Lubrication-free plain bearings in boat cranes: No maintenance despite salt water

Leading boat crane manufacturer uses corrosion-free iglidur plain bearings under water.

In its search for bearings, Quality Boat Lifts, the leading boat crane manufacturer, was faced with a number of challenges: salt water, mineral deposits, lubricant – just about anything floating in the water can get into the crane and affect its individual parts. The provider was therefore looking for a maintenance-free bearing solution for its end customers, one that could withstand heavy loads and the most adverse conditions. Lubrication-free, maintenance-free plain bearings made of iglidur P have now given Quality Boats a maintenance-free product for use in seawater and UV radiation at high loads in boats weighing up to 33 tons.

Profile

What was needed: plain bearings made of the iglidur P material
Requirements: corrosion-free, usable underwater, no lubrication or maintenance, resistant to UV radiation
Industry: boat industry
Success for the customer: Corrosion-free polymer plain bearings made from iglidur P can be used continuously and without maintenance in salt water. Lubrication-free, not harmful to the environment. They also bear ships weighing up to 30t in the boat cranes.

Discover all products for boats

Boat is lifted out of the water by boat crane

Problem

Quality Boat Lifts build boat cranes used in commercial and private marinas and by private boat owners to hoist boats out of the water. Based outside of Fort Myers, Florida, the company offers seven different boat crane systems. They include the "ALUM-A-VATOR", which has met the industry standard for 40 years, and the robust "Superlift" industrial version.The cranes previously used bearing blocks that required regular lubrication. This was often difficult and unsafe for customers, since the maintenance routine required boat owners to climb to the top of the unit. The lubricant also contaminated the water, making it an environmentally damaging solution. So the company was looking for a completely lubrication-free alternative, one that had to be corrosion-resistant due to the salt water. The unit would be subjected to strong sunlight, so it was important that UV radiation not be able to harm the new bearing solution. And since boat cranes lift heavy loads, bearing points had to be very robust.

Solution

Today, polymer plain bearings made of iglidur P give Quality Boat Lifts a durable, lubrication-free solution. Every "ALUM-A-VATOR" and "Superlift" boat crane has between 10 and 20 iglidur plain bearings. Used directly in the cable winch drive shaft, they allow lifting and lowering movement to lift boats completely out of the water. The bearings' low coefficients of friction and high load capacity allows the ALUM-A-VATOR and Speedlift to easily absorb forces between 4,500 and 66,000 pounds. iglidur P also resists the radial forces of 1,000 pounds that occur during boat lift operation.
Since the bearings require not lubricant to allow smooth, easy movement, they do not pollute the environment. At the same time, Quality Boats can offer its customers a completely maintenance-free solution. The iglidur P material is also permanently resistant to UV radiation. These bearings' components prevent them from corroding like bearings made of bronze and other metals, so they are ideal for sea water applications. Finally, Quality Boats uses iglidur P specifically because of its very low moisture absorption.

"Our crane structures, in conjunction with the iglidur bearings' impressive performance, enable us to supply the only boat cranes in the industry that are completely maintenance-free."

Riku Ylipelkonen, Chief Engineer at Quality Boats

The iglidur product range: plain bearings for any application

The entire iglidur plastic bearing product range forms a practical, cost-effective alternative to bronze, metal-rolled, and injection-moulded plain bearings. The bearings are resistant to dirt, dust, chemicals, and UV radiation. The range of more than 8,000 different bearing types and sizes means a bearing technology solution for any application.