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igus® Ltd.

Caswell Road

Northampton, NN4 7PW

01604 677240
GB(EN)

igus bearing technology

No lubrication, no maintenance

Bearing technology

What do our iglidur plain bearingsxiros ball bearingsigubal spherical bearings and iglidur PRT slewing ring bearings have in common?

Compared to bearings made of solid metal, they are up to 80% lightervibration-dampeningmaintenance-free and​​ self-lubricating. This not only saves time and money, but also protects the environment.
study by RWTH Aachen is the first to show the enormous savings potential of self-lubricating plastic bearings in terms of costs for lubricants, personnel and maintenance.

Discover our product range and benefit from the unique specifications of our bearing products!

What you will find on this page:

Success stories: lubrication-free bearings save time and money ▼
Why can our bearings do without lubrication? ▼
The savings potential of igubal spherical insert bearings▼
White paper: advantages of lubrication-free bearings▼
RWTH study ▼
 

Our bearing technology with high-performance polymers

igubal

igubal

Self-adjusting, low-wear and dirt-resistant spherical bearings
xiros ball bearings

xiros

Corrosion-resistant, quiet and (if desired) non-magnetic ball bearings
iglidur plain bearings

iglidur

Plain bearings in various designs, materials and in more than 10,000 installation sizes
PRT slewing ring bearings

iglidur PRT

Robust, lightweight and cost-effective slewing ring bearings for precise rotary movements
drylin

drylin

Linear carriages for dry operation with different types and sliding materials
drylin rail

drylin

Linear rails for various applications and industries

Success stories: lubrication-free bearings save time and money

Many well-known companies have already saved time and money thanks to our lubrication-free bearings. Krones AG saves over £45 and 13 hours of maintenance time every year by using a plastic plain bearing per labelling station. Heineken Brasil uses self-lubricating igus bearing technology in conveyor belts, thereby increasing reliability and minimising downtimes. The company Rockinger uses a self-lubricating wear insert in the KS80 ball coupling, which makes lubrication superfluous and reduces maintenance work to a minimum, and Lemken, which specialises in the manufacture of agricultural machinery for soil cultivation, sowing and plant protection, saves 22 lubrication points per cultivator.
Beverage industry

Heineken Brasil

Savings at 600 bearing points:
Costs of £2300¹
1,560 hours of maintenance²
180.08kg CO2 equivalent³
Rockinger

Rockinger

Savings per trailer coupling:
Costs of £73.00¹
13hrs maintenance²
1.4kg CO2 equivalent³
Cultivator

Lemken

Savings per cultivator:
Costs of £73.00¹
14.7hrs maintenance²
6.3kg CO2 equivalent³
1annual cost savings due to plastic bearings per machine/system
2Annual time savings due to plastic bearings per machine/system
3Annual savings of CO2 equivalents per machine/system due to plastic bearings


Why do our bearings work without lubrication?

Our iglidur materials are an impressive example of progress made in materials science and tribology. By integrating solid lubricants directly into the material, they offer an excellent solution for applications that require reliable lubrication without regular maintenance.

The microscopically small particles ensure consistent lubrication for the entire service life of the material. This leads to a significant reduction in maintenance costs and increases operating efficiency. In addition, the predictability of the service life allows for precise planning and forecasting of maintenance intervals, which is invaluable for the industry.

The practical tests in our 4,000m² test laboratory, which confirm the durability of these materials, are further proof of their reliability and performance in demanding environments.

igus lubrication-free bearing technology

The savings potential of igubal spherical insert bearings

igubal
Cost savings with 200 pieces  
 Spherical balligubal JEM
Costs for 200 pieces£1,100£250
Estimated service life1 year4 years
Costs for lubricants (per year)£40£0
Hourly time required for lubrication (every year): 3 min. per bearing x 24 times every year x 200 bearings240hrs0hrs
Hourly rate per employee (€30/hr) x lubrication (240hrs)£6,000£0
Total annual costs£7,000 

White paper

The advantages of the lubrication-free operation of our plain, ball and PRT slewing ring bearings
White paper preview Bearing points without lubrication? Guide, expert tips and practical examples
 
White paper preview Features of ball bearings made from high-performance plastics
 
White paper preview Smooth success: extend the service life of your machines
 
Study preview

RWTH study

Up to £12 million potential savings per year thanks to lubrication-free plastic bearings

An independent study commissioned by igus quantifies the ecological and economic benefits of self-lubricating plastic bearings for the first time. It was carried out by the Werkzeugbau Akademie, a research company that works on the RWTH Aachen Campus as part of one of Europe's largest research laboratories in the field of production technology, together with the Fraunhofer Institute, among others.

As part of the study, expert interviews were conducted with nine companies from the automation technology, construction machinery, agricultural, food, packaging and bottling industries. The participants include CNH Industrial, Heineken and Krones AG.


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The terms "Apiro", "AutoChain", "CFRIP", "chainflex", "chainge", "chains for cranes", "ConProtect", "cradle-chain", "CTD", "drygear", "drylin", "dryspin", "dry-tech", "dryway", "easy chain", "e-chain", "e-chain systems", "e-ketten", "e-kettensysteme", "e-loop", "energy chain", "energy chain systems", "enjoyneering", "e-skin", "e-spool", "fixflex", "flizz", "i.Cee", "ibow", "igear", "iglidur", "igubal", "igumid", "igus", "igus improves what moves", "igus:bike", "igusGO", "igutex", "iguverse", "iguversum", "kineKIT", "kopla", "manus", "motion plastics", "motion polymers", "motionary", "plastics for longer life", "print2mold", "Rawbot", "RBTX", "RCYL", "readycable", "readychain", "ReBeL", "ReCyycle", "reguse", "robolink", "Rohbot", "savfe", "speedigus", "superwise", "take the dryway", "tribofilament", "tribotape", "triflex", "twisterchain", "when it moves, igus improves", "xirodur", "xiros" and "yes" are legally protected trademarks of the igus® GmbH/ Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany and where applicable in some foreign countries. This is a non-exhaustive list of trademarks (e.g. pending trademark applications or registered trademarks) of igus GmbH or affiliated companies of igus in Germany, the European Union, the USA and/or other countries or jurisdictions.

igus® GmbH points out that it does not sell any products of the companies Allen Bradley, B&R, Baumüller, Beckhoff, Lahr, Control Techniques, Danaher Motion, ELAU, FAGOR, FANUC, Festo, Heidenhain, Jetter, Lenze, LinMot, LTi DRiVES, Mitsubishi, NUM,Parker, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Siemens, Stöber and all other drive manufacturers mention on this website. The products offered by igus® are those of igus® GmbH