Industry meets furniture technology: drylin linear slides for a sliding pull-out

A view of two pieces of furniture by budding carpenters from Bergisch Gladbach shows Industrial design combined with a Scandinavian look makes for unique furniture. Because not only visually, but also functionally they have that certain something extra. This is ensured by lubricant-free drylin sliding linear guides – well-known from the industry. They enable smooth and maintenance-free movements in a bedside table with a linear guided carcass element as well as in a coffee table with a sliding table.

As part of the machine course at the Cologne Chamber of Trade, 24 trainees from the Bergisch Gladbach Vocational College had the task of producing a piece of furniture in small series within five days. “In the course, the carpenters should learn how to handle the different machines such as a bench milling machine”, says Frank Monschau, master carpenter and trainer at the Cologne Chamber of Trade. Over a period of several weeks, the trainees designed the furniture themselves. The results are impressive: a pull-out bedside table and a coffee table with a rotating drawer and drawer opening. “We consulted the igus catalog for the pull-out elements, because for years we have had very good experience with the linear guide systems in particular,” explains Manuela Abbing, teacher at the Bergisch Gladbach vocational college. No sooner said than done, the students selected anodized aluminum shafts with lubricant-free drylin linear plain bearings, as well as a drylin NT telescopic slide.

Opening at the push of a button

The designers completely dispensed with classic drawers for their desserts, but there should still be a “hidden storage space”. In addition to a small shelf, the user has the option of opening the body of the table at the touch of a button. For this pull-out, the carpenters resorted to the linear glides from igus. A total of two shafts made of hard anodized aluminum and two linear plain bearings made of tribologically optimized high-performance plastic iglidur J are used. “The round shafts perfectly match the design of our table optically. The gliders allow the table to be opened and closed easily, quietly and without jerking. The solution is quick to install and simply convinced us,” says Jascha Schmitz, second year apprentice.

Quiet gliding and a long pull-out

The carpenters also came up with two special elements for the coffee table. On the one hand, the table has a revolving drawer that can be opened and closed by means of a push-button door opener, and on the other hand, the table can be slid open from the centre, so that books and magazines can quickly disappear into the body. “For this pull-out, we needed a telescopic slide that is durable and visually appealing. The drylin telescope NT-35 made of aluminium convinced the students directly”, says Manuela Abbing. For its telescopic slides, igus relies on visually appealing anodized aluminum and gliding elements made of high-performance plastics. The tribo-polymer ensures smooth and jerk-free gliding of the guides. But the plastic gliders have even more advantages: By dispensing with rolling bodies, they run very quietly and the incorporated solid lubricants make them completely clean and maintenance-free. Since no lubricating greases are used, neither dirt nor dust adhere to the rails. Furthermore, there is no risk of contamination during operation or of stored books and magazines. The rails are therefore ideal for furniture and design.

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