At IKO, we’ve developed a series of needle bearings that incorporate our C-Lube technology to reduce the oiling management workload for our customers. Built into needle bearings and linear motion rolling guides, the C-Lube series keeps products maintenance-free with just the right amount of lubricant for an extended period of time.
Lubricating oil and fine particles of ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin resin are solidified by heat treatment to fill the inner space of the bearing. As the bearing rotates, the lubricating oil keeps the raceways and rolling elements lubricated for a long period of time.
Many of our cam and roller follower needle roller bearings are available in maintenance-free C-Lube versions. The same applies to our machined-type metric needle roller bearings.
Cam Followers. C-Lube cam followers feature a thermoset solid lubricant that’s pre-packed into the bearing space for long lasting, maintenance-free operation. With a stud diameter range from 5mm to 20mm, they’re continuously lubricated for smooth, uninterrupted motion as the bearings rotate.
For even more maintenance time and cost reduction, we offer a separate C-Lube unit that automatically distributes solid lubricant onto the cam follower’s outer ring and mating track surface. The CL unit attaches to the head of the cam follower, eliminating additional work to the bearing system.
In a durability test, our C-Lube cam follower with the C-Lube unit attached ran for 16,000 km, and the cam follower still had 95% of its residual lubricating oil. C-Lube cam followers are ideal for applications such as printing, material handling and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
Roller followers. IKO roller followers are designed for outer ring rotation where needle rollers are incorporated in a thick-walled outer ring. They’re used in cam mechanism guides for linear motions of conveying equipment and other similar applications. By incorporating C-Lube into the roller follower’s internal space, it becomes maintenance-free. Other benefits include:
- Less consumption of lubrication oil. Constant lubrication is unnecessary and the C-Lube technology reduces the consumption of lubrication oil.
- Use in oil-sensitive applications. Lubrication oil is contained inside the bearing, reducing oil leakage and contamination.
- Lower costs. C-Lube eliminates the costs of designing oiling devices and/or man-hours needed to re-lubricate the bearings.
