igus igubal stainless-steel rod end bearings with iglidur A160

The maintenance-free igus igubal spherical bearings from Treotham have been introduced in a new model for higher loads. The new model is equipped with a stainless-steel housing, a self-lubricating polymer inner ring and a stainless-steel spherical ball. This allows for higher-load applications to be converted to future-proof tribo-technology.

Rod ends are an indispensable part of machine and plant engineering for the food industry. They are used everywhere from filling plants to meat-processing machines and packaging systems, where they transmit dynamic forces to pivoting, tilting and rotating movements. In the process, the heads must be relubricated to ensure low-friction movement between the slide ring and the spherical ball — a job that can be time-consuming and can also increase the risk of contamination as dirt and dust easily form sticky coatings and solid lumps.

The new plastic-metal hybrid consists of a steel housing and spherical ball, and an inner ring made of the high-performance plastic iglidur A160, which meets the requirements of both the FDA and EU 10/2011.

As with all iglidur plastics, there is a solid lubricant in iglidur A160, which is released in microscopic amounts over time. It ensures a low-friction dry operation between the inner ring and the stainless-steel spherical ball. The absence of lubrication also significantly speeds up cleaning the rod ends. Without grease, dirt and dust have little chance of settling. To further increase food safety, the high-performance plastic iglidur A160 is designed in blue. This is a colour on which food residues and mould spores can be quickly detected during cleaning inspections. Moreover, the colour is optically detectable.

The igubal products are not only hygienic, but also robust, even in outdoor applications. They have a higher breaking strength and rigidity compared to a plastic rod end. In addition, they are resistant to moisture, acids, alkalines and UV rays and are suitable for temperatures between -40 and +90°C. The abrasion resistance of iglidur A160 is also 10 times better than that of polyamide, according to results in the igus test laboratory — even with fast rotational movements of the mounted shaft.

The rod ends are available in sizes M6, M8, M10, M12, M16 and M20.