New bearings reduce wear in heavy-duty applications

Lubrication-free and maintenance-free heavy-duty material iglide TX2 shows a 3.5-fold improvement in wear tests

June 8, 2021 – igus has introduced a new bearing with an improved iglide material, TX2, which offers self-lubricating and maintenance-free properties for heavy duty applications.

TX2 increases wear-resistance by a factor of 3.5 in load ranges with more than 100 MPa surface pressure. The material is ideal for components in machines that serve construction and agriculture, which can require more than 50 liters of lubricant annually. igus, the Germany-based manufacturer of motion plastics, runs its North American operations out of Providence, R.I.

Agricultural vehicles and equipment for construction and mining industries are exposed to challenging environmental conditions daily. Cold, heat, dust and dirt have a strong effect on the bearing points. The TX2 material offers an alternative to frequently used metallic solutions with its plain bearing technology. Another material combination for wound bushings complements the range of injection-moulded bearings in the heavy-duty range.

High load, low wear

The tribo plain bearings made of high-strength filament fabric are used where very high loads occur. The extremely strong filament in its specially interwoven design ensures maximum resistance and enables a maximum permissible compressive strength of 400 MPa. The newly developed material was extensively tested on the indoor and outdoor test rigs in the 3,800 square-meter igus test laboratory.

Pivot tests on hard-chrome shafts showed that iglide TX2 is around 3.5 times more wear-resistant than the standard heavy-duty material TX1. Like all iglide plain bearings, iglide TX2 is self-lubricating and operates dry. This prevents dirt from adhering to the bearing points. This reduces maintenance and repair costs, as well as machine failures due to insufficient lubrication.

As the material is also very resistant to temperature, chemicals and moisture, plain bearings made of iglide TX2 can be used in many other areas. Due to the freedom from corrosion and seawater resistance, they can also be used, for example, in moving applications in the maritime sector. Diameters of up to 2,800 millimeters are feasible.

The application of iglide TX2 increases sustainability, both underwater and onshore. "For example, according to the operators, even a small excavator needs between 50 and 60 liters of lubricants per year,” said Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, head of the iglide Plain Bearing Technology Business Unit at igus. "Since the iglide TX2 bearings do not need lubrication, the customer benefits threefold: not only saving costs for oil or grease and maintenance time, but also no lubricant is released into the environment."

iglide TX2 is available as a standard product range in the diameters 20 to 80 millimeters directly from stock. For more information, please visit www.igus.com.

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Lubrication-free, heavy-duty, wear-resistant: the new heavy-duty material iglidur TX2 saves costs and extends the service life in construction and agricultural machinery. (Source: igus GmbH)