Igus has developed a maintenance-free plastic material for sliding bearing applications in the food industry, designed to withstand friction and high temperatures, and dissipate static charges, thereby reducing the risk of explosions and shocks to operators. In laboratory tests, a bearing made of the new iglidur AX500 friction polymer material rotates on a stainless steel shaft, and its wear is three times lower than that of bearings based on the earlier A500 material.

This maintenance-free material is particularly suitable for classification and packaging applications in food and packaging. For example, it can be used for oven or bottle cleaning operations, and its good chemical resistance means that corrosive cleaning agents will not damage the bearings. Contact with food is not a problem, because the polymer has been embedded with a solid lubricant and no additional lubrication is required. It also complies with EU Regulation 10/2011 on the safety of plastics in contact with food. Compared with lubricated stainless steel bearings, AX500 sliding bearings are not only maintenance-free, but also lighter in weight.

For example, the static dissipative ability of the material can ensure that plastic bags will not stick to each other on the packaging line, and will not generate sparks that could cause an explosion in a dusty environment.

The standard diameter of the new material is 6-20 mm, or the special size with a delivery time of a few days.

► To view the digital copy of the latest issue of Drives & Controls, click here.

► To access the digital library of past questions, click here

► To subscribe to the magazine, please click here

The next Drives & Controls exhibition and conference will be held in Birmingham, UK from April 5th to 7th, 2022. For more information about the event, please visit the exhibition website

"Do you think robots create jobs or destroy jobs?"