Receive long-lasting bearings in special dimensions for ergometers after just 4 days

• What was needed: Plain bearing made of iglidur® P210
• Requirements: A durable and lubricant-free bearing should be found that can withstand loads such as accelerations and high weight. The bearings were required in a special shape and at short notice so that series production could start quickly.
• Industry: Medical technology
• Success for the customer: The bearings are also extremely wear-resistant under load. They also score highly thanks to their freedom from lubricants and maintenance as well as their long service life. The customer has therefore been relying on our motions plastic for 13 years.

According to the RKI, cardiovascular diseases are the leading disease in Germany and cause around 40 per cent of all deaths. One of the most important examinations for diagnosing these diseases and for monitoring the therapy initiated is the feed-through of an exercise ECG. Medical ergometers are used for the reproducible loading of patients. ergoline GmbH from Bitz near Albstadt is a leader in the manufacture of these ergometers. The company has already installed over 60,000 ergometers worldwide.
One of the special devices manufactured by ergoline GmbH is the ergoselect 1200 model, a tilting recumbent ergometer developed for a special examination of the heart: dynamic stress echocardiography. The angle of inclination of the device can be electrically adjusted horizontally and laterally between 0 and 45°. This enables special ultrasound examinations of the heart during ergometric loading of the patient.
Dominik Huber, Head of Design at ergoline, was looking for a suitable plain bearing for precisely this adjustment in height and for tilting the ergometer. These must be durable and withstand a wide variety of loads such as acceleration and high weight. In addition, the products must fulfil the high hygiene requirements. And finally, one requirement also arose from the tight production schedule. In order to bring the product out in series, time and costs had to be saved.

After consultation, the customer opted for plain bearings made of the material iglidur® P210, which are particularly suitable for swivelling movements on various shaft materials. The material is extremely wear-resistant, especially at loads of up to 20 MPa, and is also well suited for edge loads. By dispensing with external lubricants, the plastic bearing also fulfils the high hygiene requirements in medical technology. In the ergometer application, iglidur® P210 has the highest service life, which is also shown by the service life calculation that we offer our customers with the help of a free calculator.
As the bearings selected from the catalogue had too much bearing clearance due to changes to the shaft, a different solution was required for the rapid start of series production.
Here we offered the customer the FastLineservice. By investing in our own production line for round parts with modern CNC technology, we were able to manufacture plain bearings in the desired special shape for ergoline within a very short time. It took just four days from order to delivery. And the price was also significantly more favourable than the customer had expected.
However, the bearings not only impressed the user from an economic point of view, but also from a technical one. The polymer bearings are lightweight, rust-free and resistant to dust and dirt.
ergoline GmbH has been relying on our motion plastic for 13 years and has already installed several thousand plastic bearings in its devices. In addition to the plain bearings, the specialist also relies on other of our products in other ergometer models. For example, drylin® W-linear guides are used for the seat adjustment in the ergoselect 600 seat ergometer.