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igus® Canada

180 Bass Pro Mills Drive

Concord

Ontario L4K 0G9

+1 (800) 965-2496
+1 905 760-8688
CA(EN)
iglide® plastic
bearings and bushings

Plastic bushings vs. bronze bearings

Engineered composite plastic bushings have been proven to deliver a longer service life than oil-impregnated sintered bronze bearings and can save users up to 40 percent on maintenance costs. Plastic bushings have already replaced bronze in thousands of applications from a variety of industries, including agricultural machinery, lawn mowers, medical equipmentfood processing machineryfitness equipment, and pumps and valves.

Plastic bushing construction

Oil-impregnated bronze bearings rely on a capillary action to create a lubricating oil film. High speed and rotational motion are both required to draw the oil out and maintain a full film of lubricant. Shaft oscillation, slow speed and intermittent use can all inhibit this process.

If movement stops, the oil on the surface of the bearing dries up. This can lead to squeaking and an increase in the coefficient of friction. High temperatures can also break down the oil. Other disadvantages include low chemical resistance and sensitivity to dirt, edge pressure and impacts.
plastic bushings vs bronze bearings

plastic bearings vs bronze bushings
iglide® engineered composite plastic bushings from igus®, however, are not prone to any of these problems because they are injection molded with a blend of base polymers, fibrous reinforcements and solid lubricants. Fibrous reinforcements maintain the bearings strength and resistance to high forces and edge loads. As movement occurs, tiny amounts of solid lubricant are released into the micro-finish of the shaft, helping to lower the coefficient of friction.

The solid lubricants cannot be pressed out once that transfer is made. iglide® materials can also withstand short-term temperatures of up to 572°F and long-term temperatures of up to 482°F.

Other advantages include low wear rates, quiet operation, high load capacity, and resistance to chemicals, dirt, dust, UV light and corrosion. igus® currently offers more than 30 plastic bushing materials to meet the requirements of almost any application.

Choosing the right shaft for your bearing material is critical because the service life of the bearing is affected by relative motion.

A rough shaft is too abrasive and will slowly wear away the bearing’s surface as it moves. Very smooth shafts can lead to even higher wear rates because it is challenging to lubricate the shaft properly.

Oil-impregnated sintered bronze bearings function best on very hard, expensive precision ground shafts. Plastic bearings, on the other hand, can run on all types of shafts.
iglide bearings and bushings


Application Assistance

For further questions or product information, please contact:

Photo
Kevin Wright

Country Manager, Canada

Email

Customer Service:

Monday to Friday from 8 am - 5 pm

Online:

24h


The terms "igus", "Apiro", "chainflex", "CFRIP", "conprotect", "CTD", "drylin", "dry-tech", "dryspin", "easy chain", "e-chain", "e-chain systems", "e-ketten", "e-kettensysteme", "e-skin", "e-spool", "flizz", "ibow", "igear", "iglidur", "igubal", "kineKIT", "manus", "motion plastics", "pikchain", "plastics for longer life", "readychain", "readycable", "ReBeL", "speedigus", "triflex", "robolink", "xirodur", and "xiros" are legally protected trademarks of the igus® GmbH/ Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany and where applicable in some foreign countries.

igus® GmbH points out that it does not sell any products of the companies Allen Bradley, B&R, Baumüller, Beckhoff, Lahr, Control Techniques, Danaher Motion, ELAU, FAGOR, FANUC, Festo, Heidenhain, Jetter, Lenze, LinMot, LTi DRiVES, Mitsibushi, NUM,Parker, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Siemens, Stöber and all other drive manufacturers mention in this website. The products offered by igus® are those of igus® GmbH