Polymer products
May 1st 2007

Igus released a range of new products at the Hannover Fair, IP&E highlights a selection of the latest developments

igus now offers lubrication-free polymer ball bearings. According to the company, more and more customers were asking for maintenance-free solutions using roller bearings.

Therefore, igus decided to fill the gap where standard materials were not effective by putting to good use its 20 years experience in tribologically optimised polymers and in-house test laboratory.

There are a number of areas in which conventional ball bearing performance is limited by parameters such as temperature, chemical or moisture exposure. Special solutions are difficult to come by or only available at excessively high prices.

The iglidur ball bearings, first presented at the Hanover show, represent the first, small step towards a range of technically optimised polymer ball bearings available ex-stock with a predictable service life.

The inner and outer races and cage of the new polymer ball bearings are made from a high-performance iglidur material.

The corrosion-free balls are made from stainless steel, although glass balls are available for maximum corrosion resistance. Ceramic is another potential option for the future, but, for now, the ball bearings have races made from the hightemperature material iglidur A500.

The deep-groove ball bearings are available for shaft diameters of 3, 6, 8 and 10 mm and are temperature-resistant up to 150 °C. Application sectors for these easily cleanable bearings include medical engineering, chemical, food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and plant engineering.

However, according to igus, the dry-running polymer ball bearings do not compare with permanently lubricated metal roller bearings when it comes to service life, speed and permissible loads.

Nevertheless, in many applications this is not an important factor; instead, low friction values and minimum driving forces are usually the basic requirement.

Moreover, the igus polymer ball bearings are available ex-stock and can be used in combination with potentially corrosive elements, such as chemicals.

They do not require any lubrication, making them compliant with food industry standards.

High performance polymers now machinable

igus now offers its iglidur materials as a stock bar, which means users can benefit from using high quality self-lubricating polymers in any machined component. It also means customers can now order a mechanically machined special size bearing of any dimension from igus in low quantities.

The 60 mm diameter solid rod is available in either 'iglidur W300' or 'iglidur J': two high quality bearing materials not accessible anywhere else on the market as semifinished products. This is ideal if a customer wishes to machine their own bearings on the occasion a part size is not available from the igus standard range, or if they want to machine any other kind of mechanical component from these materials.

Anything machined from the stock bar will automatically possess the material qualities unique to all igus polymers: selflubrication, zero maintenance, dirt and dust resistance, low wear, low friction, and so on.

The machined plastic part will also have a predictable life when used as a bearing; something igus is able to calculate for plain bearings made from all 30 of its iglidur materials using its extensive test database.

Flame-resistant control cables

CF9 and CF10 control cables have a bending radius of 5xd, a flame-resistant TPE outer sheath and flexibility despite the cold, which means they can be used in temperatures ranging from -35 to +100°C.

They are resistant to oil and bio-oil, as well as UV radiation and so are suited to both indoor and outdoor applications.

The Chainflex range already comprises 850 cables designed for use within an Energy Chain – from servo cables to optical waveguides, from control cables to FireWire bus cables. CF9.UL and CF10.UL are flexible problem-solvers for high cycle rates.

The high-tech TPE control cables are used in racking units, machining centres or tooling machines, high-speed handling, clean room and semi-conductor applications, ship-to-shore and outdoor cranes and low-temperature applications.

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