With the new slewing ring bearing made of WPC (Wood-Plastic-Composite), igus® is taking another step forward in the integration of renewable raw materials into industrial production. By using 50 percent wood and 50 percent high-performance plastics, customers receive a cost-effective and lubrication-free slewing ring bearing. It strikes a good balance between strength, durability and eco-friendliness with a proven low CO2 footprint.

How can renewable raw materials also be used sustainably in industry? Plastics specialist, igus®, has asked this question and has now developed an iglidur PRT slewing ring bearing made of Wood-Plastic-Composite (WPC) for the first time. “As a plastics expert, we are now also using wood. Last year, for the first time, we presented wooden shafts for our drylin linear bearings . This year, we are integrating the wood directly into our products,” explains Rob Dumayne, director of Drytech bearings at igus® UK. In doing so, igus® can rely on its tried-and-tested injection moulding. The WPC material is a mixture of wood fibres and iglidur® high-performance plastics . This contains solid lubricants that make the slewing ring bearing smooth-running, lubrication-free and maintenance-free. The wood content gives the product a natural look and both the housing and the component are made of the WPC material. The only metal components are four screws which connect the two parts together.

Cost-effective, low CO2 footprint and tested

Specially developed for the common PRT 02 size, the slewing ring bearing from igus® represents an alternative to the cost-effective PRT made of solid plastic at the same price, without compromising on performance. It allows for easy adjustments, including in furniture technology , while offering a robust design that meets the needs of various applications. A special feature of this new product is its extremely low CO2 footprint of just 0.0577 kg. By way of comparison, PRT-02-30-ECO, which consists of 97 percent regranulated material, has a CO2 equivalent of 0.819868 kg. To ensure the reliability and performance of the new slewing ring bearing, it was subjected to extensive tests under real conditions in the igus® in-house 4,000 square metre laboratory. These tests confirm the high quality and reliability of the product under various operating conditions.

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