The hot plates for the chapatti baking oven are linked together in a chain, which conveys the plates through the oven. The chain ran on ball bearings subject to heat from the oven burners. Ball bearings failed due to the high temperatures and locked up. This caused shedding of metal dust and lubricant onto the bread product. The bearings were difficult to change. A special iglidur® polymer roller assembly, designed by igus® using high temperature Z and X materials, resolved these problems. The assembly allows easy maintenance of the rollers with disassembly of the chain linkage. It is maintenance free, as it requires no lubrication and there will never be catastrophic failure.
Bob Patterson
Engineering Manager
Patak´s Breads