Igus harnesses circular economy for new plain bearing

6 Dec 2023

Igus has unveiled a new addition to their iglide ECO series - the iglide ECO P210 plain bearing. This innovative product is crafted from recycled plastic, marking a significant stride in the company’s commitment to reducing virgin plastic usage in production. The iglide ECO series utilises regranulate derived from sprue and defective injection-moulded parts produced by the company. This ingenious approach allows igus to recycle plastic waste, furthering their sustainability efforts.

iglide ECO P210 is a super-tough chemical resistant bearing from recycled plastic.

The bearing is specifically designed for machines that frequently interact with chemicals. It is anticipated to find applications in a variety of sectors, including agitators, laboratory mills, filtration devices, and car washes.

It is designed to withstand a maximum recommended surface pressure of 50MPa at room temperature and operates efficiently between -40°C and 100°C. In line with igus’s high standards, the bearing does not require external lubrication with oil or grease, enhancing its practicality.

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Commenting on the development, South Africa’s product manager responsible for bearings, Juan-Eric Davidtz adds, “Our in-house laboratory tests show that plain bearings made of regranulate provide almost the same performance as the conventional iglidur P210 series. They are similarly resistant to edge pressure, shocks and impacts with only slight concessions.”

Carbon footprint

The ECO P210 is the fifth product in the iglide ECO family. Other materials available include ECO H, ECO P, ECO G, and ECO A180. According to igus, all ECO materials consist of at least 97% recycled plastic.

ECO was developed as part of the igus sustainability strategy. Among other things, igus shows the CO₂ footprint of best-selling iglide materials. This enables customers to compare and select the bearing with the lowest CO₂ footprint.

Igus is striving to transform the classic linear plastics economy into a sustainable circular economy. To this end, it not only recycles but also invests in innovative technologies, such as those from Mura Technology, a British company developing a process to turn plastic back into crude oil using only water, high temperatures, and pressure.