igus has extended its igubal portfolio to include a polymer material that can easily be recognized by electric metal detector, effectively protecting food from metal-particle contamination.
The igubal range, which features spherical balls and housing made from detectable plastic, includes flanged units, lubrication and maintenance-free clevis joints and rod end bearings, pedestal bearings and press fit. Standard metal-detection can detect even the tiniest particle of plastic residue, which it will select for rejection.
Manufactured from tribo-optimized polymers, the self-adjusting bearings can easily be installed and adjusted to all angular misalignments. They can also replace metallic components in various applications. Compared to conventional metal bearings, the detectable bearings are lighter by as much as 80 percent, significantly increasing the number of duty cycles of machines and systems while enabling them to work more efficiently.
Since the igubal bearings are dry running, they are unaffected by dust and dirt contamination. They are also corrosion resistant, allowing operation in liquids as well as various chemicals. In addition, the polymer plastic bearings feature an application temperature ranging between –40°F and 176°F and are capable of absorbing relatively high forces.
Other alternatives like roller bearings may fail prematurely, requiring readjustment, retrofitting or reaming to compensate for alignment errors. The company’s igubal spherical bearings eliminate the need for exact placement of housing and shafts.
The perfect solution even to the most complex designs, the igubal bearings are ideally suited for use in a vast array of industries such as sports equipment, packaging, automotive manufacturing and food processing.
Filed Under: Bearings, Linear Motion Tips