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igus bearing technology
Eliminating lubrication, reducing maintenance and improving machine reliability across industries.
What is "bearing technology?"
The igus mottos is "tech up, cost down" and our bearing technology solutions are living proof of this concept. Our materials are robust, lubrication and maintenance free, which not only saves customers money, it saves on downtime, maintenance time, personnel time.
This page highlights a few core solutions that are used in a multitude of industries, applications, case studies; worldwide. The technology behind the products allows predictable service life, lower costs, no lubrication, smooth operation and trust.
How does bearing technology work without lubrication?
Case studies: lubrication-free bearings save time and money
Many well-known companies have already been able to save time and money by using our lubrication-free bearings. Krones AG, for example, saves over €50 and 13 hours of maintenance time per year by using one plastic plain bearing per labelling station. Heineken Brasil uses self-lubricating igus® bearing technology in conveyor belts, thereby increasing reliability and minimising downtime. Rockinger uses a self-lubricating wear insert in the KS80 ball coupling, which eliminates the need for lubrication and reduces maintenance work to a minimum, and Lemken, which specialises in the manufacture of agricultural machinery for soil cultivation, sowing and crop protection, saves 22 lubrication points per cultivator.
Examples of bearing technology in real life applications
Heineken Brasil
Savings with 600 storage locations:
£2,815.49 Costs¹
1,560 h maintenance²
180.08 kg CO2 equivalent³
Rockinger
Savings per trailer coupling:
£87.36 costs¹
13 h maintenance²
1.4 kg CO2 equivalent³
Lemken
Savings per cultivator:
£88 Costs¹
14.7 h maintenance²
6.3 kg CO2 equivalent³
- Annual cost savings through the use of plastic plain bearings per machine/system
- Annual time savings through the use of plastic plain bearings per machine/system
- Annual saving of CO2 equivalents through the use of plastic plain bearings per machine/system
Example of potential savings of spherical insert bearings
| Cost savings with 200 pieces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spherical ball | igubal JEM | |
| Costs for 200 pieces | £1,350 | £300 |
| Estimated service life | 1 year | 4 years |
| Costs for lubricants (per year) | £45 | £0 |
| Hourly time required for lubrication (every year): 3 min. per bearing x 24 times every year x 200 bearings | 240hrs | 0hrs |
| Hourly rate per employee (€30/hr) x lubrication (240hrs) | £7,200 | £0 |
| Total annual costs | £8,595 | £75 |
| Annual savings | £8,520 |
RWTH study
Up to 14 million pounds in potential savings per year thanks to lubrication-free plastic plain bearings
White papers
The advantages of the lubrication-free bearing arrangement of our plain, ball and PRT slewing ring bearings
