Configurators identify right iglidur plain bearing material

igus, whose UK headquarters are in Northampton, are motion plastic experts and a global manufacturer of energy chain systems and polymer plain bearings.

Robert Dumayne, Director of igus UK’s dry-tech department, said: "With our new sample box, users can quickly and easily identify the right iglidur plain bearing material for their individual application. Whether it is high-volume production, small batches or a prototype made by 3D printing or polymer stock materials, our customers are now spoiled for choice.

"We have limited ourselves to 39 of our 57 iglidur materials, the ones used in most plain bearing applications. Customer feedback is excellent - the box is small, compact and clever and can be used any time, even if an igus consultant is not available at that exact moment.”

So, what are iglidur materials?

iglidur (the name given to igus materials) are made of high performance polymers that are characterised by their special properties: their composition makes them extremely wear-resistant, robust, self-lubricating and predictable.

How does the 'analogue’ configurator work?

Users can choose from a selection of templates which they then place over the materials. For example, if a plain bearing with high temperature resistance is needed the user can place the appropriate template over the bearings so that it filters the materials demonstrating the most suitable.

Other properties, such as ‘high loads’, ‘dirty environments’ or ‘chemical resistance,’ can also be placed over the plain bearings - using the templates until an appropriate material remains.

igus first launched this idea for a simplified selection tool as a dry-tech sample box in 2013. This new, compact version enables users to clearly see which materials are also available as stock materials.

In addition, igus presents its 3D printing service and 3D printing material to produce prototypes and small batches.

Find the right material online and calculate service life

There are also many online tools developed by igus to help select the right iglidur plain bearing material. Here is the link to the online configuration tool iglidur online expert system.

As with its analogue version, the online configurator is very easy to use. The user simply enters the parameters of the application regarding design, load, type of movement, housing, and shaft material.

The results show the expected service life of all suitable iglidur materials. To do this, the expert system uses the data from the igus test laboratory.

More than 40,000 additional tribological tests allow for very accurate results when using the configurators. This allows the user to select the tribo-polymer with the best price-performance ratio for their required application.

All plain bearings are available from stock with no minimum order quantity.

The new sample box is available online free of charge here.