BearingNet Magazines Industry Resources Home Free Trial Submit News Categories Bearings: plastic beats metal in Manufacturers News / by Alex / on June 12, 2017 at 10:00 am / Bearings: plastic beats metal Today they are used worldwide, high-performance plastics for moving applications. In everyday life in kitchen appliances, bicycles or cars, as well as in industrial environments such as machine tools, filling machines or in pneumatic cylinders. iglidur plastic bearings from igus are increasingly superseding metal solutions. Because lubrication-free and maintenance-free Tribo polymers have numerous advantages. The “motion plastics” of igus, the plastics specialist, resist rain, salt and extreme temperatures, are impervious to oil and chemicals, are lighter and more energy-efficient than comparable metal solutions, and are also cost-effective. All over the world, design engineers are installing plastic bearings from the Cologne company as long-lasting and cost-effective alternatives to metal bearings. This is due to their special material properties as well as their excellent performance in motion. The ability to withstand stationary stress says little about a bearing’s performance capability. The degree of wear-resistance of a bearing and how low its coefficient of friction does not become apparent until it is used in moving applications, where wear is unavoidable. And this is exactly where the strengths of motion plastics are, the high-performance plastics for motion. igus offers the largest standard range of lubrication-free polymer bearings. Around 50 materials are available, including 16 full-range materials. Largest selection for a wide variety of applications igus GmbH has been developing and producing polymer bearings for over three decades. Under the brand name “iglidur”, igus offers its customers a large selection of standard bearings and customised components especially for moving applications. The bearings are self-lubricating and therefore maintenance-free; they can withstand enormous loads and are nevertheless light in weight. The materials are developed and tested in the industry’s biggest test laboratory. In an area of around 2,750 square metres, more than 135 billion test movements are executed each year. The result of more than 30 years of research and development is the largest standard range of lubrication-free polymer bearings: Around 50 materials are available, including 16 full-range materials. They are in stock in at least 113 dimensions and up to a shaft diameter of at least 50 millimetres in accordance with DIN ISO3547; the largest catalogue bearing has an inner diameter of 195 millimetres. igus has no minimum order quantity and delivery within 24 hours. In addition, there are many materials available in the form of bar stock, liners or, for 3D printing, filament or SLS powder. Polymers enable a great deal of design freedom: with little effort, even extremely complex parts can be made or their characteristics can be significantly influenced by means of specific additives. This is precisely the core competence of igus: the optimisation of technical polymers for use in moving applications.