New igus slewing ring bearings

Igus, a global manufacturer of engineered components to increase the service life of customers’ machines, has expanded its PRT slewing ring bearing series with an incredibly compact slewing ring for even more space savings.

Installing drives and allowing movements in even the smallest of installation spaces is a challenge companies face in many areas. Requirements for machine components are becoming increasingly stringent. To meet these requirements, igus has introduced the PRT-04 — a highly compact slewing ring bearing. The igus PRT-04 slewing ring bearing is small, robust, 60% lighter, and has 50% more space savings than the PRT-01 series.

The PRT-04 has an outer diameter of 60mm, the smallest installation size among igus PRT slewing ring bearings. It consists of three aluminum rings and a newly developed sliding element made of the proven iglide J high-performance plastic, which operates exceptionally well on aluminum, ensuring good coefficients of wear and long service life. It also has low moisture absorption and good chemical resistance.

Other materials can also be used, depending on individual customer requirements. Like all igus bearings, the PRT-04 is 100% self-lubricating and insensitive to dirt, dust, and moisture.

A lightweight solution for moving applications
“Aluminum with plastic offers two decisive design advantages: lightweight yet stable,” said Fabian Wieking, PRT Slewing Ring Bearing Product Manager at igus. “Thus, despite its small size, the PRT-04 can hold its own against comparable products on the market and accommodate high loads (up to 3,500N) in the axial direction, even though it is much more compact.”

The PRT-04 allows for smooth rotary and swivel movements in even smaller installation spaces, giving rise to a number of possible applications. Possible applications are small, movable lighting installations — so-called moving head applications — or swiveling tables in trains and airplanes, but also automotive applications. The low weight is also highly relevant in all industries.

The low weight also pays off here in terms of fuel consumption. Less weight means less consumption — and thus, another way to reach the goal of greater sustainability. After all, eliminating lubricants adds value: maintaining equipment costs time and money. The solid lubricants in the iglide material mean that the slewing ring bearing works without greases and oils, eliminating the need for maintenance while making the slewing ring bearing remarkably durable.

Another advantage is that the PRT-04 is a ready-to-install part that can be integrated directly into an application, reducing design costs and DIY bearing points.

Ready to install or individually configurable: the best advice from PRT experts
Since 2019, igus has offered users the PRT slewing ring bearing series, an extensive and constantly growing modular system explicitly developed for movements in confined spaces. It consists of a variety of combinable variants.

The iglide PRT expert aids in selecting the slewing ring bearing suitable for any application and calculates the expected service life. Users enter the installation space, load, speed, and environmental parameters.

The service life is checked thoroughly in igus’s 3,800m2 test laboratory. The data collected is integrated into the PRT configurator, allowing a reliable statement about slewing ring bearing service life.