The manufacturing industry has witnessed the rise of plain plastic bearings during the last 20 years, more and more so in automotive applications. Unknown to many engineers, plastic bearings have high wear resistance, require minimum maintenance and provide thermal stability, qualities imperative to the automotive industry. Bearings made from high strength, self-lubricating plastic materials also deliver significant cost advantages over metal, and offer a range of technical benefits, including noise elimination, high temperature ranges, resistance to corrosion, and the elimination of lubrication and maintenance. Learn how engineered plastic bearings are holding up in automotive applications in this webinar, presented by igus, the world leader in self-lubricating plastics.

1. Engineered plastic bearings for automotive applications

2. q This webinar will be available afterwards at
www.designworldonline.com & email
q Q&A at the end of the presentation
q Hashtag for this webinar: #DWwebinar
Before We Start

3. Moderator Presenters
Mary Gannon
Design World
Nicole Lang
igus Inc.

4. • Make up and capabilities of engineered plastic bearings
• Automotive application requirements and material specifications
• Material selection process for automotive applications
This webinar will cover:
Engineered plastic bearings for automotive applications

5. • igus® – 50+ years of polymer research and development
• Range of plastic bearings, linear bearings and guides, cable carriers, flexible
cables
• Millions of “iglide®” bearings used by automotive OEM’s each year
• Recyclable, meet ELV regulations
• Made of composite polymers for high strength/wear resistance

6. • Simple Polymers:
u Soft; weak when put against loads
u Have low COF (typically ≤.1)
u High wear rates
u Low melt temperature
Material Overview
[image credit: Stachowiak & Batchelor,, Engineering Tribology, 2005,
3rd Ed, Elsevier Inc., Chp. 16, Figs. 16.7, 16.9, and 16.26, pp. 657-­‐‑672.]

7. • Composite Polymers:
u Improved mechanical strength
u Improved wear-resistance
u Reduced COF
u Moldable, machinable
Material Overview
[image credit: Stachowiak & Batchelor,, Engineering Tribology, 2005,
3rd Ed, Elsevier Inc., Chp. 16, Figs. 16.7, 16.9, and 16.26, pp. 657-­‐‑672.]

8. Material Overview
friction wear
Parameters: P = 0.7 N/mm2, v = 0.15 m/s, case-hardened steel shaft
Simple vs. Composite polymers

9. • Traditional bearing solution
u Metallic shell with lubricating layer
u Inside layer subject to destruction
u COF maintained only through
internal layer thickness
Material Overview

10. Material Overview
PTFE lined metal backed bearing
vs. composite polymer bearing

11. Material Overview
PTFE lined metal backed bearing
vs. composite polymer bearing

12. Material Overview
PTFE lined metal backed bearing vs. composite polymer bearing
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Alu hc Cf53 St37 V2A
igus J
igus L280
igus Z
DU
Parameters: Pressure = 1 MPa, Velocity = 0,01 m/s

13. • Have high wear resistance
• Require little maintenance
• Provide thermal stability
• Resist corrosion
To succeed in automotive applications, plastic bearings must:

14. • More than 5,000 individual
experiments each year
• Industry’s largest test lab
• All results compiled into
massive database
• Customized testing possible
igus Test Lab

15. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Lower stress

16. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Lower stress

17. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Lower-Medium stress

18. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Lower-Medium stress

19. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Medium Stress

20. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Medium Stress

21. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Medium Stress

22. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Medium Stress

23. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Medium Stress

24. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Medium Stress

25. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Heavy Stress

26. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Heavy Stress

27. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Heavy Stress

28. Automotive applications utilizing plastic bearings
Heavy Stress

29. Material Selection
Selection criteria should include:
• Temperature
• Static surface pressure
• Counter-face roughness
• Speed
• Wear factor (k)
• Max PV value

30. Material Selection
PV value is the most critical factor when specifying a plastic bearing
PV value: friction heat created when the shaft moves inside the bearing
= pressure x speed
Via the bearing into the housing
Via the shaft outside the bearing

31. Material Selection
High pressure materials
High Temperature materials

32. Material Selection
Conductive materials for e-coating

33. Material Selection
• iglide Product Selector
• dry-tech Sample Box
• www.igus.com/iglide

34. Questions?
Mary Gannon
Design World
mgannon@wtwhmedia.com
Phone: 440.234.4531
Twitter: @DW_MaryGannon
Nicole Lang
igus Inc.
nlang@igus.com
Phone: 401-438-2200
Twitter: @igus_Inc

35. Thank You
q This webinar will be available at designworldonline.com & email
q Tweet with hashtag #DWwebinar
q Connect with Design World
q Discuss this on EngineeringExchange.com