Wear-resistant drylin linear guide in boat seats ensures safe piloting on water

High speeds and high waves not only make for a lot of fun on board high-speed boats, they can also be dangerous as passengers experience a physical shock every time the boat’s hull strikes the water. Vibration-dampening seats with bearings that absorb these shocks are therefore called for. Designers are able to rely on wear-resistant igus linear bearing technology, thanks to the use of tribo-polymers that are lubrication-free, maintenance-free and corrosion-free.

Waves, a light breeze and sunshine are the conditions that guarantee an enormous amount of fun on high-speed boats. To make sure of this, designers need to install not only a powerful motor but also seats that give the crew a feeling of safety and comfort when travelling on the water. High waves and high speeds require cushioned and lightweight components such as vibration-dampening seats. The reason is that the passengers on board are subjected to repeated impacts when the hull of the boat hits the water. Powerful impacts like this can quickly lead to serious injury to the spine or internal organs. Such seats must therefore rest on wear-resistant bearings and rails that can absorb the forces involved. This is why developers of high-speed boats such as Kaj Naval from Poland or Cobra Seats Technology Ltd. from Great Britain use lubrication-free and maintenance-free igus linear bearing technology made of high-performance plastics.

Linear guides dampen shocks in boat seats

The Polish company Kaj Naval has been developing seats for motor boats for seven years. For the latest type of seat, the designers are using a drylin W linear guide for the spring-mounted shock-absorbers. This guide ensures that the seats slide about gently even at high speeds, absorbing the vibrations of the waves. The guide carriage has no lateral clearance due to the use of sliding elements made of tribo-polymers and, even after a long operating time, does not show any signs of wear. Another advantage: the corrosion-free solution from igus is maintenance-free, lubrication-free and considerably lighter than metallic alternatives like recirculating ball bearing guides.