P L A S T I C S
SURFING ON LAND
MOTION PLASTICS KEEP PEOPLE AND MACHINES FIT
For the designers of
Lubrication-free, high-performance polymers save 70% in costs and minimise maintenance in surf machines
Surf Evolution, the
metallic bearings
proved to be too
maintenance-intensive
and too expensive in their novel
surf machines. Looking for an
alternative, they quickly came
across the motion plastics from
igus, distributed in New Zealand by
Tretham New Zealand Limited. And
the design engineers were thrilled,
because the retrofitting significantly
reduced the maintenance and saved
70% in costs.
Among surfers, Brazil is no longer an
insider tip. Endless sandy beaches
and a multitude of wave formations
and bays attract enthusiastic
surfers to the numerous beaches
and coves, where they plunge
into the waves. The Surf Evolution
shows that you do not always need
water for surfing. The Brazilian
company is developing fitness
training equipment that simulates
the movements of the surf board.
Because surfing is an effective
total body workout in which a
variety of muscles are trained,
with this training equipment,
non-surfers also benefit from the
effective workout. 20 different
exercises can be completed in
just two square metres. And the
app provides support, giving
the customer valuable training
tips. To realistically simulate the
complex movements of surfing, the
company is now completely relying
on the advantages of iglidur's highperformance
polymers. Optimised
for friction and wear, igus tribopolymers
fulfil their expectations,
especially in terms of cost and
maintenance reduction.
PLASTIC INSTEAD OF METAL
In the first version, the developers
still relied on metallic bearings.
However, it soon turned out that
the cost of the components
was too high and, above all, the
maintenance of the many bearing
points was too time-consuming.
Therefore, the training equipment
was redesigned and the bearing
technology was systematically
replaced. The numerous bearing
points are now equipped with
iglidur plain bearings. The load
setting now uses lubrication-free
and maintenance-free drylin lead
screws. Smooth movements of
the board, forward and backward,
are ensured by the drylin W linear
guides from the motion plastics
specialist. This not only enabled
improved maintenance, but also
cost savings of 70%.
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