Smooth-running and durable plain bearings in monitor pivot arms in hospitals

As a patient in hospital, a day feels like it lasts more than 24 hours. Television and reading are therefore often the favourite ways to pass the time. To enable patients to comfortably adjust the TV to their sitting or lying position, more and more hospitals are equipping their wards with height-adjustable swivel arms that are simply mounted on the bedside table. What few people realise, however, is that these swivel arms come from a family business in the Münsterland region. For years, the mechanical engineering company has relied on lubrication and maintenance-free plain bearings from igus® to ensure hygienic and smooth adjustment of the arms.

Profile

What was needed: Plain bearings and thrust washers for the swivel arm and monitor adjustment
Requirements: Plain bearings and thrust washers must enable particularly easy adjustment of the swivel arms and function completely lubrication- and maintenance-free.
Industry: Medical technology
Success for the customer: iglidur® plain bearings and thrust washers combine high ease of movement thanks to a low coefficient of friction with particularly low noise development and a strong price-performance ratio.

Problem

The first height-adjustable swivel arm for medical technology was developed at the beginning of 2000. Siemens approached Maschinenbau Schwering , a company from the Münsterland region, and asked them for a customised solution for a TV/telephone system mount for patient beds in hospitals. The screen arm needed to be particularly smooth-running and customisable so that patients could adjust the monitor to their individual needs with little effort.

For the monitor adjustment, a plain bearing was sought that would enable smooth adjustment within a swivelling range of -18 to +38 degrees from the horizontal. The monitor support can also be tilted from -30 to +20 degrees. In order to achieve these movements smoothly, the company primarily used lightweight components such as steel, aluminium and plastic in its design.

Due to the hygiene regulations in the hospital, lubrication of the bearing point should be avoided. Plain bearings with a long service life are a great advantage here, as they do not have to be replaced.

Solution

For the bearings of the arm, the specialist's path led directly to our bearing products. As our bearings have been used in the medium-sized company's products to the highest satisfaction for decades, this decision was an obvious one.

A total of eight bearings made of the wear-resistant high-performance plastic iglidur® G are used per arm. Like all iglidur® polymers, the all-rounder material requires no external lubrication and is therefore maintenance-free. Another advantage: The plain bearings are particularly quiet in movement and ensure adequate bearing support. The price was also relevant for the customer.

The family business relies on our high-performance plastics not only in the height-adjustable swivel arm, but also in other adjustments. For example, iglidur ® plain bearings and iglidur ® W300 thrust washers are also used in the new monitor adjusters of a large American telephone communications company. The monitor can be rotated via the mechanism equipped with the thrust washer. The lubrication-free endurance runner is particularly impressive here with its low coefficient of friction, especially long service life and extremely high wear resistance. An iglidur® G plain bearing ensures a slight and quiet inclination of the device carrier.

"The plain bearings not only have to be abrasion-resistant and durable, but also have a good price/performance ratio. igus® was able to fulfil this to our satisfaction with iglidur® G."