igus is expanding its plain bearing range with the very abrasion-resistant material iglidur E7

With specifications such as low coefficient of friction and excellent vibration dampening, the tribo-polymer iglidur E7 has already proven its strengths in the sliding elements of the drylin linear technology from igus. Now the plastics specialist has also included the material in its plain bearings catalogue range. This also allows users to benefit from iglidur E7 mechanisms with rotating or pivoting movements. The low coefficient of friction of the material ensures smooth movements, reduces the required drive energy and saves additional costs.

In times of advancing automation of the industry, durable, cost-effective and above all energy-efficient machine components are called for. Since 1983, the motion plastics specialist igus has been developing tribo-polymers for plain bearing technology that are free of lubricants and therefore free of maintenance. igus has a total of 57 iglidur materials in its product range for various applications. iglidur E7 is among them. The tribo-polymer has been used in the sliding elements of drylin linear systems since 2012 and has been available in dryspin lead screw nuts since 2018. iglidur E7 has already proven itself in many applications such as camera lenses, train doors and even 3D printers. Above all, the vibration-dampening specifications of the tribo-polymers convince the user. Therefore, igus has now further developed the material for its plain bearing range. The iglidur E7 is specifically designed for low to medium loads in pivoting movements and withstands surface pressures of up to 18 MPa in motion. “Due to the very low coefficient of friction of the iglidur E7, the drive energy is reduced, saving costs for the user”, explains Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, Business Unit Manager of iglidur plain bearing technology at igus GmbH. The new plain bearing material is suitable for flap or sensor bearings. Further applications are found in packaging, textile machinery and furniture technology.

Tried and tested in the field, proven in tests

All iglidur materials are tested by igus in its own 3,800 square metre test laboratory in more than 15,000 application-related tests per year. The collected findings are incorporated in the online selection aids such as the iglidur expert. In the test laboratory, iglidur E7 was impressive in the pivot test at a speed of 0.01m/s and a load of 1MPa on all shafts with a very low coefficient of wear of 0.3 to 0.8. Currently iglidur E7 is available as a plain bearing in 12 standard dimensions. Further dimensions and customised designs according to customer specifications are available on request. Even special parts can be produced by injection moulding from tools made in the conventional or print2mold method as well as from the appropriate bar stock.