Bearings – Jeff Mabbutt E-Chain & Cable – Alan Kwoo

manufacturing facility in Cologne, Germany Company founded in 1964 Started making bearings for textile industry Branched out to automotive & general machinery bearings First & largest manufacturer of polymer energy chains 270,000 sq ft of manufacturing space 1400 employees world wide Direct sales through subsidiaries in 69 countries

Bearing Products Made from composite materials Engineering grade polymers – nylon, PBT, PEEK, acetal Fiber reinforcement – glass, carbon fiber, kevlar Dry lubricants – PTFE, graphite, molybdenum sulphide Homogeneously mixed so bearing material is consistent through out

Bearing Types Plain bearings aka bushings – iGlide Spherical bearings - Igubal Linear bearings – Drylin Lead screws & drive nuts – Dryspin Slide tables Ball bearings - Xiros

iGlide 45 standard compounds available off the shelf Custom sizes, shapes & materials Metric & imperial sizes up to 150mm or 3” Materials for extreme loads, high temperatures, chemical resistance, underwater use Some are very cheap, some not so much All are self lubricating, dry running, maintenance free “The lowest cost solution that works is best”

iGlide bearings

Igubal Spherical bearings Rod ends Flange mounted Pillow blocks Same self lubricating properties as iGlide

Igubal spherical bearings

Drylin Linear motion bearings Uses iglide J material for bearing liners Many form factors and profiles available: Drylin N – low profile, low cost Drylin W – versatile, very durable Drylin T – high loads Drylin R – for round shaft

True cost of Lubrication In a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it was estimated approximately $240 billion is lost annually (across US industries) due to downtime and repairs to manufacturing equipment damaged by poor lubrication. Improper bearing lubrication or re-lubrication accounts for up to 40 to 50 percent of machine failures. By eliminating lubrication from machinery, OEMs can minimize the costs and risks associated with maintenance for the end user. At the same time, costs related to the proper disposal of oil can be eliminated and the initial expenditure for ancillary components and processes (grease lines, zerks, manifolds, etc) can be decreased.

Applications Top bearing applications Packaging Agriculture Automotive Industrial Automation Medical Bicycles Marine