A solar powered car using igus plain bearings has raced its way across more than 1,800 miles of Australian desert, helping Team Sonnenwagen achieve sixth place in the World Solar Challenge 2020. The team, made up of a group of students from the other side of the world to the race (in Germany), approached igus requesting lightweight, wear-resistant and lubrication-free iglidur plain bearings made of durable tribo-polymer: what was supplied helped them finish just outside the Top 3 having raced all the way from Darwin to Adelaide in less than a week on the power of the sun.
Kersten Heckmann of Team Sonnenwagen says: "The igus bearings were key to us because they literally held the car together. If a bearing failed, the repair would have been very time-consuming. In addition, the bearings we used needed to be wear-resistant and lightweight. The lighter the solar-powered car, the more efficient it is and the further we could go. A huge thank you to igus for all their expert help and support". Lightweight igus iglidur plain bearing technology was a critical element in the design of the solar-powered car, using self-adjusting igubal clevis joints in the steering system. Further, iglidur J series was selected for the plain bearings used in the rear suspension on the vehicle and in the hinges of a top cover lock, iglidur G plain bearings were used.
The top cover on the bodywork of the solar car posed a unique challenge to the team and also to igus. According to the race rules the driver needed to be able to open and close driver access to the car independently when entering and exiting the vehicle. The car's cover is 5m long, barely 1m in width and weighs 25kg with the solar cells in place. Trials of an early design revealed jerky opening that needed a lot of force and the problem was identified as emanating from the heavy, 3D printed bearings which were made from a basic plastic.
To rectify this the team placed an urgent order with igus for 3D printed bearings made from its high-performance polymer iglidur I3. This laser sintering material is characterised by its low coefficient of friction and, like all iglidur materials, is resistant to dust and dirt and therefore well suited to desert conditions. Thanks to the use of the printed bearing, the driver now only needed a few seconds to get in and out and the opening was smooth, progressive and trouble-free. igus supports projects such as this one as part of its Young Engineers Support programme and remains committed to supporting students and lecturers across the world with free samples, sponsorships, and the development of innovative projects. Further programme details can be found at www.igus.co.uk/yes.
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