Pivoting and rotating: plain bearings for moving slats on an exterior facade

• What was needed: iglide ® G plain bearing
• Requirements: In the steel-glass façade for a service centre of an automobile manufacturer, a partial opening of the façade was to be implemented with bearings. These must have a long service life, be maintenance-free, dirt-resistant and corrosion-resistant.
• Sector: Façade technology
• Success for the customer: Since the installation, the iglide® bearings have ensured the trouble-free, safe and reliable movement of the exterior façade.

"Dematerialised building" with filigree steel and glass constructions: Innovative solutions for movable glass façades are required to create a "feel-good climate in such buildings" with a high level of thermal insulation. This places high demands not only on the creativity of the façade developers, but also on the sliding bearings used, as the example of the glass louvre system from Fenster Keller GmbH & Co. KG in Neuenstein (FKN) for a new service centre of a car manufacturer shows. There is a lot to be said in favour of steel and glass buildings, especially for presentation rooms: maximum transparency and openness are created and the external effect of the salesroom or showroom as a display window also offers advantages. However, natural temperature regulation and air exchange between inside and outside is often desirable, especially with large glass surfaces. In addition, it is important to ensure that the façade is partially open when the sun is shining brightly, otherwise the heat builds up between the two façades and the building heats up considerably. This was precisely the task for FKN (Fenster-Keller Neuenstein) GmbH & Co. KG, which was commissioned to construct the façade elements. Because the demanding client wanted a particularly generous, "dematerialised" solution, a conventional profile frame was ruled out. The panes therefore had to be unframed and be able to be opened at the same time.

After extensive tests, FKN decided on the use of iglide ® G bearings, of which 7300 pieces were installed in the 63 support posts of the façade of the service center. Originally developed for mechanical and plant engineering, these plain bearings made of high-performance polymers also offer considerable advantages in construction technology, for example in façade construction. They are lubricant-free and therefore virtually maintenance-free, as well as being insensitive to dirt and corrosion-resistant. Even at high loads, long-term use with constant coefficients of friction can be achieved. And in addition to the technical advantages, plastic plain bearings can also convince economically: polymer plain bearings are significantly more cost-effective compared to commercially available metallic rolled bearings. The iglide® program includes a very wide range of different plastic compounds, so that the material can be selected precisely for the respective application. iglide® G was used for the façade drives from FKN. As an economical "all-round bearing", it is very well suited for swiveling and rotating movements at low to medium speeds, even at extremely high loads and under adverse environmental conditions - precisely for the application profile for which the FKN project developers were looking for a solution. Since the installation, the iglide® bearings have ensured the trouble-free, safe and reliable movement of the outer façade. Incidentally, iglide® G is available from stock in a variety of dimensions and is always available.