When steel bearings aren’t tough enough

IN recent years, igus polymer bearings have emerged as a reliable alternative to traditional steel bearings, offering a wide range of benefits.

These include the fact that polymer bearings are maintenance-free, self-lubricating, and corrosion-resistant, making them suitable for use in harsh environments. They are also lightweight, wear-resistant, and offer excellent shock absorption, making them a popular choice for use in various applications.

The history of bearings dates back to ancient times, and while steel bearings have been the norm for a long time, they are not without their limitations. Defects and overloading can cause fractures in steel bearings, prompting the need for innovative solutions like polymer bearings. With their numerous advantages, it's no surprise that polymer bearings from the global leader in polymer bearings, igus, are gaining popularity in various industries.

Prime solution

Juan-Eric Davidtz, product manager for igus says, "The proof is in the pudding; we can prove that after using polymer bearings your production line would run better, faster, cheaper and longer. Bearings are such a fundamental part, without them, most operations will come to a halt, which directly impacts the manufacturing process.

Bearings are a part of almost every machine that transfers motion and its no wonder that the world is turning to maintenance and lubrication free bearings that far outlast traditional alternatives. Here are benefits of using igus motion plastic bearing:

History of bearings

Sticking to what you know is a no-risk no-reward way of conducting business however when looking at the history of bearings dating back to ancient Egypt around 2,600 BC bearings have been long overdue for an update.

From uses in bicycles to planes until in 1794 the ball bearing as we know it was patented to a British inventor and ironmaster, Philip Vaughan.

Since then, ball bearings evolved tremendously in size, shape movement, and variety of applications in addition to different types of steel. However, defects such as microcracks, shrinkage cavities, bubbles, large foreign objects, overheated tissues, and local burns of bearing parts also cause defects or overload fractures where the reason why engineers had to come up with innovative solutions. Enter the latest innovation, the most advanced polymer bearings from igus.