Pivoting and rotating: plain bearings for moving slats on an exterior facade

Profile

• What was needed: iglidur G plain bearings
• Requirements: A steel and glass facade for an automobile manufacturer service centre was to be able to partially open, the process facilitated by bearings. The bearings had to have a long service life and be maintenance-free and insensitive to dirt and corrosion.
• Industry: facade technology
• Success for the customer: Since installation, the iglidur plain bearings have provided trouble-free, safe, reliable outer facade movement.

The individual slats are infinitely adjustable up to an opening angle of 80°. iglidur G plain bearings support the slats in the drive system.

Problem

"Dematerialised building" with filigree steel-glass designs: Providing a "climate of well-being" with high thermal insulation in such buildings requires innovative solutions for moving glass facades. This places high demands not only on facade developer creativity, but also on the plain bearings used, as the glass slat system from Fenster Keller GmbH & Co. KG in Neuenstein (FKN) for a new automobile manufacturer service centre shows. There is much to be said for steel and glass buildings, especially for presentation rooms: They create maximum transparency and openness, and the external effect of the sales room or showroom as a shop window is also advantageous. But often, especially with large glass surfaces, natural temperature regulation and air exchange between inside and outside is desirable. The facade must also be partially opened when the sun is shining brightly; otherwise, heat will accumulate between the two facades, greatly heating the building. That was the task with which FKN (Fenster Keller Neuenstein) GmbH & Co. KG was commissioned: facade element construction. The demanding client wanted a particularly spacious, "dematerialised" solution, so a conventional profile frame was out of the question. The panes were therefore to be unframed and openable.

Solution

After extensive tests, FKN decided to use iglidur G plain bearings, 7,300 of which were installed in the 63 service centre facade support posts. Originally developed for mechanical and plant engineering, these plain bearings made of high-performance polymers also offer considerable structural engineering advantages, including in facade construction. They are lubricant-free, and therefore almost maintenance-free, and resistant to dirt and corrosion. Constant coefficients of friction are maintained in long-term use, even under high loads. And in addition to the technical advantages, plastic plain bearings are economically attractive: Polymer plain bearings cost much less than commercially available metal-rolled bearings. The iglidur product range includes a broad spectrum of plastic compounds, so that a material can be selected for the precise application in question. iglidur G was used for FKN's facade drives. The economic all-rounder bearing was very well suited for pivoting and rotary movements at low to medium speeds, even under extremely high loads and adverse environmental conditions – just the application profile for which the FKN project developers needed a solution. Since installation, the iglidur plain bearings have provided trouble-free, safe, reliable outer facade movement. Incidentally, iglidur G can be delivered from stock in a large number of dimensions and is available at all times.

The individual slats are infinitely adjustable up to an opening angle of 80°. igus® plain bearings support the slats in the drive system.