Put on your thinking caps!

Remember your answers … you might be surprised!

• Which bearing would you use on your FIRST robot?: plastic, metal or bronze

• Why did you choose that particular bearing?

• Which type of bearing would you choose to use on a lawn mower or farming equipment?

• Which type of bearing would you choose to use on an outboard, high-speed boat motor?

Working Together:FIRST® Robotics and igus® Inc.

Overview• Who is igus?

• What is the Y.E.S. Program?

• Put your thinking cap back on!– Plastic vs. the other guys– Our products– Real-world application examples– Benefits of plastic components

Catalog items from stock.

Who is igus Inc.?• Forty years of experience in industrial machinery

components for the motion control industry

• Large R&D effort to test wear behavior of plastics

• Current product focus: cable carrier, flexible cables, plain bearings, spherical bearings, linear bearings and slides

What is the Y.E.S. Program?

• Y.E.S. stands for the Young Engineers Support Program

• Designed to foster the mechanical design ideas and inventions of students who have a passion for engineering

• FREE product donations provided to all teams participating in FIRST Robotics

Remember your answers?• Which bearing would you use on your

FIRST robot?: plastic, metal or bronze

• Why did you choose that particular bearing?

• Which type of bearing would you choose to use on a lawn mower or farming equipment?

• Which type of bearing would you choose to use on an outboard, high-speed boat motor?

Tidbits about bronze bearings

•Advantages– Very low coefficient

of friction possible

– High precision

– High rotational speeds possible (1,200 SFM)

– High PxV value possible (50,000 PV)

• Disadvantages– Very sensitive to dirt– Sensitive to edge pressure– High temps breaks down oil– Low chemical resistance– Not suitable for linear

movements– Sensitive to impacts and

oscillations

Tidbits about plastic bearings

•Disadvantages– Sensitive to extreme

temperature

– Sensitive to extremely high loads

– Sensitive to extremely high, constant speeds

• Advantages– Lightweight– No lubrication needed– Maintenance-free– Dry-running– Vibration-dampening– Dirt- and dust-resistant– Corrision-resistant

Plastic vs. Bronze

• Max PSI: up to 21,750 PSI 8,000 PSI • Motion: Any (including dual) HS rotating • Shafting: Any (soft/SS/HR/steel) Carbon steel, hard• Grades available: Over 20 1• Dirty environments: Yes No• Resists squeaking: Yes Only if it’s oiled• Edge loading: Yes No• Underwater: Yes No• Suitable for clean rooms: Yes No• Plastic Contact Yes No• Service life predictors: Yes ?• Technical data available: Yes ?

IglideIglide®® Oilite BronzeOilite Bronze

Edge pressureF

plastic bearingsmetal bearings

The bearing material has a high flexibility:the contact surface between shaft and bearing is a bigger surface• Lower specific pressure (load per mm²) • Lower wear of the bearing• Shaft will be not consumed!

The bearing material has a low flexibility:the contact surface between shaft and bearing is only a point.• High specific pressure (load per mm²) • High wear of the bearing• Shaft could be consumed

A closer look at iglide plastic bearingsiglide plastic bearings

• Features:– Long-lasting

– Self-lubricating

– Maintenance-free

– Dust- and dirt-resistant

• More than 7,000 metric and inch bearing sizes and styles from stock

In the real world• Iglide J on lawn mower deck

– Enables pivoting and linear movement in caster wheel

– Plastic bearings outperformed bronze in every test

• Benefits of iglide J– Withstands high edge pressure– Withstands high impact/shock loads– Compensates for edge loads– Great wear resistance with high loads– No grease, no maintenance– Corrosion-resistant

In the real worldMercury Marine• Iglide G300/D on outdoor, high-speed boat motor

– Iglide D enables tilt and trim of the motor in the steering mechanism and transform assembly

– Iglide G300 is used in oscillating pivot joints

• Benefits of iglide J– Eliminates the need for grease, which contaminates

water and potentially harms wildlife– Eliminates maintenance– Low water absorption– Low coefficient of friction– Corrosion-free– In depth test data and predictability methods

In the FIRST arenaCarmel High School, Team 868• Products used

– Iglide bearings– Igubal® spherical bearings

• Used on: – Shooting system– Roller system

• Benefits:– Lightweight– Reduced weight of the robot

by 20 pounds!

Iglide (inside wheel mechanism)

A closer look at igubal spherical bearingsigubal spherical bearings

• Features– Self-aligning

– Oil-free

• Includes spherical, clip, pillow block and rod end bearings

In the real worldBig Cat Human Powered Vehicles• Igubal spherical bearings on a

recumbent tricycle– Enables lighter, cleaner and more

reliable steering for the rider

• Benefits of iglide J– Self-aligning, which diverts the need

for exact placement of shafts/housing– Lubrication-free– Corrosion- and wear-resistant– 80% lighter than steel– Excellent vibration-dampening igubal rod end

“The igubal bearings do a better job of absorbing vibration from wheel to arms. We also can use a really large rod end without increasing the weight too much. This in turn enables us to use a stiffer rod which produces better wheel alignment.”

~Paulo Camasmie, president of Big Cat Human Powered Vehicles

In the FIRST arenaUpper Darby High School, Team #357• Products used

– 34 igubal spherical bearings– 253 iglide Z bearings– DryLin S aluminum shafting

• Used on: – Shooting system– Roller system

• Benefits:– Lightweight– Self-aligning– Maintenance-free, which saved the team a lot of time!

igubal

A closer look atDryLin R linear bearingsDryLin R linear bearings

• Features:– Corrosion-resistant

– Dirt-resistant

– Vibration dampening

• Ideal alternative to re-circulating ball bearings

In the real worldInternational Climbing Machines• DryLin R on a climbing machine

– Aids machine in scaling walls to eliminate hazardous chemicals from various locations such as bridges, ships and towers

• Benefits of DryLin R– Durable– Lightweight, which makes it

much easier for the machine to easily adhere to surfaces

“The quality of the igus products has been exceptional.”

~Sam Maggio, ICM president

DryLin R

The climbing machine is remotely operated by humans safe on the ground.

In the FIRST arenaParkview/North Little Rock High School• Products used

– DryLin R– Energy Chain

• Used on: – Scissor-lift module– Body of robot to protect wiring

• Benefits:– Increased the efficiency of

the module by 50%– Lightweight

A closer look at DryLin linear guide systemsDryLin linear guide systems

• Features:– Corrosion-resistant

– Lightweight

– Lubrication-free

• Perfect for diverse, extreme environments

In the real wordSchneider Packaging• DryLin W on a bottle-packaging machine

– Acts as a vertical guide for a grabbing device

• Benefits of DryLin W– Able to maintain 24-hour/four cases per

minute operation schedule

– Lightweight

– Maintenance-free

– Corrosion-resistant

In the FIRST arenaGross Pointe North Public Schools, Team

#1189• Products used

– DryLin N• Used on:

– Slide/plunger system, which enabled the robot to shoot game balls into goals

• Benefits:– Lightweight– Maintenance-free– Easy to install

A closer look at Energy ChainEnergy Chain

• All-plastic cable carriers • Guides, protects and extends the service life of

cables and hoses on automated machinery • Used in industries such as:

– Robotics

– Aerospace

– Automotive

– Machine tools

In the real worldCase IH• Energy Chain on a seed planter

– Guides and protects hydraulic hoses

– Eliminates debris build-up

– Aids in the retraction process of the planter

• Benefits of Energy Chain– Lightweight

– Reliable – projected to last for the life of machine, which is 10 years

– Corrosion-resistant

In the FIRST arenaPoudre High School, Team #159• Products used

– Energy Chain• Used to:

– House and protect cables and wires on robot

• Benefits:– Lightweight– Strong enough to endure all bumps,

scrapes and shoving that the robot endured

Energy Chain

Good luck to all FIRST teams! Visit http://www.igus.com/yesprogram to

request additional igus products!