Hygienic and quiet linear bearing for packing fruit and vegetables

• What was needed: drylin® R linear plain bearing, drylin® T linear plain bearing
• Requirements: The previous linear bearings wore out the shaft, which formed grooves. In addition, there were increased noise emissions and a high susceptibility to corrosion due to cleaning. The grease, which could fall directly onto vegetables, was particularly dangerous. The new bearing technology was intended to eliminate these problems.
• Industry: Food technology
• Success for the customer: The drylin® bearings minimise wear and increase service life. The lack of lubrication saves time and money. The travelling movement is very quiet and the entire system is corrosion-free.

This machine for fruit and vegetables packs the products for subsequent transport and sale in supermarkets. It is a unique semi-automatic packaging machine for round and bulky vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, endive, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. The product is tightly wrapped in polypropylene or polystyrene film so that no excess film remains around the product. The product is protected from damage and the round moulded packaging improves its appearance.
In the past, metal bearings with lubrication and linear guides that also required lubrication were used for format adjustment, which led to several problems during operation. This resulted in scoring on the shaft over time. In addition, there was increased noise emission and increased susceptibility to corrosion when cleaning the components. The grease, which could fall directly onto vegetables, is particularly dangerous. The lubrication was also more susceptible to dust deposits, which led to increased maintenance costs.

Due to the particularly high hygiene requirements in the food industry, bearing products with external lubrication were no longer an option. The machine manufacturer therefore decided to use drylin® linear bearing technology and drylin® T linear rail guides with matching carriages. 
In contrast to conventional metal bearings, the drylin® modular product system offers several specific advantages in the application, which in particular result in cost benefits for the operator. Firstly, there is no more scoring on the shaft, wear is reduced and service life is increased. Of particular importance is the absence of any external lubrication, which not only saves time but also costs during operation. The critical product quality of the vegetables is also guaranteed. The travelling movement is very quiet and the entire system is now corrosion-free and therefore no longer susceptible to thorough cleaning. In addition, the sophisticated clamping system of the drylin® T guide carriage makes installation particularly easy and convenient.