Why use iglide® plain bearings in commercial vehicles?
By Joshua Weigel
Original article appeared on https://blog.igus.de/warum-iglidur-gleitlager-in-nutzfahrzeugen-einsetzten/
The development of electric vehicles (BEV, PHEV, HEV) and fuel cell vehicles (FCEV) are trending thanks to their low-emission use. Legal requirements and higher energy costs are the reason why OEMs and suppliers attach particular importance to sustainability and low weight of their designs when it comes to new developments.
With the help of lightweight designs, the weight of the vehicles can be reduced and the range can be optimized at the same time. Developers and designers benefit in particular from lightweight components with little installation space. By using iglide® plain bearings, weight and installation space are effectively reduced. Supposedly small weight optimizations in the storage area help with the implementation of legal requirements and the optimization of the vehicle range.
However, the requirement profile of the commercial vehicle industry extends far beyond legal requirements. High loads, dirt, moisture and fluctuating temperatures are major challenges for components and systems. With all this, freight forwarders cannot afford unscheduled maintenance and the associated downtimes.
The bearing material iglide® M260, developed for heavy loads and harsh environments , is maintenance-free thanks to integrated solid lubricants. Additional external lubrication with grease or oil is not necessary. Perfect for use in commercial vehicles. In practice, thick-walled plastic plain bearings in particular have the advantage of being able to replace metal solutions without dimensional changes to the shaft and mount. In addition, iglide® M260 plain bearings offer the following advantages:
- Self-lubricating and maintenance-free
- Excellent wear properties in combination with ST37 shafts
- Robustness against impact loads and vibrations
- Low moisture absorption
- Low friction and wear values
- Corrosion-resistant even in the salt spray test
It is used for heavy-duty sliding applications such as trailer supports. Other truck applications for igus® products include door hinges, loading board walls, and tarpaulin rolls.
In order to further promote the topic of sustainability and emission reduction, igus® presented its four iglide® ECO materials (ECO H, ECO A180, ECO P, ECO G) during 2022’s presentation of new products. These compounds are made from 97% to 100% regranulated materials. These include, for example, sprues from previous productions, which are added to the manufacturing process a second time. With all this, you still have the option of calculating the service life.
igus® has been providing the transparent CO2 footprint in the online shop since summer 2022. For our top 16 materials, we support you in presenting the imitated CO2 values of our bearings transparently throughout the entire manufacturing process. This allows you to quickly and easily select your individual warehouse with the lowest carbon footprint. At the same time, we are working with full focus on further reducing our carbon footprint across the product line.
