Maintenance-free and UV-resistant -
spherical bearings for sun protection fins

• What was needed: spherical bearings for sun protection fins
• Manufacturing process: injection moulding (clipped spherical ball)
• Requirements: durable, wear-resistant, lightweight, UV-resistant
• Material: iglidur® J
• Industry: construction
• Success through collaboration: Fast delivery, cost-effective manufacture of customer-specific functional components

Arcora, a French company, is developing a system for moving sun protection fins on facades. Among the components the developers are using are igubal® polymer fixed flange bearings.

 

All components are exposed to weather and UV radiation from the sun.

Problem

Sun protection fins shield interior spaces of buildings against solar radiation and thus protect against heat, light, and UV exposure. All components must therefore be weatherproof and UV-resistant. They must also be durable, since maintenance is often very expensive and complex.

Solution

The developers use a shape memory alloy of nickel and titanium in the form of cables which, when heated, are capable of generating significant forces to set a translational carriage in motion. This carriage transfers the movement to the rotating sun protection fins through small connecting rods. The system can replace standard motorisation in building facades. At the interfaces between moving and fixed elements, the design engineers are using igus® components, including igubal® spherical bearings, iglidur® J polymer fixed flange bearings, and drylin® N miniature guide rails.