64 percent weight saved with the world’s first polymer telescopic guide from igus

The world’s first polymer telescopic rail from igus shows what 100 percent plastic can do. It is light, quick to assemble and, thanks to injection molding, cost-effective. It can be used to easily adjust and pull out drawers, seat and head adjustments, among other things. For this, igus relies entirely on its durable and wear-resistant high-performance polymers. Available in three colors, the new drylin rail also adapts visually to the respective environment.

In airplanes, cars, trains or even furniture construction, the durability of the components and, above all, lightweight and quickly mountable components are important. That is why igus has now developed a telescopic guide completely made of high-performance plastics. With the drylin NT series, igus already successfully carries telescopic guides made of aluminum and plastic in its product range, which glide smoothly and evenly due to the use of tribologically optimized high-performance plastics. However, every gram counts in seat adjusters or drawer pullouts in aircraft and cars. “This is why we have now developed the first telescopic slide completely made of high-performance plastic. Compared to the drylin NT-35 telescopic slide, it is 64 percent lighter for the same extension length,” explains Stefan Niermann, drylin Drive Technology Business Unit Manager. “Replacing metal rails with our new polymer telescopic slides in six drawers each of ten kitchen containers on board an aircraft would reduce the weight of the containers by eleven kilograms. This would save over 33 tons of fuel in an Airbus A340-400 in 20 years of operation. Another advantage of the new polymer guide is that no rolling balls are used. External lubricants are not necessary. The corrosion-resistant guides are therefore also suitable for pull-outs in hygienic areas such as packaging or medical technology.

The right solution for every application

The new polymer telescopic rail has a length of 150 millimetres and can be extended by a further 150 millimetres. Thanks to a snap-hook system, the guide is quickly and intuitively mounted and ready for installation. The drylin polymer telescopic rail is available in white, light grey and anthracite. It therefore adapts optimally to the respective environment. Other colours and extension lengths are available on request. In addition to the new polymer telescopic rail, igus offers its drylin NT telescopic rails with widths of 35 and 60 millimeters for higher loads. They enable a stepless extension up to 1200 or 2000 millimeters. For the drylin NT telescopic guides, igus relies on guide rails made of anodized aluminum, which have a high rigidity.

For more information, please visit: https://www.igus.com/