Weatherproof plain bearings in reliable lowering mechanism for radiator mascot

Profile

• What was needed: Clip bearing from the iglidur plain bearing product range
• Requirements: The search was on for a favourable sliding surface with a constant flange thickness, which is very wear-resistant even in cold and warm environments and under the strong influence of fine Sahara sand.
• Industry: Automotive industry
• Success for the customer: The iglidur bearings enable the flat movement between the two metallic components and are perfect for outdoor use with their specifications such as low moisture absorption and resistance to temperature and corrosion.

Problem

On luxury cars such as the Rolls Royce Phantom, the radiator mascot can be retracted into the bonnet to protect against theft. In the course of a re-modelling project, sliding surfaces were sought that were movable in relation to each other between two metallic components. In an early prototype, this was fulfilled by reworked flange bearings. It had to be pressed in so that it would not get lost. However, this had the disadvantage that the flange bulged out differently after pressing in and thus the components did not have a uniform surface contact.
What was needed for the implementation of volume production was a cost-effective sliding surface with an even flange thickness, which could be installed by hand, which was loss-proof, which could be used for two different material thicknesses (1-3 mm) and which was also very wear-resistant in cold and warm environments, even under the strong influence of fine Sahara sand.

Solution

The car manufacturer finally found the solution to the problem in our product range. To be more precise, the idea of using iglidur clip bearings came up, which significantly improved the mechanism. It was very important that the flange thickness of the bearings remained the same and that the desired flat movement between the two metallic components was possible. But the other specifications of the iglidur material could also solve some problems in this application. For instance, it is characterised by its low moisture absorption as well as exceptional resistance to temperature, chemicals and corrosion. The features of the bearing products thus make the components the ideal solution for use in severe weather conditions such as cold, heat, humidity or, as in this case, Sahara sand.