Reduce assembly work by 80% with separable igus polymer flange bearings

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Reduce assembly work by 80% with separable igus polymer flange bearings

Reduce assembly work by 80% with separable igus polymer flange bearings

Articles
Jul 28,25

At LIGNA 2025, the motion plastics specialist is presenting a new version of the igubal flange bearings, which are easy to replace

Reduce assembly work by 80% with separable igus polymer flange bearings

If a conveyor belt in the woodworking industry breaks down due to a defective flange mounted bearing, every second costs money. To reduce assembly work by up to 80% in such an emergency, igus presented new flange mounted bearings from the igubal series at the LIGNA 2025 trade show in Hanover. The bearings made of robust high-performance plastic are divided into two parts and can be replaced without dismantling the shaft.

A conveyor belt is at a standstill in a woodworking plant. Fast service is now required to minimise downtime. This makes it all the more annoying when the defective flange mounted bearing of a deflection shaft is difficult to replace - it takes several hours to dismantle neighbouring machine parts and the shaft. "To reduce such long downtimes and increase productivity in the woodworking industry, we have completely rethought the bearing design," explained Thomas Preißner, Head of Business Unit igubal Spherical Bearings at igus. "The result is a two-part flange mounted bearing that can be assembled and disassembled in just a few minutes." Users can place the two halves of the housing and spherical insert bearing around the shaft and fix them directly to the conveyor belt using a screw connection - without removing the shaft. "This reduces assembly time by up to 80% and minimises downtime."

New at LIGNA

In 2024, igus had already introduced two versions of the split igubal flange mounted bearings: four-hole flange mounted bearings (F208) and two-hole flange mounted bearings (FL208). "The feedback from the woodworking industry was excellent, so we are presenting a new version at LIGNA 2025 that offers design engineers even more flexibility, especially in confined spaces: a compact 208 version that is available immediately," explained Preißner.

As the bearings have the same hole spacing as classic, one-piece F and FL housings, they can be replaced without any changes to the mounting surface. The new split flange mounted bearings are not only easy to install, but also robust and durable. The housing is made of the impact-resistant polymer igumid G, which can withstand temperatures from -40°C to +120°C. The spherical insert bearings are made of iglidur J3. "Long-term tests in our in-house 5,500m2 test laboratory have shown that these spherical insert bearings are up to 12 times more wear-resistant than conventional metal solutions - and cost around 40% less," said Preißner. The bearings are also corrosion-free and resistant to various chemicals.

Freedom from lubrication as a game changer

Thanks to integrated solid lubricants, the bearings do not require additional grease. This reduces maintenance costs, cuts labour costs for service calls and prevents the risk of breakdowns. "In an environment in which 36% of machine failures are due to inadequate lubrication, freedom from lubrication is a real game changer," says Preißner. Thanks to the freedom from lubrication, the bearings are also more resistant to wood dust, which quickly combines with grease to form a paste that increases friction in classic bearing points. This also increases reliability.

The Cologne (Germany) based igus GmbH develops and produces motion plastics. These lubrication-free, high-performance polymers improve technology and reduce costs wherever things move. In energy supplies, highly flexible cables, plain and linear bearings as well as lead screw technology made of tribo-polymers, igus is the worldwide market leader.

In recent years, the company has expanded by creating internal startups, e.g. for ball bearings, robot drives, 3D printing, the RBTX platform for Lean Robotics and intelligent "smart plastics" for Industry 4.0. Among the most important environmental investments are the "chainge" programme – recycling of used e-chains - and the participation in an enterprise that produces oil from plastic waste.