igus® study: drylin® R on wooden shafts

How do igus® materials behave on wooden shafts?

drylin® product developer Lars Fenger in an interview

What was the decisive point for the study entitled "drylin® R on wooden shafts"?
The lower surface pressure of our drylin® linear plain bearings make them generally suitable for use on round shafts with softer surfaces as well. This is in contrast to ball bearings, which require a hardened surface. Aluminium shafts and tubes are already in the delivery portfolio, as are extremely lightweight carbon shafts. And our study involves collecting results for wood, a renewable raw material.

 Which tests were performed?
 To make an initial selection from the variety of wood, flexural strength tests were performed in the igus® laboratory. And coefficient of friction and wear results were determined with suitable types of wood.

What were the results?
 The short answer is: drylin® linear technology works with wood. It works very well. The results show that the coefficients of friction differ only slightly from those for steel and aluminium. The wear results for bearings and shafts are also very promising. Some types of wood, such as steamed beech, are especially good mating partners for our new drylin® R J4 econ linear plain bearing.

What is especially important?
The tests were performed in a dry laboratory environment; dirt and moisture can decisively change the measurement results for wood, but not for such materials as stainless steel. We are constantly expanding our test series for different woods, and local availability also plays a central role here. At the trade show, we want to gather initial customer experiences on the subject and support customer projects with drylin® and wood. The first customer applications with plain bearings on wooden shafts have already been developed.