Accurate and long lasting:
Polymer bearings for novel leather splitting machineThe Heller Leder GmbH & Co. KG, a leading manufacturer of upholstery leathers, has been employing for a short time a novel machine for the splitting of animal hides, which excels in extreme accuracy and long service life. In the development of the machine, the responsible engineering firm Dr. Dorstewitz decided on the comprehensive use of polymer plain bearings, which reliably operate under these rough environmental conditions. There are a total of 239 igus® bearings installed in the new machine called "Autosplit-D3".
In fact the "Autosplit-D3" offers decisive advantages compared to the previously used splitting machines. The machine manages without any mobile parts in the entire lower bed - the mobile components, which permit the accurate adjustment up to the millimeter in the hide thickness, are all mounted in the upper bed. With it the prerequisite for a long service life with high availability has been fulfilled.
There are 239 polymer plain bearings from igus® installed in the Autosplit-D3. Though the bearings are fit for dry operation, they are lubricated in this application: Thus the deposit of proteins, fats and salts is prevented, which would influence the properties of friction.
Although the mobile parts of the machine are arranged in the upper bed, there are numerous bearing points. For example the input table is hydraulically pivotable. And the entire head bridge, in which, among others, the roller gage, the press-on mechanism and the grinder are integrated, is not only hydraulically adjustable, but also is additionally equipped with an electric fine adjustment through servo motors with worm gear and absolute encoder. It is obvious that a bearing doesn't find ideal conditions under the influence of permanent humidity, residues of alkalis, sulfide-containing hair-removal chemicals and the aggressive proteins and fats. Dr. Rainer Dorstewitz decided therefore to dispense with metallic bearings as far as possible and to use the igus® plastic bearings. A total of 239 iglidur® bearings and DryLin® linear bearings as well as trapezoidal leadscrew nuts are installed in every "Autosplit D3", and they contribute to the high availability and long service life of the machine.
The igus® bearings guarantee not only long service life, but also enable compact and cost-efficient detailed design-engineering work
