Moulding of iglidur® plain bearings
Ethen Liang | December 22, 2020
Innovative developments in the automotive industry require intelligent production methods, especially in the case of component integration. One injection moulding method that has now become established is the so-called hybrid or 2C (two-component) technique.
In this method, a component is placed in the injection moulding tool and moulded with a type of polymer. As a result, some steps in the installation process can be sidestepped and costs can therefore be saved. Moreover, design-related or technical problems such as sealing, anti-loss capability and abrasion are solved.
Metal parts are often moulded but is this also possible with polymer plain bearings?
Yes, iglidur plain bearings can be moulded in the 2C process. In this case, it is important to pay special attention to the processing parameters of the materials used and ensure that the components all have the appropriate matching geometry. For this purpose, we work with you to create a drawing and give you advice regarding the relevant technical tool details, e.g. position of the spraying point and mounting of the component in the tool.
We make the plain bearings or sliding elements to be moulded from the iglidur material previously decided on with you and send them to the responsible company for the moulding process or check feasibility in our company.
The material for moulding can be an elastomer or thermoplastic. At igus, this method is used to make rollers, for example: a tribologically optimised iglidur material is encased in a soft component (TPU). The result: dampening properties and the necessary grip for rolling movement along the outer diameter and perfect sliding along the inner diameter on the shaft.
Due to the 2C method, the excellent sliding properties of the iglidur materials can be combined with the strength of the structural components. The cost savings and technical advantages are a main factor, especially in the automotive industry. Materials that contain a large amount of glass fibre, for example, on the basis of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) or polyamide (PA), which otherwise tend to be abrasive due to the composition of the material, can be skilfully separated.