Front loader test rig

Industrial gripper lifts a large sack with an igus drylin drive system.

Influence of weather like in real life
The front loader test rig is part of the 3,800m2 igus test laboratory. The aim of this rig is to test various combinations of plain bearings and shafts for the agricultural and construction machinery sector under realistic conditions. Each test examines various groupings in a direct comparison. This makes it possible to test different iglidur materials and metallic bearings.
The test rig allows us to compare existing customer solutions (steel bushings, rolled metallic bearings with Teflon coating, bronze bearings etc.) in a real application with maintenance-free iglidur plain bearings.

The results are not only important with regard to front loaders, but can also be applied to other applications involving heavy loads. Similar parameters can generally be found in all fields that are driven by a hydraulic cylinder.
We would also be happy to carry out a test for your plain bearing application. Depending on the required parameters, further test rigs are of course available to test the application in as realistic a setting as possible.

Request test for your application now

Key data of the test rig

Tank	Volume flow	Working pressure	Motor	Control systems
300l	66l/min.	Max. 220 bar	11kW	PLC controlled with 10" touch display

Different modes possible

Travels	Vibrating operation	Maximum Load	Vmax
Single trip	Easy	500kg (variable)	4 cycles/min. at full pivot
Single trip combined	Multiple
Synchronous travel

Test results in detail

Two cylindrical metal bushings side by side on a light background.

Plain bearing on galvanised shaft

Comparison: metal composite bearings, iglidur Q2 and iglidur Z plain bearings

Test result: not all iglidur materials are suitable for use on galvanised surfaces.

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Metal cylinder and bushing for an iglidur competitor test.

Plain bearings on hard-chromed shaft CF5

Comparison: metallic rolled bearing, iglidur Z and iglidur Q plain bearings

Test result: the combination of the plain bearing material iglidur Z with a hard-chromed shaft CF53 has the lowest wear rate.

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Metal cylinder and plastic bushing as an iglidur competitor sample.

High loads on stainless steel?

Comparison: metal composite bearing and iglidur J plain bearing

Test result: even in combination with high loads, the wear of iglidur J plain bearings is much lower than that of metal composite bearings.

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Metal shaft and bushing as an iglidur competitor sample on a white background.

Plain bearing on nitrocarburised shaft St52

In the test: metallic rolled bearing, iglidur Q, iglidur G and iglidur Z plain bearings

Test result: iglidur Z delivered by far the best result.

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Previous test results

We would like to present the current test results in detail

The front loader test rig is part of the igus test laboratory. Various combinations of plain bearings and shafts are tested for the agricultural and construction machinery sector under realistic conditions.

Comparison chart of wear rates for different igus materials and bearing points; several bars show different values.

How resistant is a galvanised surface?

Wear if pivoting, single-trip mode
Test result: not all iglidur materials are suitable for use on galvanised surfaces.

Test report on bearing point P1

Bucket arm with hydraulic cylinders and marked bearing point P1.

iglidur Z with hard-chromed shaft CF5

Wear if pivoting, single-trip mode
Test result: the combination of the plain bearing material iglidur Z and a hard-chromed shaft CF53 has the lowest wear rate.

Test report on bearing point P2