Solutions for renewable energy
In processes of energy generation, especially from renewable sources, dependable and robust solutions are required. Throughout this process, these systems frequently encounter harsh environmental factors, including UV radiation, temperature shifts, strong winds, as well as dirt and dust. Endurance against such conditions is crucial for their long-term functionality.
We provide tailored solutions for the specific needs of your systems. With maintenance-free, long-lasting and robust components, we can help enhance your technology, optimize system perfomance and ultimately lower costs.
High performance, safety and reliability
Energy is required worldwide, with steadily increasing quantity. Alongside traditional options like coal, gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric stations, in recent years many alternative, environmentally friendly alternatives such as solar installations, wind turbines and tidal power stations have begun to play an important role.
Continuous, uninterrupted operation is critical for all these intricate installations. Our solutions, characterized by high quality and durability, already play a significant role in ensuring the functionality and reliability of these energy generation facilities in numerous instances.
Motion plastics for renewable energy
Industry solutions and products for photovoltaics,
solar thermal energy, wind power, and hydro energy. Tailored to the specific system, we offer you special solutions made of high-performance polymers, which can help you improve your technology, optimise your system and reduce costs.
Maintenance-free, UV-resistance, insensitive to dust/dirt and weather-resistance are among the many advantages of solutions from igus.
igus solutions for photovoltaics
Lubrication-free bearing technology for tracking systems, floating PV and cleaning systems.
Photovoltaics – Maintenance-free products
Split pillow block bearing for square profiles
- Split housing and spherical ball design
- Compensation of misalignment
- Easy assembly and disassembly
- For long service life under high loads
- 25-year guarantee
Lead screw and lead screw nut dimensions
- Quiet, no vibration due to rounded tooth geometry, and up to 30% longer service life than conventional lead screws
- Maintenance-free thanks to self-lubricating lead screw nuts and cost-effective manufacture (injection moulding)
Low-cost spherical bearings
- Made of iglidur® high-performance plastics
- Maintenance-free alternative to pivoting bearings in metallic pillow block and fixed flange bearings
- Available for sheet metal housings in sizes PP204-208
- Resistant to dirt
Heavy-duty lead screw nut
- Light and cost-effective alternative to metallic ball screw nuts
- Two installation sizes for threads Ø 14/16 and 18/20
- For axial loads of up to 6MPa
High-performance plain bearings
- Wear-resistant
- Lightweight
- Lubrication-free
Fixed flange bearings
- Compensation of misalignment
- Absolute corrosion resistance
- Lightweight
- Maintenance-free dry operation
Bar stock
- 100% free of maintenance and lubrication
- Excellent wear resistance
- Resistant to dirt, dust, and moisture
- No minimum order value or quantity
Wear-resistant gears for continuous operation
- Wear-resistant material for continuous operation
- Electrically discharging thanks to iglidur® F
- Longest service life among iglidur® gears
- For axial loads of up to 6MPa
Photovoltaics – areas of use
Metal rod end with male thread
- For rotating, oscillating and linear movements
- Suitable for temperatures from -40℃ to +90℃ long-term
- Insensitive to dust, dirt and wet conditions
- Lubrication-free dry operation
iglidur® half-shells for solar trackers
- Three times the UV stability of igumid G and iglidur® J4
- Tested according to ASTM G154 for 2.000 hours
- Longer service life thanks to greater material stability
Dry-operating lead screw technology
- Lubrication- and maintenance-free
- Insensitive to dirt, dust and wet conditions
- Temperature-resistant
- Various shapes
Photovoltaics – Successfully in use
Tracker systems
Floating PV
Cleaning systems
Fixed installation
igus solutions for solar termal energy
Optimal energy yield from a solar thermal system requires high direct solar irradiation and consistently low cloud cover. Desert regions are the primary candidates. igus® offers a wide variety of solutions for tracking systems that can withstand the harsh outdoor conditions and thus avoid maintenance and downtimes.
The application areas of dirt-insensitive, lubricant-free plain and spherical bearings include parabolic trough and Fresnel collector power plants, solar power towers, and cleaning systems.
Solar thermal energy – Maintenance-free products
Fixed flange bearings with 2 mounting holes
- For cleaning robot with revolving brushes
- Compensation of misalignment
- Corrosion-free and light
- Easy to assemble
Fixed flange bearings with 4 mounting holes
- For cleaning robot with revolving brushes
- Corrosion-free and light
- For temperatures from -30 to +80°C
Flanged bearings
- Resistant to dirt and dust
- Lubrication and maintenance-free
- Excellent friction coefficients
- Low moisture absorption
- High media resistance
- Resistant to edge pressure
- Resistant to shocks and impacts
Pillow block bearing
- On-site assembly
- Maintenance-free, dry operation
- For high static loads
- Lightweight
- High rigidity and durability
Heavy-duty bearings for loads up to 200MPa
- Up to 200MPa static and 140MPa dynamic
- Wear-resistant and dimensionally stable
- Good media resistance
- Lubrication and maintenance-free
Solar termal energy – areas of application
Parabolic trough
- Lubrication and maintenance-free
- Insensitive to dirt, dust, and wet conditions
- Temperature-resistant
- Various shapes
Quick assembly saves time
- Misalignment compensation
- Durable and reliable
- Low moisture absorption
- Wear resistance
Solar tower technology
- Excellent wear resistance
- Excellent friction coefficients
- Low moisture absorption
- Resistant to edge pressure, shocks, impacts, dirt, and dust
Solar termal energy – Successfully in use
Parabolic trough power plant
Fresnel collectors
Solar tower power plants
igus solutions for wind power
Wind turbines must function reliably in harsh weather conditions. igus® offers a wide range of solutions for wind turbines and their production facilities, transport, and assembly that help you improve your technology, reduce downtime, and cut costs. They include robust energy chains and flexible cables for torsional movements used in such applications as towers, azimuth systems, and blade adjustments.
Wear-resistant bar stock and heavy-duty plain bearings that require no lubrication or maintenance are ideal for blade adjustment and braking systems.
Wind power – Maintenance-free products
Twistable cables
Specifically designed for safe 3D movement in space
- For torsion applications with +/- 360° with a cable length of 1m
- Guaranteed for up to 36 months
Rotary movements in small spaces- 20 times around its own axis
twisterband
- Rotary movements of up to 7,000°
- Rotary speeds up to 180°/s
- Modular and easy to fill
Heavy-duty plain bearing
iglidur® Q2E
- For loads well above 130MPa
- Optimised for even better edge load absorption
3D energy chain for safe multi-axis movement
triflex® R
- Defined bend radius
- +/- 10° twist per chain link
- High tensile strength
Wind power – Areas of application
1. Rotor lock systems
iglidur TX2 plain bearings
• Especially low wear in heavy-duty areas
• Up to three and a half times as wear-resistant as iglidur® TX1
2. Pitch actuators
iglidur TX1 plain bearings
• Up to 200MPa static and 140MPa dynamic
• Wear-resistant and dimensionally stable
3. Azimuth and rotor brakes
Individual elements made of iglidur® X or F
• Bar stock or injection-moulded parts
• High wear resistance and compressive strength
4. Azimuth adjustment
iglidur® W300 bar stock sliding elements
• Extremely wear-resistant
• Low coefficient of friction
• Resistant to dirt
5. Energy supply for nacelle
Modular e-loop energy chain system
• Modular system, easy to open
• Protects against impact due to robust PU outer body
6. Blade and azimuth adjustment
RBR rotating energy supply
• For high fill weights and confined spaces
• Rotation angle up to 900°
Wind power – Successfully in use
Maintenance platform
Cables, energy chains, and plain bearings in a WKA rotor maintenance platform
Energy chains guide the chainflex® cables to the “terra” platform’s numerous moving components.
The tarpaulins for weather protection are opened and closed with drylin® linear guides.
iglidur® tribo-tape is a lightweight solution to reduce friction during linear movements.
Plain bearings are installed on various axes. Lightweight, maintenance-free and lubrication-free operation and insensitivity to corrosion are major advantages here.
igus solutions for Hydro energy industry
Because frequent maintenance and failures due to material wear can have a negative impact on energy output, machine components used in hydroelectric power generation must withstand high loads, be resistant to salt water and UV radiation, and function continuously. igus® offers a wide range of customised solutions that help improve your plant’s technology. Wave power plants, hydroelectric turbines, and screening plants – the areas of application for plain and spherical bearings, lead screws, and energy supply systems in the hydroelectric industry are diverse.
Wind power – Maintenance-free products
Metallic rod end with stainless steel female threads
KCRM, iglidur® J bearing ring
- Spherical ball for high lateral loads
- Maintenance-free inner ring made of iglidur® J, right-hand threads
Lead screw and nut dimensions
dryspin® lead screw technology
- Quiet, no vibration operation due to rounded tooth geometry, and up to 30% longer service life than conventional lead screws
- Maintenance-free thanks to self-lubricating lead screw nuts and cost-effective manufacture (injection moulding)
Lowest coefficient of friction
iglidur® H370 plain bearings
- Good wear resistance at high temperatures
- Suitable for very high speeds
- Very low moisture absorption
- Excellent wear resistance under water
Complete energy supply system for screening plants
basic flizz® system
- Low-maintenance, for travels up to 100m
- Protection against weather and dirt exposure
- Cost-effective, enclosed complete system
For adjusting blades in hydropower turbines
igubal® rod ends
- Suitable for wet environments
- Extremely low coefficient of friction in dry operation and very low stick-slip tendency
Higher efficiency for the energy generator, especially in point absorbers
dryspin® high helix lead screws
- Quiet and vibration-dampening operation thanks to rounded teeth
- Longer service life thanks to asymmetry
For use in point absorbers
iglidur® UW plain bearings
- Extremely wear-resistant under water, tested and maintenance-free
- For fast and constant rotation
- Long service life
Energy chain for wave energy converter
e-chain® E4.1
- Robust, quiet, modular
- Hinged lids for quick cable insertion from both sides
- Cable-friendly interior separation
Hydro energy – Areas of application
Point absorbers
Energy chain systems
Attentuators
iglidur® TX1 plain bearings (e.g.)
Screening plants
basic flizz® enclosed guide system
Oscillating water columns
such as iglidur® H370 plain bearings
Turbines
igubal® rod ends (e.g.)
Wind power – Successfully in use
Uninterruptible power transmission on the tidal turbine
Tocardo’s developers were looking for a way to route cables safely from the turbine to the converter in the control cabinet and thus achieve the longest possible service life for the system. igus® provided the perfect solution with series E/4 e-chains®, which are corrosion-free, completely resistant to persistently damp environments, easy to install, and quick to open if a cable needs to be replaced.
Reliable energy supply, even in high swells
CorPower Ocean, a Swedish company, makes point absorbers that are light and compact and cope well with storms thanks to the innovative Wavespring Phase Control Technology. A cascade gearbox converts the buoy’s up-and down movement into rotational movement to drive a power generator. Energy is supplied within the buoy by two vertical E4.1 series e-chains® and chainflex® servo, power, and control cables.
First plastic WEC reliably moved with iglidur®
The Volta wave energy converter made by PolyGen Ltd in Chesterfield is the world’s first device for generating renewable energy from ocean waves and is made predominantly of plastic. For the flap axles, the developers were looking for bearings that could withstand the high mechanical loads and corrosive saltwater for as long as possible. They found the perfect solution at igus®: iglidur® flange bearings made of H370, a material developed specifically for wet environments.
Cable protection for sustainable energy solutions
PMA provides an extensive range of cable protection solutions tailored for high and low frequency technology, as well as for fiber optic cables. With 45 years of expertise in designing and manufacturing cable protection systems, we ensure top-notch solutions suitable for various power generation applications, including those powered by water, wind, sunlight, or gas.
Cable protection for wind turbines
Cable protection for solar installations
PMA Solutions for the energy industry
PMA Conduits
Outdoor applications require the highest resistance to UV and weathering. PMA conduits provide proven performance many years service in demanding applications.
PMA Divisible System
One-piece Divisible System. The ideal solution for repairs, retrofit and pre-loomed applications
PMAJACK Plastic braids
Bundling and abrasion protection. Polyamide, polyester – an alternative way to bundle and protect electrical cables.
PMAFIX Connectors
Connectors are available for degrees of ingress protection IP66 and IP68 according to IEC 60529. IP66 connectors are fitted with a pre-installed universal safety clip which ensures a quick “push-in” installation.
PMAFIX Pro
Meets all ingress protection categories up to and including IP68 and IP69 also when the conduit connection is continually in motion.
Success stories with PMA cable protection
Energy consumption of Umwelt Arena Schweiz reduced by 30%.
Using energy efficiently and in a sustainable manner – this is one of the biggest challenges of our times. As a key partner of Umwelt Arena Schweiz, ABB brings its extensive know-how into the picture. So for example, the PMA conduits are used in the building-integrated photovoltaic installation to protect DC power cables.
One of the world’s highest photovolatic systems delivers renewable energy.
Romande Energie is constructing a floating solar power plant in the Alps using ABB’s medium and low voltage equipment ideally suited to the harsh conditions found in high mountainous regions.
