subcon scene materials supply
High performance
polymers now machinable
USERS can benefit from using high
quality self-lubricating polymers in any
machined component now that igus offers its
iglidur materials as a stock bar. This means also
that customers can now order a mechanically
machined special size bearing of any
dimension from igus in low quantities.
The 60mm diameter solid rod is available in
either iglidur W300 or iglidur J: two high
quality bearing materials not accessible
anywhere else on the market as semi-finished
products. This is ideal if customers wish to
machine their own bearings on the occasions
that a part size is not available from the igus
standard range, or if they want to machine any
other kind of mechanical component from
these materials.
Anything machined from the stock bar will
automatically possess the material qualities
associated with all igus polymers: selflubrication,
zero maintenance, dirt and dust
resistance, low wear, low
friction, and so on. The
machined plastic part will
also have a predictable life
when used as a bearing;
something igus is able to
calculate for plain bearings
made from all thirty of its
iglidur materials using its
extensive test database.
Matthew Aldridge,
Bearings Product Director
for igus UK, says: ‘For years,
customers have asked us for
semi-finished products, but the market for
these products is already well populated. Our
niche is that we specialise in lifetime
predictability for bearing applications: we have
tested bearings machined from our iglidur
materials and know how they perform
differently compared with those we injection
Lower-cost alternative
stainless to beat
nickel price impact?
STAINLESS steel distributor Cashmores is offering a ferritic grade of stainless steel which it says offers a lower-cost alternative to the commonly
specified nickel-bearing austenitic 304. With trials being undertaken in the catering and food equipment market, Cashmores believes that other
markets could be able to switch to the ferritic alternative for certain applications.
Cashmores’ marketing manager Cyril Sparrow says: ‘Although we are now seeing a reverse in the alloy surcharge it is still significant. Since
austenitic stainless prices started to escalate, we have been exploring possible alternatives with the main European mill suppliers. We now have
material out in the market being trialled by customers in the catering equipment market - which is highly reliant on stainless steel - and the results are
looking good.’
Some two thirds of stainless steel purchased in the UK is grade 304, an austenitic material whose chemical composition is 8% nickel; but
Cashmores believes that for many customers its specification has become habitual. Cyril Sparrow: ‘Many original specifications will have been drawn
up years, possibly decades, ago when alternative grades of different families of stainless steel were less sophisticated. With mill operators investing
in new developments there is now a far wider portfolio of options to consider.’
The ferritic alternative being offered by Cashmores contains no nickel but has a high chromium content of 17.8%. This coupled with the addition
of titanium ensures pitting corrosion resistance for at least 80% of applications. Its ferritic structure eliminates risk of stress cracking corrosion and
gives a low thermal expansion coefficient. Bi-stabilisation of titanium and niobium ensures greater weld ductility of the heat affected zone and the
carefully controlled titanium level guarantees surface finish operations such as polishing, brushing or Scotchbrite belt finishing. Combined with the
bi-stabilisation, a low carbon level facilitates forming operations such as folding and deep drawing.
Cyril Sparrow: ‘With no nickel content the new ferritic grade offers a real price advantage and we are seeing a lot of interest in the market’. The
grade is offered in thicknesses of 0.4mm to 2.0mm to a maximum width of 1250mm and 0.7mm to 2.0mm to a width of 1500mm. All sizes are
available in a range of finishes.
www.cashmores.com
70 MWP january 2008
mould. Nobody else currently offers this.’
Customers can now order any machined
bearing of any dimension using the quick
online ordering service on the company’s
website. There are also plans to make the stock
bar available in other iglidur materials in the
future. www.igus.co.uk
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