igus bearing technology

Eliminating lubrication, reducing maintenance and improving machine reliability across industries.

What is "bearing technology?"

The igus mottos is "tech up, cost down" and our bearing technology solutions are living proof of this concept. Our materials are robust, lubrication and maintenance free, which not only saves customers money, it saves on downtime, maintenance time, personnel time.

This page highlights a few core solutions that are used in a multitude of industries, applications, case studies; worldwide. The technology behind the products allows predictable service life, lower costs, no lubrication, smooth operation and trust.

Bearing Technologies

Plain bearings

Iglidur - Bearings in various types, materials and in more than 10,000 sizes

Shop plain bearings

Linear systems

drylin- Linear rails, various sizes and for various applications and industries

Shop linear systems

Slewing rings

PRT- Robust, lightweight and cost-effective slewing ring bearings for precise rotary movements

Shop slewing rings

Ball bearings

xiros- Corrosion-resistant, low-noise and optionally non-magnetic ball bearings

Shop ball bearings

Self-aligning bearings

igubal- Self-adjusting, low-wear and dirt-resistant spherical plain bearings

Shop self-aligning bearings

Leadscrew nuts

dryspin- Lubrication- and maintenance-free lead screw technology in various sizes, pitches and types

Shop leadscrew nuts

How does bearing technology work without lubrication?

Our iglidur materials are an impressive example of the progress made in materials science and tribology. Through the Integration of solid lubricants directly into the material, they offer an excellent solution for applications that require reliable lubrication without regular maintenance.

The microscopic particles ensure even lubrication over the entire service life of the materialThis leads to a significant reduction in maintenance costs and increases operating efficiency. In addition, the predictability of the service life allows for precise planning and forecasting of maintenance intervals, which is invaluable for the industry.

The practical experiments in our 4,000 m² test laboratory which confirm the durability of these materials, are further proof of their reliability and performance in demanding environments.

Information on the test laboratory

Case studies: lubrication-free bearings save time and money

Many well-known companies have already been able to save time and money by using our lubrication-free bearings. Krones AG, for example, saves over €50 and 13 hours of maintenance time per year by using one plastic plain bearing per labelling station. Heineken Brasil uses self-lubricating igus® bearing technology in conveyor belts, thereby increasing reliability and minimising downtime. Rockinger uses a self-lubricating wear insert in the KS80 ball coupling, which eliminates the need for lubrication and reduces maintenance work to a minimum, and Lemken, which specialises in the manufacture of agricultural machinery for soil cultivation, sowing and crop protection, saves 22 lubrication points per cultivator.

Examples of bearing technology in real life applications

Heineken Brasil

Savings with 600 storage locations:
£2,815.49 Costs¹
1,560 h maintenance²
180.08 kg CO2 equivalent³

Rockinger

Savings per trailer coupling:
£87.36 costs¹
13 h maintenance²
1.4 kg CO2 equivalent³

Lemken

Savings per cultivator:
£88 Costs¹
14.7 h maintenance²
6.3 kg CO2 equivalent³

Annual cost savings through the use of plastic plain bearings per machine/system
Annual time savings through the use of plastic plain bearings per machine/system
Annual saving of CO2 equivalents through the use of plastic plain bearings per machine/system

Example of potential savings of spherical insert bearings

Cost savings with 200 pieces
	Spherical ball	igubal JEM
Costs for 200 pieces	£1,350	£300
Estimated service life	1 year	4 years
Costs for lubricants (per year)	£45	£0
Hourly time required for lubrication (every year): 3 min. per bearing x 24 times every year x 200 bearings	240hrs	0hrs
Hourly rate per employee (€30/hr) x lubrication (240hrs)	£7,200	£0
Total annual costs	£8,595	£75
Annual savings	£8,520

RWTH study

Up to 14 million pounds in potential savings per year thanks to lubrication-free plastic plain bearings

An independent study commissioned by igus® quantifies for the first time Ecological and economic advantages of self-lubricating plastic plain bearings. The study was carried out by the Toolmaking Academy research company based on the RWTH Aachen Campus as part of one of the largest research laboratories in Europe in the field of production technology, including the Fraunhofer Institute works together.

As part of the study Expert interviews with nine companies from the fields of automation technology, construction machinery, the agricultural industry, the food industry and the packaging and bottling industry. The participants include g. CNH Industrial, Heineken and the Krones AG

Learn more about the study