Power Transmission Engineering Magazine
www.powertransmission.com/articles/3685

igus Offers Sliding Slewing Ring Bearings

December 1, 2010

Sliding slewing ring bearings from igus are lubrication-free and can replace roller slewing rings in rotating or turntable applications.  The low-cost, low-noise modules use two self-lubricating, low friction polymer sliding elements made from igus' iglide J material in place of ball bearings. They are highly wear resistant, easy to install and have a very high load capacity. All the housing components are made of aluminum (except style 02, which has wear-resistant iglide J head rings) and all the surfaces parallel to the iglide J sliding elements are hard anodized with stainless steel fasteners.  A completely stainless-steel version is also available on request. igus' sliding slewing ring bearings do not require any additional lubrication or scheduled maintenance.  They are available from stock and, thanks to their lubrication-free properties; they will not contaminate an application with oil or seize up when used in dirty or dusty environments.

The plastic sliding elements and hard anodized-aluminum finish of the bearings possess low levels of moisture and corrosion-resistant and so do not require a cover or seal around the slewing ring when used in wash down areas.  If the application is manually driven, a toothed belt can be mounted on either the inner or outer ring of the bearing, depending on the type of drive configuration required.  The slewing ring bearings can be used in a variety of applications, including food processing and packaging machines.

Custom solutions include special inserts for high-temperature, high-humidity applications that can be used in environments reaching 392 degrees Fahrenheit. The slewing rings are also available with inner rings made from igus' FDA-compliant iglide A180 material.  Special hole patterns and custom outer rings can be made upon request.