Plain bearing
For the designers of Surf Evolution, the metallic bearings proved to be too maintenance-intensive and too expensive in their novel surf machines. Looking for an alternative, they quickly came across the motion plastics from igus. And the design engineers were thrilled, because the retrofitting significantly reduced the maintenance and saved 70 per cent in costs.
The goal of the World Solar Challenge was to cover 3,022 kilometres of the Australian desert powered only by the sun. One of the participants was Team Sonnenwagen from Aachen. To develop their solar-powered car, the students relied on the lightweight, wear-resistant and lubrication-free iglidur plain bearing technology made of durable tribo-polymers from igus. This enabled the team to comfortably finish sixth in the race.
According to the United Nations, world population will grow to 9.7 billion by 2050. In particular, the population of the cities will increase significantly. Vertical farming is considered a promising alternative to conventional methods to produce food for the growing number of urban dwellers, reliably and cost-effectively. In these vertical farms, motion plastics from igus already play a major role in their cost-efficient and reliable operation.
Users rely on ball tables for transducers in roller conveyors and for the transport of sensitive goods. Here igus polymer ball transfer units are used, because they can even move loads up to 500N smoothly and in all directions without any lubricant. To protect both conveyed goods and people from uncontrolled static electricity discharge, igus has now developed the tribo-polymer xirodur F182 for its ball transfer units. The new material is extremely durable and has proved its electrostatic conductivity in tests.
In times of increasing digitalisation of factories and warehouses, au-tomated guided vehicles (AGVs) are continuously conquering intralo-gistics. The reliability requirements are high in order to ensure faster processing and unimpeded material flow. AGV manufacturers are therefore equipping their systems with motion plastics components from igus, which make the autonomous vehicles less maintenance-intensive, lighter and more energy-efficient.
Sunshine, adrenaline, riding fun: more and more families are attracted to popular amusement parks, particularly in the summer months. Water rides are highly sought after especially when temperatures rise, including “Power Splash” from Mack Rides of Waldkirch. In order for the passengers to be able to get in and out safely, the developers of the water ride built a pivoting gate that placed special demands on the energy supply. igus provided the right solution with a rotary module.
In order to move doors, monitors or even panels, users rely on lateral installation of the linear systems. To enable the linear guides to absorb these lateral forces better, igus has now developed a new hybrid linear system. Two hybrid bearings provide low-friction adjustment with polymer rollers and tribo-polymer slide elements. Combined with an easily fit rail adapted to the new roller bearings, igus offers a cost-effective and visually appealing complete solution.
igus has developed a new self-lubricating, two-component bearing, iglide Q2E, that can withstand the extreme conditions frequently found in agricultural machines, utility vehicles, offshore installations and other demanding environments.
119 teams from 25 nations came to the Hockenheimring last week with their racing cars to race against each other. In the international design competition this year, lightweight vehicle construction was one of the most crucial criteria. Therefore, the students relied on lightweight, lubrication-free and maintenance-free plain bearing technology from igus. Whether in the pedals, the steering or in the chain drive, the iglidur tribo-polymers bring the sports cars to the finish quickly and safely.
To make it easier for wheelchair users to travel off the beaten track, HOSS Mobility GmbH has developed a self-balancing electric wheelchair without front wheels. Supports are used to ensure that this does not tip over even without a power supply. They can extend quickly in an emergency, which heavily stress the bearings. Therefore, the developers rely on igus bearings made of iglidur tribo polymers. Since they are compact and resistant to dirt and shock, they are ideal for use in the support structure.