Technical plastics Technical plastics are a subgroup of thermoplastics that differs from standard plastics, high-performance plastics, and functional plastics in terms of properties and price (1). They are used for many applications including bearings, rollers, wheels, seals, and moulded parts (2). Examples of technical plastics include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyamide (PA), polyoxymethylene (POM), polycarbonate (PC), and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) (3) (2) (4). These materials have specific electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties that make them suitable for specific applications (5 ..read more

The development time for new cars has continued to decrease in recent years. One reason for this is the consumer, who is used to receiving a new product innovation every year, especially from the electronics industry. But the primary change in the automotive market comes from rising competitors such as Tesla, BYD, Geely, and others. Volkswagen’s Head of Development, Thomas Ulbrich, says that “Vehicle projects […] should be created in 40 months instead of the 54 months that used to be normal.” The Handelsblatt reports that Mercedes also wants to reduce the development time for main vehicle type ..read more

Plain bearings are an important part of machines and systems because they allow low-friction movement between two components, reducing wear. Unfortunately, plain bearings can also suffer damage that can lead to machine failures. This blog post explains how plain bearings are damaged and how you can systematically analyse and avoid that damage. How are plain bearings damaged? Plain bearing damage has a variety of causes. A common one is wear due to plain bearing movement. This can lead to abrasion in the plain bearing material. Another is corrosion due to moisture ingress in the bearing. Overlo ..read more

Damage to plastic plain bearings is often the result of improper assembly, incorrect structural design or incorrect material selection. On the one hand, the nature and mode of operation of the plastic plain bearings place some demands on the dimensioning, design and assembly of the bearing point. On the other hand, compared to metallic bearings, a more flexible design of the component geometry and a “more creative” or potentially riskier design is possible. The various damages to plastic plain bearings can generally be easily distinguished from one another. As a result of the appearance of the ..read more

Installation: AdobeStock_557938683.jpeg & AdobeStock_31330057.jpeg We all know hidden cost traps, don’t we? An example: a used car with 80,000km beckons. For only 3,000 euros. A bargain at first glance. But after a few months there is disillusionment. Constant visits to the workshop. The car slurps oil without end. And more fuel than expected. A problem that many #engineers and #machine operators are also familiar with. You regularly face the challenge of determining the actual costs of machines and systems. And every purchased component changes these costs.  Just looking at the purc ..read more

Damage to plastic plain bearings is often the result of improper assembly, incorrect structural design or incorrect material selection. On the one hand, the nature and mode of operation of the plastic plain bearings place some demands on the dimensioning, design and assembly of the bearing point. On the other hand, compared to metallic bearings, a more flexible design of the component geometry and a “more creative” or potentially riskier design is possible. The various damages to plastic plain bearings can generally be easily distinguished from one another. As a result of the appearance of the ..read more

Lubricating grease and ensuring or maintaining lubrication represent a major cost factor for the operation of many devices and systems. Everything that moves is subject to the laws of friction and wear. To minimise these effects, bearings and other moving parts are often lubricated with grease or oil. In many cases, the sufficient supply of the right lubricant determines the functionality of the parts. In order to avoid even higher costs due to damage that may occur, even high costs incurred for lubrication are accepted. Lubrication – Direct and indirect costs The costs consist first of all of ..read more

Costs can also be reduced indirectly. Maintenance intervals can be extended with suitable plain bearings. Such bearings require less frequent replacement or re-lubrication. Extending the interval not only reduces costs for maintenance work personnel, but also increases the productive time of the devices and machines. Shorter maintenance intervals than necessary are often chosen in order to avoid unforeseen downtime due to material failure. Maintenance plans include checking various bearings, moving parts, lubrication points, lubrication and dosing to be used, etc. Costs for implementing these ..read more

In this example, too, it is less about the unit costs of the bearings, but rather about the costs that can be saved through an advantageous design in downstream (pardon :)) processes. The installation of bushings is a significant cost factor. Especially for assemblies with many bearing points or high unit quantities, the assembly time for fitting the bearings can be considerable and thus cost-intensive. If the bearings are particularly heavy or complicated for press-fit connection, e.g. because a large press-fit interference or undercuts are used, this can lead to assembly errors. The outcome ..read more

Whether the bearing is to be a special type or a standard plain bearing. Choose the most cost-effective manufacturing process, or the provider with the most cost-effective process. Plain bearings are manufactured in a wide variety of ways, depending on the material, number of pieces to be produced, and shape. For metal bearings, this primarily includes turning, milling, punching, and sintering. For plastic bearings, large quantities are produced, primarily with injection moulding. Plastic bearings can also be printed with additive processes or sintered with lasers. Stock material is also often ..read more