Igus has developed a new bearing design for the anti-dive mechanism on taxi rickshaws that, compared with the bronze bearings they replace, offers longer life, improved comfort and better safety.
In Bangalore and many other Indian cities motorised taxi rickshaws are fitted with Igus lubricant-free polymer bearings. These are used as main hub bearings on the anti-dive device as well as at other bearing points.
The anti-dive device, which keeps the three-wheeled vehicles stable under breaking, features a connection mechanism with four rods. An iglidur RN56 self-lubricating pivot bearing guides the main hub at this connection point. Total load on the bearing is sum of the vehicle loading plus the weight of the passengers and the inertia forces, making around three tonnes in total.
Previously the anti-dive mechanism used a bronze bushing with lubrication grooves and punched holes with graphite filling at the edge. However, drivers reported that lubrication regularly failed, which meant the bearings wore out quickly and the clearance increased. Other problems included loud noises, heavy juddering of the handlebars or even tipping of the rickshaw during braking.
Igus developed a new design to solve this problem, both in terms of the wear parameters and a lubricant-free bearing for use on dirty and uneven streets. Comfort for the driver and passengers has been significantly improved at the same time.
The loads that the wear-resistant plastic plain bearings withstand day in, day out, can be seen in two webcasts at www.igus.eu/rickshaw.
Follow the link for more information about iglidur self-lubricating bearing materials.