Solution
Tribo-optimised
polymer plain bearings made of the special material iglidur G have been used as plain bearings for ten years now. These are economical all-round bearings which - free of lubricants and maintenance - among other things prove their strengths in simple pivoting and rotating movements, with very high loads as well as with high dirt requirements.
Since the introduction of volume production, the system has been working smoothly. The anti-rotation feature ensures a completely firm fit of the bushing in its housing. The benefits pay off for the manufacturer of agricultural machines: the amount of wear has been significantly reduced in comparison to plain bearings made of metal and less noise is generated when the equipment is in operation. Furthermore, the economic efficiency is good, since, among other things, the finishing of the housing hole for the plain bearings in the aluminium bearing tube is completely unnecessary. Thus, the plastic bearing with the conical outer side was simply adapted to the conical design of the housing hole. This also applies to the conical mounting holes of the aluminium bearing tubes, which are screwed to the tapers of the gyroscopic bells.
It quickly became clear to the company that costs could be saved with plastic. In the beginning, we turned the plastic bushings ourselves and later injection-moulded. Since the choice of material was not right, the result was not right either. The extensive igus® product range, which includes standard and customised parts, quickly provided a suitable solution. Having been tested thousands of times under everyday conditions in the igus® laboratory, the high level of abrasion resistance and the dry-operation properties of the polymer plain bearings immediately revealed their worth in real-life agricultural applications.