Process and Control Today | It's all in the mix! igus presents new slewing ring bearing made of wood and plastic

09/09/2024 igus UK Ltd

With the new slewing ring bearing made of WPC (Wood-Plastic-Composite), igus® is taking another step forward in the integration of renewable raw materials into industrial production. By using 50 percent wood and 50 percent high-performance plastics, customers receive a cost-effective and lubrication-free slewing ring bearing. It strikes a good balance between strength, durability and eco-friendliness with a proven low CO2 footprint.

How can renewable raw materials also be used sustainably in industry? Plastics specialist, igus®, has asked this question and has now developed an iglidur PRT slewing ring bearing made of Wood-Plastic-Composite (WPC) for the first time. "As a plastics expert, we are now also using wood. Last year, for the first time, we presented wooden shafts for our drylin linear bearings. This year, we are integrating the wood directly into our products," explains Rob Dumayne, director of Drytech bearings at igus® UK. In doing so, igus® can rely on its tried-and-tested injection moulding. The WPC material is a mixture of wood fibres and iglidur® high-performance plastics. This contains solid lubricants that make the slewing ring bearing smooth-running, lubrication-free and maintenance-free. The wood content gives the product a natural look and both the housing and the component are made of the WPC material. The only metal components are four screws which connect the two parts together.

Cost-effective, low CO2 footprint and tested

Specially developed for the common PRT 02 size, the slewing ring bearing from igus® represents an alternative to the cost-effective PRT made of solid plastic at the same price, without compromising on performance. It allows for easy adjustments, including in furniture technology, while offering a robust design that meets the needs of various applications. A special feature of this new product is its extremely low CO2 footprint of just 0.0577 kg. By way of comparison, PRT-02-30-ECO, which consists of 97 percent regranulated material, has a CO2 equivalent of 0.819868 kg. To ensure the reliability and performance of the new slewing ring bearing, it was subjected to extensive tests under real conditions in the igus® in-house 4,000 square metre laboratory. These tests confirm the high quality and reliability of the product under various operating conditions.

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For more information, please contact:igus UK LtdCaswell RoadNorthamptonNorthamptonshireNN4 7PWTel: +44 (0)1604 677240Email: [email protected]: https://www.igus.co.uk

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