By Sebastian Bloechl Constantly increasing costs are forcing product development towards innovative alternatives. This is where value engineering (VAVE) comes in. What is VAVE, and how can it be used? VAVE is an effective...
By Shizu Yamaguchi Introduction What do you think of when you hear the word plastic? Cheap water bottles, maybe? Ripped plastic grocery bags? If so, you’re not alone. But what some people don’t realize...
By Richard Habering Plain bearings often have to withstand heavy loads such as abrasive dust, high speeds or chemical loads in extreme environments. Last year, igus® developed an intelligent bearing – i.Sense – with iglide® high-performance...
By Avory Brookins Photo: “201014-N-RG482-0033” by Navy Medicine, licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0 The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked an increase in demand for UV disinfection robots, which use ultraviolet radiation to kill germs in the air and/or...
By Shizu Yamaguchi Photo: “English: Slew ring bearing” by Dkluscious, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Slew rings have a few different names, including turntable bearings, slewing rings and slewing bearings. The purpose of slewing...
By Sebastian Bloechl Seat height adjustment in the car is an important component for comfort and safety, yet it is often given little attention by the vehicle owner. One main reason for this is...
By Shizu Yamaguchi Whether you are looking to replace an old bearing or seek out extras to have on hand, knowing how to measure your bearings beforehand is important and can save you some...
By Zoe Moser In general, efficiency indicates the effectiveness of a device when conversion losses are taken into account. Efficiency, abbreviated with a small eta (η), describes the relation between the delivered power (effective...
By Lars Butenschon You may have seen or heard people use the term “self-lubricating,” “lubricant-free” or “dry-running” to describe plain bearings. But what does it mean? These are bearings that do not require external...
By Maria Burkanova More and more industrial companies are recognizing the benefits of 3D printing or additive manufacturing (the term 3D printing actually only refers to one of the many additive processes, but is colloquially used...