Breakthrough in linear technology

German manufacturer, igus, a motion plastics specialist, has developed a new sliding material that is said to achieve up to 40 % less friction compared to standard materials.

The company explains that reducing friction and wear helps to maximize the service life of a linear guide and to keep the required drive energy low. It says that its new drylin T miniature linear slide offers extremely smooth running and increased design freedom, thanks to its newly developed iglidur E3 sliding material.

"This is an important step towards greater design freedom, as it enables us to expand design leeway for the first time," says igus linear and drive technology business unit head Stefan Niermann. The traditional 2:1 rule, which generally applies to linear plain bearings, states that the distance between the driving force and the fixed bearing should not be more than twice the bearing clearance, to prevent uneven movement sequence from jamming the system.

“The greater the distance between the drive and the guide bearing, the higher the wear and required drive force. igus has now extended this design rule to 3:1, so that the drive can be 50% further away without impairing linear guide movement. At the same time, the required drive forces are reduced by 40%, which means 40% energy savings in electrically driven applications.”

The igus drylin T miniature guide is available in three sizes (09, 12 and 15) and can be used in applications such as laboratory and medical technology and tool building. The company asserts that it slides better, without the use of lubricants and that the miniature linear carriage with the new iglidur E3 sliders offers all the advantages of igus motion plastics. The solid lubricants incorporated into the material of the high-performance plastics helps ensure low-noise operation, high resistance to dirt and reduced maintenance.

The company notes that eliminating lubrication helps save costs and is also more environment-friendly.