Water, dust, dirt: plain bearings in farm loaders under extreme environmental conditions

Profile

• What was needed: iglidur G plastic plain bearings
• Requirements: Alternating environmental conditions, constant contact with water, dust, dirt and a wide variety of chemicals as well as heavy impact loads
• Industry: Agricultural industry, agricultural machinery manufacturing
• Success for the customer: The iglidur plain bearings are maintenance-free and lubrication-free, insensitive to dust and dirt and extremely robust; overall, the service life of the bearing points in the farm loaders could be significantly extended; unlike metallic bushings, the plastic plain bearings do not have to be rubbed down after painting, which saves the customer time and money

The company Thaler produces about 500 farm loaders annually.

Problem

From simple articulated loaders to telescopic and lifting loaders, Thaler GmbH & Co. KG supplies the agricultural industry with useful equipment. Today, the company manufactures up to 500 farmyard loaders per year, with a current range of around 25 vehicles, divided into four product lines. Thaler's farm loaders are made for agriculture; they easily drive through uneven terrain and wet fields or push heavy snow masses in front of them. The changing environmental conditions and constant contact with water, dust, dirt and a wide range of chemicals as well as strong impact loads present a great challenge to the components installed within the machine. The bearing points in agricultural vehicles are also subject to heavy wear, whereas the farm loaders must always function perfectly in daily use. Experience with Thaler's agricultural machinery shows that metallic components at the bearing points would hardly withstand such conditions. Due to the constant contact with moisture, metallic plain bearings rust quickly, which would require regular maintenance of the bearing points and the replacement of defective metal bushings. This not only leads to frequent maintenance downtimes, but also requires regular availability of elaborately manufactured spare parts. 
The assembly of the originally used metal bushings was very time-consuming. In addition, the bearings in Thaler's farm loaders caused the shafts to shrink quickly. So the search for a more robust and durable alternative was imminent.

Solution

After igus e-chains have already been used in one of Thaler's telescopic loader models, the manufacturer is now also relying on plastic instead of metal when it comes to plain bearings. The iglidur G plain bearings offer a maintenance-free and lubrication-free solution that is insensitive to dust and dirt. The plain bearings do not need to be additionally lubricated or sealed, which simplifies cleaning of the unit. Being extremely tough, they are perfect for diverse and changing environmental conditions. At the same time, the high loads are reduced by the vibration-dampening properties of the bearings. This has extended the service life of the bearings in the farm loaders. 
The iglidur plain bearings are used in the bearing points of almost all models, with up to 18 plain bearings per farm loader. In addition to unfavourable environmental conditions, the bearings must withstand high edge loads. The iglidur plain bearings are particularly suitable here as they are not only very corrosion-resistant but also resistant to dirt and chemicals. Another advantage: Almost all metallic plain bearings can be easily replaced with igus plain bearings.
With shaft and bearing, it is all about the right interaction, so the two components should always be considered as one unit. The iglidur plain bearing proves to be an optimal glide surface, as it adapts much better to the shaft compared to metal bushings. This minimises abrasion, which means that the shaft is subjected to less stress. Last but not least, the farm loader manufacturer also saves costs and time right from the production stage. Earlier, the bushings had to be individually rubbed after painting, but this work step is completely omitted with iglidur plain bearings.

Up to 18 iglidur plain bearings are installed in a single farm loader.

Since the use of iglidur, the bushings no longer have to be rubbed after the painting process, which saves valuable assembly time.