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SPHERICAL BEARINGS igubal® spherical bearings eliminate installation hassles encountered with pivoting bearings thanks to their self-aligning properties which divert the need for exact placement of shafts and housing. Igubal spherical bearings are made with high-performance plastics, making them lubrication free and completely resistant to corrosion and contaminants. The polymer material is 80 percent lighter than steel, and delivers excellent vibration dampening as well as maintenance-free operation. igubal spherical bearings are ideal for use in the packaging, automotive, agricultural, exercise and sports-equipment industries. Big Cat Human Powered Vehicles used igubal spherical rod ends on its Catrike Speed recumbent tricycle. Recumbent tricycling is the fastest growing category in bicycling today. These trikes alleviate the stress and pain felt in the knees, back and buttocks on upright bicycles. If a rider has trouble with balance, a trike is the ideal solution. Recumbent tricycles deliver comfort, ease-of-use and speed. When developing the steering component of the Catrike Speed, Catrike creator and company president Paulo Camasmie, first used metal bearings. He changed to igus igubal rod ends based on their lighter weight and better dampening qualities. "The igubal bearings do a much better job of absorbing vibration from wheel to arms. We also can use a really large rod without increasing the weight too much. This, in turn, enables us to use a stiffer rod which produces better wheel alignment."
The igubal bearings are an integral part of the direct steering component. Two igubal rod ends are used on the tricycle. Each bearing connects one of the two front spindles (or steering knuckles) to a tie rod. The handle bars used to steer the trike are attached directly on the spindles. This provides lighter, cleaner and more reliable steering for the rider because there are fewer moving parts than with conventional indirect steering. Another benefit of igubal plastic bearings is their complete corrosion resistance. Unlike metal bearings, they never rust or need to be replaced due to wear. Unsightly rust or discolouration will never detract from the aesthetics of the Catrike Speed or any other equipment employing igubal bearings. Igubal is a complete system of bearing products: spherical, pillow block and rod end bearings. It is also a member of the entire igus suite of bearings, including iglide® plastic plain bearings and DryLin® linear guide systems. All igus bearings products are lubrication-free, oil-free and maintenance-free. igus, inc.
CATERPILLAR EASES NOISE
LEVEL ON FACTORY FLOOR At a Caterpillar Production Facility, workers make a variety of heavy equipment used for road paving. Before they are released for sale, each of the enormous cold planers, soil and asphalt compactors, road reclaimers, and other machines, is driven into the building to undergo a rigorous set of final tests. Noise from the machines' 750 horsepower diesel engines reverberates through the plant during testing. Employees working in the area wear hearing protection, but it doesn't ease the strain caused by exposure to the constant commotion. Several workers went to the plant's safety and protection manager, Larry Narikawa, for help. "I was hearing a lot of complaints from people working out there that the loud noise was really annoying," says Narikawa. "Even though they all wear ear protection, it was still very loud. It was hard for them to talk to each other without yelling." Narikawa contacted Mary Beth Carlson of Heartland Acoustics, LLC, an illbruck distributor. "Because of the heavy equipment, the noise in the testing area was very significant," Carlson recalls. "With concrete floors and metal decking in the facility, there was nothing to absorb the sound that was causing the reverberation problem." Using several barrier-backed curtain panels, Carlson created a 30' x 60' ceiling-mounted enclosure that workers could drive heavy equipment into for testing. The enclosure was to descend from the ceiling, but not come all the way to the floor in most areas. "This worked really well because it didn't get in the way of the cranes and it took up very little space," she says, as she describes how the noise bouncing off the ceiling is contained by the curtains, which come down about 12 feet, and still leave room below for the workers to move machinery freely.
The barrier-backed curtains are designed to absorb and contain noise. But Carlson knew that in this situation, she needed to take sound absorption one step further. She recommended using SONEXvalueline panels, in natural willtec® foam, on the ceiling. "When trying to control noise, it's important to contain it first and then work on absorption," says Carlson. Carlson knew that illbruck products were the perfect choice for the Caterpillar site. "I didn't even recommend other options," she says. "SONEX® is what I chose to go with because I knew it was the best fit. The curtains were perfect. The panels did exactly what I needed them to and they were very economical. The entire installation looks great and doesn't detract from the facility at all." "People are really happy about the new enclosure because they don't have to yell anymore," says Narikawa. "Now they just talk normally." Carlson credits Narikawa and Caterpillar for helping to make the project such a success. "We'd been talking about doing this for a long time," she says. "Then, late last year, they decided to go ahead with the project. Caterpillar requested that the installation be finished by the end of the year, which didn't give us a lot of time. However, the ease of installation when working with SONEX products, combined with the teamwork of Caterpillar staff, proved once again that even a large installation like this is possible with quick and easy turnaround." illbruck, inc. NON-METALLIC ENCLOSURES Robroy Electrical Products Division already had a MRP system in place but also wanted an effective way to communicate key knowledge about production, safety and quality management data to personnel on the plant floor where such information was most useful. The solution was a "Visual Plant" system which runs software that isolates critical production information and makes it available via computer controls throughout the plant. The system then relays all information back to the MRP software so the front office can make any necessary manufacturing adjustments. By installing this system Robroy has reduced labour and production cost by $150,000 annually. One of the necessary components Robroy required for the project was an enclosure to protect Allen-Bradley (6181-AFDBCZZZ) industrial touch-screen computers housed at various locations throughout the 125,000 square foot manufacturing facility. A Stahlin DiamondShield® (DS161408HPL) fiberglass enclosure was selected because of its durability and ability to remain reliable in a plant environment where premature enclosure failure from corrosion can be a safety concern. Additionally, the non-metallic enclosure was seen as more impact resistant than carbon steel alternatives where even incidental denting can result in a breach of enclosure integrity and subsequent equipment failure. Robroy wanted as little maintenance of the control housing as possible and did not want to continually replace their Visual Plant monitoring units or their housings. They were also steered towards a non-metallic enclosure because of its lightweight construction that puts less pressure on the swing-arms or pedestal stands to which they are mounted. Because the control units also required an upward draft ventilation Robroy easily modified the DiamondShield® enclosures by removing the lower door gaskets and installing a vented plug near the top of each enclosure. They also added their Robroy logo to the enclosure through a reverse engraving process which gave this industrial system an aesthetically appealing look. Robroy Plant Manager Chuck Hibner states: "We have installed 11 of the Stahlin enclosures throughout our plant. The enclosures are easy to work with and the enclosures/controls have been maintenance free. Where there has been a need to open them, the interior and the controls have been as clean as they were when they were first installed." DiamondShield® is a family of high-quality fiberglass enclosures based on a new design concept. Every cubic inch of interior volume is available and completely protected. Through DiamondShield's "No Limits" Panel Management System, any panel of any size can be mounted at any height or depth and hinged in any direction, even on the door. Users can use all available space and fit more into less. Stahlin
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Canadian Industrial Equipment News March 2005 |
May 15, 2008
"In
a huge factory like this, it is important for them to maintain product
flow and to be able to change that flow when they need to," Carlson
continues. "These curtains act like a wall, yet they're flexible
enough that if they change the flow of the room they can unhook the
curtains and reconnect them to create another area somewhere else."
