Can Plastic Bearings Outperform
Metal Ones?

 

 

 

To the surprise of many engineers, the answer to this question is often "Yes." As we've told you, plastic bearings are real and millions of them can be found in systems of all kinds, replacing metal in some pretty tough jobs. Sometimes they're equally effective and reliable as the metal parts they replace, and sometimes they actually outperform those parts.

 

We will tell you all about how this is possible in an upcoming Design News Focus on Fundamentals course beginning Tuesday, August 12 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The class, called Plastic Bearings Can (and Do) Outperform Metal Bearings, and sponsored by igus, will continue on August 13 and 14, also at 2:00 p.m.

Focus on Fundamentals courses consist of 45-minute online classes presented by subject-matter experts covering a wide variety of technologies. Each one combines streaming audio with a downloadable PowerPoint presentation. At the end of each presentation the speaker is available to answer audience questions directly on the online chat page. All of the courses are archived, so if you can't attend live, you can attend when it's convenient.

 

 

The course will be taught by Nicole Lang, igus's national product manager for iglide plastic bearings. Plastic Bearings Can (and Do) Outperform Metal Bearings will cover the applications that are taking advantage of plastic bearings, differences in technologies and how to choose materials for a specific task, plus tools and databases to help solve your design problems.

 

 

Here's the course outline for the classes that will run August 12, 13, and 14:

 

 

Day 1: Plastic vs. Metal
You may be surprised to hear the applications that are taking advantage of plastic bearings. While metal may still win in some cases, plastic bearings can be just as effective and reliable as metals, if not more so. Learn the differences in technologies and how to decide which material is best for the task at hand.

 

 

Day 2: The Right Plastic Bearing Material for Any Application
Plastic bearings can be found in everything from sterile lab equipment to heavy-duty offshore equipment. Discover a range of plastic bearing materials and geometries that suit this wide array of applications. From hot to cold, and occasional light-duty movements to constant, extremely heavy loads, there’s a plastic material developed to

conquer just about anything.

 

 

Day 3: Problem Solving With Plastic Bearings
Problem-solving day: Plastics can solve some really complex problems in the trickiest applications. Learn about a range of tricks and tools that are available to help find the solution to bearing issues in your applications. Discover a range of free tools and databases that can help discover the best solution for applications with special considerations and requirements.

Click here to register.