Maintenance-free and lubrication-free testing machine

• What was needed: Linear bearings from the drylin® modular system: drylin® T linear guideways, drylin® SD screw drives
• Requirements: The equipment had to achieve a compression of the implants of 20%, whereby the linear guide had to be maintenance-free in the long term and without lubrication.
• Industry: Medical technology
• Success for the customer: Today, drylin® linear technology enables highly robust, clean, lubrication-free, efficient and simple movements in all system parts that require movement. Its low coefficient of friction increases the service life of the devices and minimises maintenance costs.

This testing machine from the LAMEF/UFGRS research institute is used in the field of biomedical engineering and carries out fatigue tests on breast implants. The device is used to qualify implants for further use in accordance with the ISO 14607:2013 standard. The testing device can test up to four implants at the same time in clean and automated operation.
For this purpose, the equipment should have moving parts to allow compression of the implants to 20% of their original height and mechanical bending immediately after compression of the implants (to simulate a walking movement of a person with implants). The guidance had to be maintenance-free and lubrication-free in the long term, as this is essential for healthcare laboratory equipment.

Linear bearing systems from the drylin® modular product system were used in the machine design, which enable highly robust, clean, lubrication-free, efficient and simple movements in all system parts that require movement. Their low coefficient of friction increases the service life of the equipment and minimises maintenance costs:
The torque transmission from the stepper motor to the compression system of the implants was realised with drylin® SD screw drives (screw and lead screw nut). Another set of drylin® SD lead screw drives was used in the same equipment for the torque transmission from the gearbox to the mechanical bending system, which enables the tests in the vertical direction. Two sets of drylin® T-profile rail guides with a linear guide and two carriages were used for horizontal guidance of the bending system. To guide the movable stem, in which the plates compressing the implants are fixed, a set of drylin® T-profile rail guides with a linear guide and four carriages were used to enable cyclical and abrupt movement over the implants in accordance with the standard.