Profile

• What was needed: igubal spherical bearings, iglidur plain bearings
• Requirements: Lubrication-free and maintenance-free, long service life
• Industry: Agriculture, food
• Success for the customer: The bearing elements are made of high-performance polymers and combine high robustness with very good sliding properties. They are also self-lubricating, so active lubrication and maintenance are not necessary.

Problem

Grain sorters can easily and efficiently separate grain from unwanted foreign material, the reject, using intelligent processes.
As in this application of a grain sorter that cleans all types of grain, such as maize, and separates them from the rejects. The functional principle here consists of two essential work steps. First, an electric motor in the machine drives a turbine that generates an air flow. This first separates the grain, which is deposited in a sieve, from light waste. In a second phase, the remaining grain is now sieved through several sieves with different diameters while they are in a rocking motion caused by the electric motor.
Plain and spherical bearings are used at various points in the sorter, which must always work perfectly and without lubrication or maintenance under strong vibrations and high loads.

Solution

The igubal rod end bearings and iglidur plain bearings are used at the various bearing points in the grain sorter.
The igubal spherical bearings are self-aligning bearing elements that consist entirely of plastic. With igubal the user can take advantage of all the benefits of high performance polymers. These can be used dry and at the same time have very good vibration-dampening properties.  As they are insensitive to dirt, can operate in liquids and even chemicals and are completely corrosion-free, they can be used for a wide range of applications.
The iglidur plain bearings are also bearing elements that manage without external lubrication due to their self-lubricating property and thus work completely maintenance-free. The different iglidur material compositions enable, for example, the application at high temperatures, under continuous use or under high static loads.