iglidur® Q2E; the ‘evolution’ of iglidur® Q2
Development never stops at igus®. This desire to continually improve runs through the veins of the igus® way of life and a prime example of such development can be seen in the new iglidur® Q2E polymer bearings. This heavy duty, multi-component bearing is ideal for extreme load applications and dirty environments such as agriculture and construction.
So, how has igus® revolutionised the iglidur® Q2 bearing to create the Q2E?
To fully appreciate the changes that have been adapted, the background and properties of the Q2 bearing need explaining. Like the Q2E, the Q2 bearing is dimensionally stable at high load capacities, suitable for dirty applications and environments and has a very low coefficient of friction.
It is clear when comparing appearances between the two bearings that there have been some major modifications to the makeup of this bearing. For starters, the Q2 is one colour! The Q2E is built of 2 component materials, a heavily constructed igus® material developed support shell for the outer layer which ensures the strength of the bearing and an igus® polymer material for the internal layer. The internal material allows low coefficient of friction for a smooth-running operation.
The Q2E is now technically comparable and in some cases superior to the likes of our iglidur® TX1 bearings, GGB, DX and Polygon bearings, but at a substantially lower price.
During the continuous testing cycles, it was apparent that the design for the recess’ internally within the bearing was not offering the best wear rate. Simply by adapting the recesses’, the bearings are now showing signs of less excessive stress in areas that were originally affected.
What does this design modification achieve?
If you compare the Q2E against other igus® bearings alone, you can see the vast improvement in the wear rate. It is significantly lower than the original Q2 bearing. It also shows that the Q2E has a better wear rate when comparing edge loading. These improvements on the original formula of the Q2 bearing reduces the effects of edge loading on the bearing. This ensures that, based on the same environmental parameters the bearing lasts even longer than it did before.
How does the Q2E compare in regard to cost?
There are many other bearings that the Q2E can be comparable with, both igus® bearings and non igus® bearings. The Q2E is the most financially economical bearing in this class, against the likes of SKF, GGB and Polygon.
What types of applications would you use Q2E in?
The Q2E has been designed for industries such as agriculture, construction; environments that utilise heavy, dirty machines. The Q2E is dimensionally stable and due to its efficient design with the two layers, it is ideal for applications with high edge loads and high wear rates.
Making the Q2E smart
The Q2E is the first (industry 4.0) smart bearing! What do we mean by smart bearing? The technology used to monitor the wear rate. This is reported back to the user via an interface to ensure that there are no unexpected breakdowns, the wear is reported before it becomes a problem.
Evolution is essential to continue to improve; improve technology, improve working environments, improve the lifetime and improve costs. With the Q2E you can see the improvements on the original Q2 bearing. That’s not to say that the Q2 is now null and void, these are used in a multitude of applications and will continue to do so but the Q2E is a new revolution and with the smart technology it becomes the first intelligent plain bearing.
