Hi CNC folks, I am designing a five axis machine and I would like to use some of the "Integral V" linear guides that Pacific bearing announced in November 2008, but I can only find one company that is distributing this product (Granger) and they are only offering a small fraction of what the pacific bearing claims to be manufacturing.

I spoke to an engineer at Pacific bearing a few months ago, who said that they are still in the beginning stages of rolling this product out, but I would have expected to see it available from someone other than the manufacturer by now. I always hate buying something from a single source because they can charge whatever they want to for it, and Pacific bearing doesn't have any sort of convenient online ordering, which I would prefer over having to call and get a quote fo everything.

When I talked to the engineer and wondered out loud if their product announcement was really just to test the waters to see if such a product would sell, he didn't say yes but he didn't say no. I am seriously doubting that all of the product line they announced will actually be manufactured, and if it is, I don't feel certain that it would be offered for any length of time. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has had experience with this product, and can tell me of distributors that might be carrying it, or whether they have any indication as to whether this is a real product or just a market research effort on the part of Pacific bearing. Thanks one and all.