Screw drive innovations
One tool for everything : Online service life calculation, configuration and ordering / TR-Disc for zero backlash
igus invests heavily in its product ranges. This commitment is paying off particularly in the business field of linear technology. Here, igus now has the largest standard range of gliding screw drives available. With the TR-Disc, igus is showcasing its innovative strength once again: trapezoidal lead screw nuts can now be fitted with zero backlash thanks to an additional product.
The long service life of the lubricant-free igus screw drives can be checked by anyone at any time: the online tool for screw drives is service life calculation, configuration and shop function in one. This reduces complexity during product selection, increases the reliability of processes for customers and guarantees fast delivery times.
As a tribo-polymer company, igus stands for dry running plastic components which move machines – either in rotation or linearly. So it was obvious that plastic solutions would be developed for screw drives as well at some point. Screw drives turn a rotary movement into a translatory one. Unlike metallic threads, the igus plastic nuts run completely lubrication-free on trapezoidal or steep thread spindles.
Picture PM0613-01: igus GmbH, Cologne igus allows you to check the long
service life of plastic screw drives: The service life of all items in the drylin product range can be calculated online. And that’s not all – the new online tool helps users to find, configure and subsequently to order the product they are looking for.
Research program promotes innovations
igus has been developing and testing friction-optimised products purely for linear technology for around 15 years. The company is always looking to improve materials and solutions even further. In order to increase potential in the field of screw drives as well, around 1000 preliminary and 250 endurance tests have been carried out every year at 15 test stations.
The wear and efficiency rate of materials and products are investigated. The results are recorded in a large database and integrated in new materials and product ideas: While igus started out in the field of screw drives with simple trapezoidal threads, the company now has a large range of trapezoidal and steep threads available.
There are no less than ten different plastics for nuts and three different spindle materials – steel, stainless steel and aluminium – available. Alongside standard nuts with or without flange, extremely low-backlash systems have also been developed. In the past two years, the anti-backlash function for trapezoidal threads and the zero-backlash function for steep threads have been added.
“We are happy to deliver the complete system, spindle and nut. These are also available as a FDA-conform version for clean rooms or as high-temperature variants – all from a single source. This saves customers time and costs,” Stefan Niermann, head of the Linear Technology Division, says, explaining the portfolio.
The TR-Disc for zero-backlash fitting
The Cologne-based polymer company now has the most comprehensive range of gliding screw drives available and is continually introducing new types due to the great interest in lubricant-free plastic screw drives and increasing customer requirements. The newly developed trapezoidal thread disc (TR-Disc) for the zero-backlash setting of the nuts during fitting is just one example of igus’ innovative strength.
The functional principle is as simple as it is effective: two nuts are braced against one another. The manually set state is then fixed by screwing. The TR-Disc has long holes which allow the fitter to align the set position exactly to the counternut. This makes the TR-Disc a low-price, easy-to-handle solution for setting backlash on trapezoidal threads. As a positive technical side effect, the TR-Disc lengthens the thread and strengthens the flange. The result – greater load-bearing capacity with the same spindle size.
One tool for everything – calculation, configuration and ordering
igus allows you to check the long service life of plastic screw drives: the service life of all products can be calculated online. This is where the igus research programme pays off lucratively. It saves users having to carry out lengthy tests. In addition to service life calculation, the online tool helps users to find and configure the products they need.
The procedure is simple: The required parameters such as thread size, load and speed are entered in the mask on the screen; spindle material, steep or trapezoidal thread can also be specified if required. Then the online tool sorts the results according to maximum service life, price, torque or size – depending on users’ priorities. As soon as configuration of the desired product has been completed, one mouse click is all it takes to trigger the order. “Product finding, configuration, service life calculation and ordering. All the requirements of technical designers can be met by a single tool,” Niermann says, underlining the benefits of the igus tool.
The new online tool is available 24/7 and does not require previous registration. Delivery times for standard products are around 24 hours. In addition, it is possible to configure and request customised dimensions for nuts and spindles.
For more information
Web: www.igus.in
