Clean, resilient and maintenance-free: bearings in sausage cutting machines

• What was needed: iglidur ® plain bearing, igubal ® spherical plain bearing, drylin® -linear technology
• Requirements: All components must be able to be used in combination with stainless steel and be lubrication-free. They work at least five days a week with three shifts each. All internal and external areas must also be able to permanently withstand moisture and cleaning chemicals.
• Sector: Food industry
• Success for the customer: The machine manufacturer relies on maintenance- and lubrication-free polymer plain and spherical plain bearings as well as linear technology from igus® in its entire range of systems. They are economical, easy to install and harmonise with stainless steel.

The company Singer & Sohn GmbH is active in special machine construction, primarily in the food and beverage industry. The machines are often used in sausage and meat production.
This is also the case with the ′OptiCUT SI-1000′ sausage chain cutting machine. While employees used to cut the sausage by hand, the machine now takes over this part. Among other things, it is more hygienic, more precise and faster than would be possible by hand. A camera system visually recognises the linking points and positions the knives. The sausages are first fixed inside the machine, then spread and finally separated at the bottom.
The Singer & Sohn machine range is characterised by the fact that it is particularly reliable, durable and robust. This is because in a highly competitive market, unnecessary maintenance and servicing times must be avoided under all circumstances. In addition, the customised machines are always made entirely of stainless steel. The material guarantees durable and hygienic operation, and all other machine elements must also be matched to the material.
In addition, the machine components must always be lubricant-free. For example, lubricants are taboo in the production of food, and the risk of product contamination is far too great.
But the system components are also subject to high loads. The sausage separation system will be in operation at the end user's premises at least five days a week for three shifts each. It is cleaned once a day. All internal and external areas must therefore be able to permanently withstand moisture and cleaning chemicals.

The machine manufacturer relies on maintenance- and lubrication-free polymer plain and spherical plain bearings as well as linear technology in its entire range of systems. They are economical, easy to install and harmonise with stainless steel:

Sausage chain separating machine
In the separating machine, robust drylin® linear guides and trapezoidal threaded spindles as well as corrosion-free igubal ® flange bearings prove their versatility (see images 1 and 2 below). They are designed for direct contact with food. While needle bearings used to leak during the cleaning process and often had to be replaced, polymer bearings have low total moisture absorption and are resistant to chemicals. In addition, durable polymer energy supply systems (Fig. 3) provide the necessary power supply.

Spreading mechanism A
quick-to-install drylin® W single rail guide  (Fig. 4) made of stainless steel with sliding elements made of iglidur® J is used in the spreading mechanism of the sausage

chain separating machine. Knife edge deflectors
In addition to insensitive linear guides with JUM foils, plain bearings made of iglidur® P210 are used in the knife edge deflectors (Fig. 5). They serve as an anti-rotation feature and have a high thermal stability and low total moisture absorption.

Transport systems
The transport systems from Singer & Sohn prove their worth not only in the meat industry, but also in large bakeries in very hot conditions near the ovens. The plain bearing material P210 is now used and improves the trade show stand or Running times at the customer.

Swivelling cylinder bearings Cost-effective EFSM
flange bearings are also installed to support the swivelling cylinders. The flap of the control cabinet is also fitted with a plastic plain bearing, which ensures that it opens and closes quietly (Fig. 6).