Sowing machine: Wear-free and maintenance-free

Profile

• What was needed: Thrust washer made of the material iglidur G
• Requirements: The company was looking for a bearing that would work for a long time under high dust levels and strong vibrations and be as maintenance-free as possible.
• Industry: Agriculture
• Success for the customer: The thrust washer made of iglidur G represents a more durable alternative to the bronze spacer disc used in the past. It requires no lubrication and is therefore completely maintenance-free. The high volume of dust in the fields is no longer a problem for the electric coupling.

Problem

The sowing discs over which the seed is spread must always function perfectly in this sowing machine. A total of 48 couplings in the sowing machine are responsible for this, which can separate the gearbox from the seed plate of the planter. It operates on a rotating shaft under dust and vibration conditions. The coupling is assembled on each sowing row of a planter for maize, soya and sunflowers.
Due to the difficult working conditions, however, the problem arises that the electric coupling does not always function properly. To solve the problem, it was decided to use a bronze spacer disc. However, this proved to be only a fragile and short-term solution.

Solution

Due to the problems with the electrical coupling, the designers decided to use a thrust washer made of the material iglidur G. This polymer disc (specifically, a GTM2238 thrust washer was used) solves the problem of coupling blockage and thus the wear of the spacer inside the coupling. Unlike the bronze spacer disc, this is a long-term solution as it does not require any lubrication and is therefore completely maintenance-free. The high volume of dust in the fields is therefore no longer a problem for the electric coupling.