bearings, igus

Extreme sports kite powered land board

News Release from: igus UK Limited
27/09/2007

These boards usually use heavy sets of ball race bearings in small diameter wheels as standard and must withstand bursts of speeds up to 30 mph. They are often used in dirty, salty and wet environments and so require regular cleaning and lubrication.

The total weight of the boards, which typically retail at £350 or more, is also a critical consideration in this sport. The riders are often airborne at heights of 20 feet performing aerial tricks and frequently landing heavily. Standard bearings are typically heavy, expensive, corrosion prone and need constant maintenance to guarantee satisfactory service life and performance.

Riders often have to carry sets of spare bearings and change them between sessions. However, stainless bearings are prohibitively expensive for most riders and suffer from ingress of abrasive material.

Custom Kite Board Products set out to produce an extremely lightweight land board using custom-made titanium and Carbon Fibre axles. iglidur® Z bearings from igus® were set into custom Carbon Fibre and Kevlar wheels. These helped enhance technical performance, increase reliability, cut costs, extend service life and improve overall quality. The bearings are also lubrication free and resistant to dirt, dust and corrosion.

iglidur Z is a high temperature bearing material, which is suited for applications with very high specific loads. iglidur Z is suited for both average and high speeds due to its high thermal resistance.