Bearing for Food Industry Application from Treotham Automation

Material of the iglidur A200 bearings complies with international food and drug regulations which make them suitable for direct contact with food.

Available in Australia from Treotham Automation , the A200 bearings have good abrasion resistance and are highly suitable for low speed, rotational, oscillating and linear movements.

The A200 bearings are ideal for implementation when a bearing comes in direct contact with food, for low speeds, when quiet operation is important, or when dirt needs to become embedded.

The material of iglidur A200 is FDA (USA) approved for use in direct contact with food. The A200 bearings are an ideal solution for bearing applications on machines that manufacture consumables, medical devices, small household appliances, etc.

In order to achieve the benefit of food compatibility, mixing with solid lubricants must be avoided. The thermoplastic alloy of iglidur A200 is used for abrasion resistance.

The high abrasion resistance, the resistance to dirt, and the ability to run dry make it possible to eliminate the customary, expensive protective seals of lubricated bearings.

At the maximum permissible static surface pressure of 18 MPa the deformation is less than 2%. Plastic deformation is minimal up to this radial load. However, it is also a result of the service time.

iglidur A200 bearing was developed for low surface speeds. With regard to running dry in continuous use, a maximum of 0.8 m/s (rotating) or 2 m/s (linear) is possible.

These given values indicate the limits at which an increase up to the continuous permissible temperature occurs. This increase is a result of friction. In practice, these limit values are not often reached, due to varying application conditions.

Temperatures

The maximum permissible short term temperature is 170°C. With increasing temperatures, the compressive strength of iglidur A200 plain bearings decreases. The ambient temperatures prevalent in the bearing system also have an effect on the bearing wear.

Friction and wear

Just as the wear resistance, the coefficient of friction also changes with the load. For A200 plain bearings, the coefficient of friction decreases slightly with increasing load. To a large extent, friction and wear are also dependent on the shaft material.

Shafts that are too smooth not only increase the coefficient of friction, they can also increase the wear of the bearing. Ground surfaces with an average roughness greater than Ra = 0.4 to 0.6 µm are recommended.

Installation tolerances

iglidur A200 plain bearings are meant to be oversized before press fit. After proper installation into a recommended housing bore, the inner diameter is adjusted to meet specified tolerances.

Chemical resistance

iglidur A200 plain bearings have strong resistance to chemicals. The A200 bearings are also resistant to most lubricants. The moisture absorption of iglidur plain bearings is approximately 1.5% in standard atmosphere. The saturation limit submerged in water is 7.6%. This must be taken into account for these types of applications.

Radiation resistance

Plain bearings made of iglidur A200 are resistant to radiation up to an intensity of 2x104 Gy. Higher radiation levels attack the material and can cause the loss of essential mechanical properties.

iglidur A200 plain bearings are resistant to UV radiation. In a vacuum environment, iglidur A200 plain bearings have restricted use. iglidur A200 plain bearings are electrically insulating.