Robust and hygienic plain bearings in lubrication-free meat roller

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• What was needed: iglidur plastic plain bearing
• Requirements: A robust and lubrication-free alternative to the needle bearings was sought, which guarantees a long service life.
• Industry: Food industry
• Success for the customer: iglidur plain bearings are completely lubrication and maintenance-free. The customer can plan better and more long-term with the components, as they have a long service life and work without problems despite frequent and intensive cleaning due to their freedom from corrosion.

The application presents a machine for flattening meat into thin slices. This new system was developed with the aim of increasing production capacity in meat processing. The most important element in the machine is the three rollers used to maintain alignment. Two conveyor belts (top and bottom) are driven at the same speed by a toothed belt. This enables even "swallowing" and feeding of meat slices for the compacting rollers, which protrude 2 - 3mm above the table level on which the conveyor belt moves.
In the first phase of the project, needle roller bearings were used which, although very resistant to the stress and strain, were very difficult to install and required frequent lubrication. Even more important was the fact that if a needle roller bearing was damaged, the entire roller immediately became blocked and stopped the operation. In addition, the machine is cleaned twice a day using high-pressure equipment with aggressive chemicals. Due to the thorough washing out of lubricating greases used in the needle roller bearings, there was a risk of the substances getting into the conveyor belt - despite the high hygiene regulations in the food industry. After weeks of work, bearings were already starting to creak and get stuck in the baskets. The technical service was constantly busy with maintenance.

As the needle roller bearings were not an option for the requirements in food technology or during ongoing operations, the customer was looking for a new solution that was robust and at the same time did not require external lubrication.
The choice fell to our plain bearings made of the high-performance polymer iglidur, which today offer the operator the perfect answer to all the previous concerns. The bearings can cope with the high forces of the system without any problems; even with higher clamping forces, the components and rollers rotate without interruption. In particular, washing under high pressure and using aggressive chemicals is no longer a concern for the customer today, as the bearings are completely lubrication-free but also completely corrosion-resistant. As it is no longer necessary to grease the bearings, maintenance of the rollers has been reduced to practically zero, meaning that ongoing operations no longer need to be stopped. The customer saves valuable costs and time. Compared to needle roller bearings, the plastic components also significantly increase the service life and safety of the application.