Hull cleaning machine uses polymer bearings

The original pamper vehicle weighed 250 kg and a re-design was required to give a more compact and lighter vehicle. The steering assembly, for example, weighed too much due to the use of ball and roller bearings inside a watertight housing. These bearings also required a high maintenance regime.

iglidur® H polymer bearings from igus® were selected for the new design to support various parts of the brush lift and articulation device. These plain bearings are self-lubricating and so require no maintenance.

iglidur H is a fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material developed especially for applications in high humidity or underwater. Plain bearings made from iglidur H can be used completely lubrication-free. In wet areas, the surrounding medium functions as an additional lubricant.

The steering mechanism is a handlebar at the front, connected to a propelled castor at the rear. Each is supported by large bore iglidur Z plastic bearings, which provide a substantial weight reduction, zero maintenance and no corrosion whatsoever in salt water.

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.