Strong and maintenance-free bearing of the crane trolley wheels

Profile

• What was needed: iglidur plain bearings
• Requirements: Corrosion-resistant, free from lubrication and maintenance, resistant to dirt, strong despite high loads
• Industry: Cranes
• Success for the customer: With lubrication-free and maintenance-free plain bearings made of iglidur, a bearing solution was found that is as weather-resistant as it is strong.

A permanent maintenance-free bearing was to be found for the four wheels of a trolley. The crane trolley is to travel on a refurbished crane girder that is used outdoors. The environment is correspondingly changeable. Dirt, water, snow and ice will reach the bearing points throughout the year. Lubrication of the bearing is difficult to carry out on the crane trolley and is also undesirable due to the effects of dirt. Nevertheless, the bearing points are exposed to high pressure. As the retreaded crane girder is not flat, the rollers may not always all be in contact with the girder. This additionally increases the pressure on individual rollers.

A solution for the broad requirement profile was found with special polymer bearings for high loads. In this application, the bearings made of the material iglidur fulfil both the high requirements for stability in continuous operation and for flexibility in outdoor use. The polymer bearings are free of corrosion and do not have to be externally lubricated or otherwise maintained thanks to the incorporated solid lubricants. This also prevents dirt from adhering to the bearings. The iglidur bearings are run with a slight (approx. 2°) interlocking angle. Other bearings were out of the question here.