Maintenance-free heavy-duty and fibre composite plain bearings

Self-lubricating heavy duty bearings

Composite bearings are a combination of different materials, each chosen for its specific performance benefits. Mineral materials are woven together with high-strength fibres, then combined with synthetic resins and additional additives. This layered structure is pressed under extremely high temperatures and pressure to create a durable, high-performance bearing solution.

In the case of our igutex® plain bearings, a robust fibreglass fabric forms the outer shell, providing excellent strength and stability. An inner layer optimised specifically for sliding properties works to minimise friction on the shaft and ensure smooth, reliable operation.

The interaction of these materials results in high-strength composite fibre plain bearings designed to withstand very high loads. They are ideally suited for demanding applications and are primarily used in agricultural, construction, and mining machinery. Thanks to the integrated solid lubricants within igutex® composite bearings, they operate maintenance-free and require no additional lubrication—one less thing to worry about in tough working environments.

What is special about igutex fibre composite plain bearings?

Where injection-moulded plain bearings cannot be used due to excessive mechanical loads, wound igutex® fibre composite plain bearings play to their strength. They consist of two layers:

1 Gliding layer

The gliding layer consists of a filament fabric with solid lubricants, which makes the composite plain bearings self-lubricating and maintenance-free with particularly low coefficients of friction.

2 Base layer

The outer layer of igutex® slide bearings is made of particularly hard-wearing filament fabrics and serves to protect the tribologically optimised inner layer.

Shop igutex® fibre composite bearings

igutex® TX1

Robust all-round material
Up to 200 MPa static and 140 MPa dynamic
Wear resistant and dimensionally stable
Good media resistance
Lubricant and maintenance free
Standard program from stock

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igutex® TX2

Perfect for hard shafts
Particularly low wear in heavy-duty areas
Up to 3.5 times more wear-resistant than igutex® TX1
Good coefficient of wear and therefore a long service life

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igutex® TX3

For continuous operation at the highest loads
Lowest wear rates under extreme dry running conditions
No lubrication and maintenance
Tested in the igus test laboratory up to 130 MPa and 0.01 m/s swiveling

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Why you benefit from igutex composite bearings and iglidur plain bearings

Save time and money

✅ No costs for lubricants
✅ No failures due to insufficient lubrication
✅ Time and money saved on daily maintenance

No loss lubrication

✅ No release of lubricant into the environment
✅ No loss lubrication for wear protection
✅ No centralised lubrication necessary

Developed for high loads

✅ Extremely robust and wear-resistant
✅ Tested under real operating conditions
✅ Predictable service life thanks to test database

igutex® fibre composite plain bearings are used here

Reliable despite dirt and grime

The track vehicle from Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG relies on wound igutex® heavy-duty plain bearings in the oscillating and tensioning axles. Even when driving through mud, slush and bog, the igutex® plain bearings are reliable.

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Lubrication costs saved

The Demarko company uses igutex® composite bearings in oscillating axles for semi-trailers. Since the fabric bushings do not have to be lubricated and are part of the igus standard range, Demarko was able to reduce production costs.

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20 tons load and salt water

The A-Frame from Ship & Yacht Engineering Ltd. can lift loads up to 20 tons. Therefore, heavy-duty composite bearings that are suitable for high loads were required. For use on the high seas, they should also be weatherproof.

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Frequently asked questions

Do composite bearings require lubrication?

Like all our bearings, igutex® composite bearings require no lubrication as this is already built into the ‘gliding’ layer. igutex® will also accept lubrication, should this be necessary for your application.

What sizes are igutex® composite bearings available in?

Our composite bearings are available as a sleeve bearing with an internal diameter as small as 20mm up to whatever size you need! They can also be manufactured as a thrust washer with gliding surfaces on one or both sides.

Can igus® composite bearings be machined?

Yes, igus® can provide igutex® composite bearings to your required specification, we are also able to provide guidance on machining – just talk to one of our engineers!

Free heavy-duty brochure

Find out more about the following topics:

Discussions with our development experts
Material overview with heavy-duty plain bearings
How our plain bearing materials work
Lubrication – a challenge for industry
Sustainable product developments
Test results of various plain bearing types
practical application examples

Download the brochure

Free white paper

Factors for lubrication-free bearings in construction machinery
The topics are covered are:

Important functions of lubrication in plain bearings
Reasons for switching to lubrication-free plain bearings
Differentiation: lubrication-free plain bearings vs. lubricated metallic bearings
How self-lubricating plain bearings work
This must be taken into account when changing to dry-running plain bearings

Download the whitepaper

Free sample box with igutex plain bearings

Request our free sample box of heavy-duty plain bearings now. Included are:

✅ igutex plain bearings
✅ iglidur plain bearings
✅ Plain bearings with felt seal
✅ Test results
✅ Application examples

Request a free sample box now

Request a free sample box now

Consulting

I look forward to answering your questions

igus Australia1300 726 244 Write e-mail

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