Plain bearing
With the new slewing ring bearing made of WPC (wood-plastic composite), igus is taking another step forward in the integration of renewable raw materials in industrial production. By using 50 per cent wood and 50 per cent high-performance plastics, customers receive a cost-effective and lubrication-free slewing ring bearing. It strikes a good balance between strength, durability and environmental friendliness with a proven low CO2 footprint.
3D-printed polymer components will be able to resist much higher temperatures in future – in the engine compartment of a car, for example. While commercially available SLS printing materials threaten to deform at over 80°C, the new powdery material iglidur i230 from igus can withstand a long-term application temperature of 110°C. Furthermore, it is free of PTFE and around 80% more wear-resistant than the classic PA12.
Enter dimensions, determine application parameters, find plain bearings – simple! This is how the new igus online shop for polymer plain bearings now works. Whether catalogue part or special bearing, customers receive a transparent overview of all plain bearings that are suitable for their application. Convenient filters such as price, delivery time and service life help with the selection. Technical drawings and CAD data are available as a free download.
Expensive machine and vehicle breakdowns due to undetected faults in heavy-duty fixed flange bearings: these will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new generation of two- and four-hole fixed flange bearings. Their special feature is that the bearings, which are made of lubrication-free high-performance plastic, are equipped with miniature wireless sensors, enabling condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.
From microdrives to microscopes to precision engineering, engineers around the world are building increasingly compact products. igus now produces microgears for them with modules as small as 0.2. Tooth dimensions are very close to those of a human hair. Thanks to high-performance plastics, the teeth still allow precise, low-wear movement for high-quality products.
Things are heating up, especially in battery production for the automotive industry. Machines and systems have to withstand temperatures above 100°C and aggressive chemicals. For more machine reliability and less maintenance, igus has developed the lubrication-free xiros A500 deep groove ball bearing specifically for chemical and temperature resistance. To offer customers even more solutions, igus is adding two new materials to its range of ball bearings for high-temperature use. Users now also have access to the xirodur F500 cage material and balls made of zirconium oxide.
In the food industry, machine components have to meet very high hygiene requirements so as not to pose a safety risk. Since 2019, the motion plastics specialist igus has been offering igubal Food Contact (FC), a special spherical bearing system made from high-performance polymers that comply with FDA and EU 10/2011 for direct contact with food. The company is now expanding this product range with a new double joint. Interested parties who would like to see the advantages and quality of the igubal FC series for themselves in advance can now order a new free sample box.
Stressed automotive designers and
buyers can breathe a sigh of relief. If they needed an injection mould for a special component suitable for series production and resistant to wear at short notice, they previously had to wait up to six weeks. Time that igus has now reduced to just seven days – with a service called FastLine. With the iglidur designer, customers can quickly order the tribo-optimised plain bearing. In just four steps, the required part is configured online and ordered from igus.
A clean cityscape is what many large cities around the world long for. To bring that dream a little closer, Finbin, a Finnish company, has developed an intelligent rubbish bin. It features a solar-powered press that increases the amount of rubbish it can absorb by a factor of six. The lubrication-free igus plain bearings in use ensure a long service life of the bin. This project won the green manus award in 2021.
In practice, it is not easy to cost-effectively produce clearance-free multi-link hinges for spoiler kinematics and soft-top and hinge systems. Frequently only roughly punched holes with a limited amount of fine cuts in the guides combined with cold extrusion rivets require costly bearing recalibration. With its plain bearings made of tribologically optimised plastics, such as the new electrically conductive iglidur F300 material, igus offers a technically better solution that costs less. In the e-coating process, the bearing recalibrates itself and also prevents corrosion.