Five reasons why you should use iglidur® plain bearings in motor vehicles
1st reason: reduce costs by 40%
Ongoing pricing pressure is forcing OEMs and parts suppliers to optimise their costs continually. Low-cost tribo-polymers are a commonly used alternative to expensive metal bearings.
Today, almost every motor vehicle that is made contains polymer bearings as a substitute for metal plain bearings and rolling bearings. Uses range from seat systems to thermally stressful applications in the engine compartment, in shift forks for gearboxes, in coolant pumps, or in the powertrain. Why are polymer bearings more cost-effective than metal rolled bearings?- Less energy required in the manufacturing process
- 11,000 litres of crude oil are needed to make 1 m³ of steel; for 1 m³ of plastic , only 1,000 litres of crude oil are needed
- Short cycle times during processing
- Greater amount produced per cycle due to multiple activities in the injection-moulding procedure
- Due to precise manufacturing, downstream manufacturing stages are usually unnecessary.
2nd reason: save up to 80% weight
Legal requirements are necessitating the continuous reduction of vehicle emissions. One way of achieving this is vehicle weight reduction. This results in a further advantage: less weight leads to less fuel consumption.
A modern iglidur polymer bearing is up to 80% lighter than a conventional metal bearing. The number of bearing points has grown continually alongside the increase in vehicle complexity. This means that weight is an important factor to be considered when the bearing material is selected. This is where iglidur polymer bearings display their advantage: they weigh less than metal bearings and therefore contribute towards the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions. In addition, considerably less crude oil and therefore less energy is needed for their manufacture. Even in use, they do not require any additional lubricant. For alternative drive concepts as well, the advantages of iglidur bearings are decisive. This is where lightweight and extremely quiet components that generate less unpleasant noise during operation and enhance driving comfort are called for.3rd reason: reduce noise (Buzz, Squeak and Rattle)
What is Buzz, Squeak and Rattle (BSR)?
BSR are all noises that are produced by components and assemblies in the motor vehicle. BSR testing, also called a noise and rattle test, is an acoustic method from the automotive industry and is used to measure the volume of these noises. A realistic situation with corresponding vibrations is simulated and the volume of the noise is then measured. The technical challenge for the vehicle and component engineers is to identify the 'noisy' components and replace them with a quieter solution wherever possible.
The expectations of the OEMs in this context are increasing continually. In the case of alternative drives such as the hybrid or electric motor, the noise of the drive is reduced, as a result of which noises inside the vehicle are masked to a much lesser extent by a loud combustion engine. At the same time, it is becoming quieter and quieter inside motor vehicles.
How do iglidur plain bearings reduce noise?
Noises always arise where components interact with each other, in other words where friction occurs. With the tribologically optimised high-performance polymers from igus, you achieve an especially low coefficient of friction and therefore a quiet application. Whether in vehicle seats, hinges or actuators, the variety of applications for our iglidur plain bearings inside vehicles is great.
Polymer is characterised by the fact that, unlike metal, it has a damping effect. In applications involving severe vibrational stress, a polymer bearing solution helps to reduce noise inside motor vehicles. The range of materials developed by igus includes materials that have especially good damping properties.
4th reason: self-calibration
Generally, the seat frame will use electrophoresis process to prevent metal components from rusting. Iglidur bushing can not only pass this process through a large number of cases, but also compensate the gap and reduce the dependence of the adjustment feel on the hole axis accuracy. The following video shows the changes of a clip on structure bushing in the process of electrophoresis drying: the punching accuracy of the sheet metal is often at the level of h10~h11, and the ambient temperature is maintained at 160 ℃ ~200 ℃ for 20~30min. Such temperature and duration are just good to soften the plastic materials installed by interference, calibrate the common difference, and fit them on the punching surface after cooling, making up for the lack of punching accuracy and ensuring the damping feeling when the rotating shaft rotates. At the same time, the plastic bushing also forms self-protection for metal cuts with burrs and notches.
5th reason: flexible installation concepts
Freedom of shape in injection-moulding manufacturing makes installation easy
Thanks to our modern injection-moulding method, almost any geometry can be made in the desired iglidur plain bearing. As a flexible iglidur clip bearing, flange bushing or double flange bushing specifically for a quick installation in sheet metal. Individual special solutions made of plastic in the desired shape, quantity and material are also possible. Moreover, we can provide you with your desired special geometry within 48 hours as a sample for your tests.
Request free sample now.
Convince yourself of the quality of our iglidur plain bearings and request the free plain bearing sample box now. The sample box contains:
- Polymer plain bearings made of different iglidur materials
- Polymer plain bearings with different installation concepts
- Bar stock made of iglidur material
- Individually manufactured coupling joint
- Energy chain with cable
