Although not in 80 days, the challenge faced by "iglidur on tour" for both team and car nevertheless calls for a trip around the world within a year. Since January of 2014, a compact car equipped with polymer plain bearings from the plastic specialist igus, has been on tour across more than 20 continents and three oceans, through deserts, snow, and tropical heat. This demonstration trip showcases the potential and durability of the Cologne-based company's motion plastics - plastics for motion control applications.
Motion plastics - iglidur mass production materials for the automobile industry
Decades of research and development in the industry's largest test lab for plastic components for motion control applications - e.g. "motion plastics" - has resulted in the mass production of 45 different, reliable iglidur materials, which are already used as plain bearings by the automobile industry more than 200 million times annually. Every second plain bearing made by igus is assembled in automobiles. The self-lubricating plastic blends are characterized by minimum friction and wear, and they are corrosion- and maintenance-free, and therefore have a particularly long service life. Since external lubrication with oil and grease can be avoided, the bearings do not contaminate the environment. The plain bearings are injection moulded and due to this are able to be flexibly adapted to any bearing location. Even for "iglidur on tour," customized solutions needed to be partially developed on the computer and manufactured from bar stock on a total of 56 bearing locations within a compact car where metal bearings were replaced by tribologically optimized plastic bearings. Ranging from the brake pedal, to windshield wipers, window cranks, parking brake, seat console, starter generator, to the choke valve - high-performance plastics were installed in all of these and are currently demonstrating vividly the varied applications, durability, and service life of iglidur.
'iglidur on tour' connects people
Every kilometer the car travels during the tour will be converted into a donation towards a charitable organization within the corresponding country. In Taiwan for instance, igus Taiwan is supporting the "Eden Social Welfare Foundation" and "Maria Social Welfare Foundation" dedicated to helping anthropogeny delayed children. A detailed impression of the world tour can be seen at blog.igus.de/iglidurontour, with interesting images, videos, and reports. All routes and stop-overs, including trade fairs and customer visits, can be directly followed and commented on.
On the Asia side of the tour, the orange-colored convertible travels through Asia's bustling megacities, such as Taipei.
Photo: igus Gmbh
