Igus is now offering its iglidur materials in the form of bar stock, so customers can benefit from these high-quality, self-lubricating polymers in components machined from solid.
The 60mm diameter bar is available in either iglidur W300 or iglidur J, two high-quality bearing materials that are not available anywhere else on the market as semi-finished products. This is excellent if customers wish to machine their own bearings if parts are not available from the igus standard range, or if customers want to machine any other component from these materials.
Anything machined from the stock bar will possess the material qualities found in all igus polymers: self-lubrication, zero maintenance, dirt- and dust-resistance, low wear, low friction, and so on. The machined plastic part will also have a predictable life when used as a bearing; this is something that igus is able to calculate for plain bearings made from all 30 of its iglidur materials using its extensive test database.
Matthew Aldridge, Bearings Product Director for igus UK, says: "For years, customers have asked us for semi-finished products, but the market for these products is already well populated. Our niche is that we specialise in lifetime predictability for bearing applications: we have tested bearings machined from our iglidur materials and know how they perform differently compared with those we injection mould. Nobody else currently offers this."
There are also plans to make the stock bar available in other iglidur materials in the future.
Furthermore, in addition to the bar stock, customers can now order bearings machined to any dimension using the quick online ordering service on the company's website.