prismatic joint

{{Short description|Kinematic pair which constrains bodies to sliding along an axis without rotating}}

{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}

File:Prismatic joint.svg the axis is prevented from rotating (this can be accomplished by giving the axis a prismatic shape which is not visible here).]]

A prismatic joint is a one-degree-of-freedom kinematic pair{{cite book|last=Norton|first=Robert L.|title=Design of Machinery|publisher=McGraw Hill Higher Education|location=Boston, MA|year=2008|edition=4th|pages=33|chapter=2|isbn=978-0-07-312158-1}} which constrains the motion of two bodies to sliding along a common axis, without rotation; for this reason it is often called a slider (as in the slider-crank linkage) or a sliding pair. They are often utilized in hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders.{{cite web|url=http://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/low_ed/joints/|title=Joint Types|last=Robotics Research Group|publisher=University of Texas at Austin|access-date=2009-02-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311072110/http://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/low_ed/joints/|archive-date=2009-03-11}}

A prismatic joint can be formed with a polygonal cross-section to resist rotation. Examples of this include the dovetail joint and linear bearings.