xiros guide rollers with FDA conformity: 60% weight saving compared to metallic solutions

Patrick Czaja | 10. July 2020

This solution for transport and guide rollers is now available in a lighter, FDA-compliant version. The xiros guide rollers for labelling, packaging and food applications consist of a blue PVC tube and two fixed flange ball bearings made of the in-house material xirodur B180 and stainless steel balls.

The specialist for plastics in motion, igus, develops maintenance-free and above all lubrication-free plastic ball bearings under the brand name xiros. These two specifications are particularly important in the packaging and food sector due to possible contamination of food. igus presents a completely assembled xiros guide roller consisting of a blue PVC tube and two xirodur B180 ball bearings with flange and stainless steel balls.

Plastic solution to save drive force

The PVC tube weighs only about one third as much as comparable stainless steel tubes. This has a positive effect on the required drive force when the rollers are set in motion. Due to the fact that xiros polymer ball bearings are lubrication-free, the balls do not run against the resistance of the lubricant; unlike their metal counterparts. The advantage is that they can be set in motion much more easily than metal ball bearings due to the low friction.

A complete range of xiros polymer ball bearings

Since 2008, igus has developed a large number of polymer ball bearings that are now successfully used in a variety of applications. The reliable calculation of the service life of our xiros polymer ball bearings is easily possible, for which the input of just a few parameters of the application is sufficient. The most commonly used forms are ball bearings according to DIN 625, which are similar to conventional metal ball bearings.