igus' FastLine offers custom injection-moulded plain bearings in just seven days

igus, a leading manufacturer of high-performance polymer products, has developed a new service for the automotive supply industry called FastLine. This service enables customers to order a custom injection-moulded plain bearing suitable for series production and resistant to wear in just seven days. Previously, customers had to wait up to six weeks for such a component to be produced.

FastLine uses an online configurator called iglidur designer that allows customers to configure cylindrical bushings, flanged bushings, and washers online in just a few seconds. Customers can choose the bearing's shape, material, and dimensions and see the total price for injection-moulding production before placing the order. The online tool also provides free downloads of STEP files and PDF drawings for further planning and designing.

After the order is placed, igus' iform team, a special team from the in-house igus tool shop, uses the 3D models and other design files created by the online tool to program CNC machine tools in a semi-automated manner. This enables the machines to start producing the injection-moulding tool faster than ever before, reducing the production time of injection moulds for cylindrical bushings, flanged bushings, and washers in special dimensions suitable for series production from six weeks to just seven days.

The FastLine service is a novelty in toolmaking and has won igus the "Excellence in Production" competition of the machine tool laboratory WZL of the RWTH Aachen University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT) in the category "Internal toolmaking from 50 employees."

igus has been active in the automotive industry since 1964 and supplies over 500 million plain bearings for automotive applications annually. The polymer bearings are used not only in interior systems such as seats, centre consoles, or pedals but also in gearboxes and the thermal management of the drive. In addition to the cost advantages compared to metal bearing solutions, design engineers and buyers appreciate the lightweight quality, the lack of lubrication, the small bearing clearance, and the vibration-dampening and thus noise-reducing specifications.

FastLine is an innovative solution for stressed automotive designers and buyers who need a special component beyond the catalogue products as fast as possible. With FastLine, they can quickly order a custom injection-moulded plain bearing suitable for series production and resistant to wear.