when it comes to load capacity, affordability, and durability. Capable of long travel, they are more shock resistant than other bearings and are mostly immune to contamination from chemicals, dust and dirt. They can be motorized, mechanical or electromechanical. When they are electric they can be driven by different different devices, such as ball screws, chains, belts or cables, which work with stepper motors, linear motors or flywheels. Dovetail slides are direct contact systems, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications, including numerically controlled machines, conveying devices, specialty machines, and workholding devices. Mainly used in manufacturing industries and laboratories, dovetail guides are ideal for high precision applications.[3]​.

Composite guides

Guides or slides can be constructed with two or more sections.[5]​ When it has two sections, it can only extend approximately 3/4 of its total compressed length. A composite slide typically has three sections: a fixed and floating intermediate member and the section attached to the box. A composite design can extend at least as long as the compressed device and usually a little longer. In the case of drawer slides, this allows them to be completely removed from the cabinet where they are housed, allowing access for service or cable connection to the back of the cabinet.

Guides for electronic equipment cabinets

Shelf slides are designed specifically for mounting electronic equipment in 19" or 23" racks. They can be plain bearings, ball bearings or roller bearings. They are sized to fit into racks with tabs on their sides to engage the racks' mounting holes. In some cases, a slide rail is mounted to the frame with an adapter bracket attached to the other end to accommodate different frame depths.[6]​ The outer member is attached to the frame and the inner moving member is usually bolted to the side of the mounted equipment. Slides are normally composed of 2 or 3 parts, allowing full extension of the mounted equipment and usually include a provision for sliding the inner member completely free to allow removal of the equipment from the cabinet, and may also include stops to prevent it from accidentally coming out of the frame.

There may be special configurations that, for example, can be attached to equipment without the use of screws or can be attached to an appropriately designed rack. But the basic geometry is the same regardless of how it is mounted.