First roller guide without lubrication: drylin C for smooth adjustments

Three rollers made of high-performance plastic ensure minimum operating and displacement forces with loads of up to 20kg per carriage

Wherever people operate doors or other moving elements by hand on a daily basis, minimal operating forces, quiet operation and freedom from maintenance are crucial - especially in light of the new EU Accessibility Act and the increasing automation of everyday life. With the new drylin C roller guide, igus has developed a system that offers the best operating properties and relies on completely lubrication-free running surfaces. Three rollers made of high-performance plastic allow for smooth manual adjustments, for example in mechanical engineering and interior design or for self-service terminals at airports or in supermarkets.

The new Accessibility Improvement Act creates a clear mandate for companies: products and services must be accessible to all people. Many barriers do not arise intentionally, but because suitable technical solutions are lacking. Anyone who has ever tugged on a jammed sliding door will be familiar with the problem. This is precisely why igus is launching drylin C, the first track roller guide on the market that uses a third, adjustable roller and thus permits smooth and precise adjustments with minimal operating forces. It can be used wherever doors and covers need to be moved reliably, quietly and easily - from automated toilet systems in trains to safety doors on machine tools.

Three rollers made of high-performance plastic for smooth, lubrication-free operation

In addition to two parallel rollers, the drylin C roller guide uses a third roller that can be adjusted with a regulating screw so that there is no more clearance. In contrast to classic roller guides, the drylin C linear guide uses rollers made of high-performance plastic, which are particularly quiet and cause only little vibration. The rotary movement takes place via a ball bearing which, in combination with the roller diameter, permits an extremely low coefficient of friction of µ = 0.05. The rollers ensure minimum operating and displacement forces with loads of up to 20kg per carriage. At the same time, they are shock-resistant, robust and allow for completely lubrication-free running surfaces. "Other suppliers use metal rollers and therefore have a lubricating film inside the rail," explains Michael Hornung, Product Manager drylin Linear and Drive Technology at igus. The compact aluminium rails (width and installation height of 30mm) are silver or black anodised and stand out due to their low weight and high strength. Carriages manufactured via zinc die-casting make the roller guide particularly cost-effective. The entire guide rail is lubrication-free as there is no metal-to-metal contact, and can therefore also be used in hygiene-sensitive environments. The lubrication-free design eliminates the need for regular maintenance intervals and increases reliability in daily operation. In addition, the drylin C roller guide offers numerous options such as end position stoppers, mounting brackets and scrapers.

 

 

Curved profiles for more design freedom

A special feature of the drylin C roller guide is the fact that igus can realise almost any bend radius from 500mm upwards. This makes the series ideal for manual adjustments, for example of safety doors on machine tools, doors and sliding solutions in ships and yachts as well as adjustments of monitors, displays and screens. The roller guide also offers a wide range of applications in the mobility sector, for example in barrier-free toilet systems in trains, which are often fitted with curved sliding doors to save space. "We can bend a radius starting at 500mm and travel a radius with the roller guide. This allows the profiles to be optimally adapted to the structural conditions," says Michael Hornung. "The door drives in trains or aeroplanes are also often not designed for a large, powerful motor to be installed in them," says Hornung. With the drylin C roller guide, igus provides a solution that not only protects the motor thanks to its good operating properties, but also runs quietly and dryly - for a pleasant and barrier-free user experience.