The igus offline configurator helps you to find the right iglidur plain bearing material
Regardless of whether it is high-volume production in injection moulding, small batches or a prototype made by 3D printing or from bar stock, when it comes to wear-resistant tribo-polymers, the igus user is spoilt for choice. In order to find the right iglidur material for the appropriate application, igus has now developed a new compact offline configurator for its 39 iglidur standard materials. The customer can use templates to determine the right material. Alternatively, the online iglidur expert system helps in the selection and calculation of the service life.
Small, compact and clever: this describes the new iglidur offline configurator from igus. “With the sample box, users can quickly and easily find the right iglidur plain bearing material for their individual application”, explains Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, head of the iglidur plain bearing division at igus GmbH. But how does the offline configurator work? The user has various templates at hand, which he places over the various materials. For example, if he needs a plain bearing with high temperature resistance, he places the appropriate template over the bushings so that it filters the materials. Other properties such as “high loads”, “dirty environments” or “chemical resistance” can also be placed over the plain bearings using the templates until an appropriate material remains. igus has been presenting the offline concept worldwide as a dry-tech sample box since 2013. In the new, more compact option, users can now see which materials are also available for free design as bar stock. In addition, igus presents its 3D printing service and 3D printing material for the production of prototypes and small batches. “In the new configurator, we limited ourselves to 39 of our 57 iglidur materials that are used in most plain bearing applications”, says Loockmann-Rittich. “In discussions with customers and interested parties, we have only had positive experiences with the practical box so far. Because, the configurator leaves a lasting impression and can be consulted at any time, even if no igus consultant is available.” An iglidur catalogue is also included with the box.
Find the right material online and calculate service life
However, tools developed by igus not only help offline but also online for choosing the right iglidur plain bearing material, for example the iglidur online expert system. Like its offline counterpart, the online configurator is very easy to use. The user only must enter the parameters of the application for design, load, movement and counter partner. Then the expected service life of all suitable iglidur materials is displayed. To do this, the expert uses the data from the igus test laboratory. Since 2013, more than 40,000 additional tribological test data has been available for the service life calculation. This allows the user to select the tribo-polymer with the best price-performance ratio for their area of application. All plain bearings are available directly from stock with no minimum order quantity.
The new sample box is available online free of charge at: www.igus.in/iglidur-offline-configurator.