25 Years of Successful Permaglide® Distribution Partnership

25 Years of Successful Permaglide® Distribution Partnership The Permaglide® distribution partnership between the Schaeffler Group and KS Gleitlager (Kolbenschmidt Pierburg Group) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Ever since the first distributor contract was signed in 1982, Permaglide® plain bearings from KS have been an inherent part of the Schaeffler Group¡¯s product range, alongside the brands INA and FAG. The bearings are designed to meet the highest performance requirements in the field of metal-polymer compound bearings. As an ideal supplement to its own high-performance plain bearing range, the Schaeffler Group sells Permaglide® products to the industrial sector as well as exclusively for special automotive applications. This is handled by a team of specialized Schaeffler application engineers. A global sales organization and field service engineers at more than 180 locations ensure close proximity to the customers and enable application-specific consultation in situ. Low-wear sliding Permaglide® products stand out for continuous low-wear sliding characteristics, resulting from the use of plastics mounted on metal. This material combination ensures that good sliding properties are coupled with high load-carrying and heat dissipating characteristics found in metals. A solid lubricant is incorporated in the plastic material and enables the use of Permaglide® without oil or grease lubrication. The Schaeffler Group is already able to offer its customers a large selection of lead-free Permaglide® products. This is an absolute must for the future since, for instance, materials containing lead will no longer be permitted for use in passenger cars from July 2008 according to a current EU directive. Low maintenance or maintenance-free materials Depending on customer requirements and area of application, Permaglide® plain bearings are available in a variety of low maintenance and maintenance-free materials which all have an identical structure: A porous bronze-sinter structure, applied to a steel or bronze back and impregnated with the respective plastic mix. The solid lubricant produces a film between the sliding surfaces which makes low-noise operation at constant speeds and low coefficients of friction possible throughout the entire service life of the component. From standard applications through to special solutions Permaglide® plain bearings are an economical alternative for applications with comparatively low surface loads and enable high sliding speeds to be achieved. The bearings are suitable for very small spaces and are available as bushes and flanged bushes as well as thrust washers and strips. The excellent formability of Permaglide® enables customer-specific components to be designed for various applications and operating conditions. Permaglide® is a registered trademark of KS Gleitlager GmbH.