Wear-resistant in the Flüsterton: igus develops innovative two-component ball bearing

The maintenance-free 2-component ball bearing from igus combines strength and quiet operation. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for use at high speeds. (Source: igus GmbH)

As a result of continuous research and development, igus is now introducing a novel two-component (2K) ball bearing. The maintenance-free and lubrication-free xiros bearing combines various properties: it is not only wear-resistant but also remains dimensionally stable and quiet even at high speeds. This makes the new 2K plastic ball bearing suitable, among other things, for use in fans or ventilators.

At high speeds, ball bearings require resistant materials to withstand the high centrifugal forces of the balls within the bearing. However, these hard materials, in combination with stainless steel balls, can lead to vibrations and increased noise levels. With the new xiros two-component ball bearing, igus has now developed a lubrication-free and maintenance-free plastic ball bearing that guarantees quiet operation even at continuously high speeds. To achieve these specific properties, the motion plastics specialist innovatively combines different designs and materials.

Hard shell, soft core

In the new 2K ball bearing, the blue layer made of xirodur D180 provides noise damping. To give the soft, wear-resistant inner material high dimensional stability, it is additionally combined with a hard shell. By molding the soft component into the hard shell of both rings, the balls always run on the soft high-performance plastic during rotation and are supported by the shell. The design with undercuts ensures high adhesion between the two materials and additional stability. The balls are kept at a distance with a wear-resistant cage made from igus' plain bearing material iglidur J3.

The 2K ball bearing stands out compared to standard ball bearings with particularly quiet and smooth operation at high speeds, such as in fans or ventilators. In igus' own test laboratory, it demonstrated approximately three times lower noise development at high rotational speeds compared to standard ball bearings from the xiros program. "In the test series, the new xiros 2K bearing proved to be 9 dB quieter, which is roughly half the volume of a B180 ball bearing," says Lena Wölke-Glomb, developer at igus. Unlike metallic solutions, the tribologically optimized bearing does not require additional lubrication to maintain this smooth operation. Despite the absence of extra lubrication, the tribo-optimized bearing achieves a long service life at low operating costs. The 2K ball bearing is available with an internal diameter of 10 millimeters and will be expanded to the standard range with internal diameters from 5 to 12 millimeters. Custom solutions and dimensions are also possible. An online configuration will be available in the coming months.

Excellent design

The combination of material and design also convinced the jury of the IF Design Awards, which now awarded the 2-component ball bearing from igus. The awards have been presented since 1954 and are among the largest and most prestigious design competitions worldwide. This year, the 132-member expert jury evaluated 11,000 submissions from 57 countries.