Saint-Gobain cuts corrosion with bearing material and design advancements

New range of composite PFTE bearings surpass OEM needs for corrosion protection while maintaining load-bearing and light weight standards for automobiles

October 19, 2015- To address Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEMs) needs for high performance, corrosion resistance and light weight in aluminium or multi material hinges, Saint-Gobain, producer of NORGLIDE® bearings and RENCOL® tolerance rings, has developed a new range of customisable composite bearings. Combining new design features, leading material advancements and Saint-Gobain’s proprietary polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) compound liner, NORGLIDE® corrosion resistant bearings are designed with Saint-Gobain’s four-fold philosophy of smart design, perfect fit, noise free and long life in mind.

An aluminium encapsulation with a steel support, acts as a cathode to prevent rust, while maintaining the lightweight properties of NORGLIDE® bearings. Innovative scoring exposes the core material when in contact with steel housings, further minimising electrical conductivity issues. Combining the unique material properties and bearing design ensures that it is the perfect fit to control the amount of conductivity and torque produced during assembly. As such, this allows OEMs to carry out the painting process with ease, without affecting the performance of the bearing. The smart design of new bearing range presents lightweight, space saving capabilities while the PTFE compound layer minimise any noise issues. Ultimately this reduces weight and space concerns and operational costs for the OEM, whilst enhancing end user driving experience. In ISO-certified tests, the new composite bearings have proven to offer the highest corrosion protection while simultaneously providing high load capabilities for a long life. Results show that NORGLIDE® corrosion resistant bearings stand up to salt and moisture conditions well beyond their normal applications and more than other bearing types on the marketplace.

After 1,000 hours in salt spray tests, where galvanized steel or Aluminium hinges housed the component, the bearings displayed no red rust at all. "We have seen a trend for multi material hinges in the industry, as such, to facilitate this with OEM needs for bearings that are resistant to corrosion without compromising on load capabilities we developed a new range of bearings. The brand of a car can live or die by its ability to perform well throughout alternating weather conditions – having components that perform well whatever the weather, and load, is essential for reputation and repeat sales. We are confident that our NORGLIDE® corrosion resistant bearings will keep the OEM ahead of others in an extremely competitive marketplace and also save them bottom line costs through facilitating the manufacturing process," said Hans-Jýrgen Jåger, Global Market Manager, Automotive Exterior.

The NORGLIDE® corrosion resistant bearings will be commercially available from November 2015.

About Saint-Gobain Producer of NORGLIDE® bearings and RENCOL® tolerance rings

In 2015, Saint-Gobain is celebrating its 350th anniversary, 350 reasons to believe in the future. Backed by its experience and its capacity to continuously innovate, Saint-Gobain, the world leader in the habitat and construction market, designs, manufactures and distributes high-performance building materials providing innovative solutions to the challenges of growth, energy efficiency and environmental protection. With 2014 sales of €41 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and has nearly 190,000 employees.

Saint-Gobain, producer of NORGLIDE® bearings and RENCOL® tolerance rings, provides engineered components to high volume international manufacturers in the automotive, leisure, energy, electronics, industrial, and other markets, through its 14 sites and six R&D centers around the globe. Backed by a heritage of product innovation, technology, advanced materials and market leadership, Saint-Gobain is dedicated to working with customers using its extensive engineering expertise to deliver standard and custom solutions in NORGLIDE® Bearings and RENCOL® Tolerance Rings that meet the most demanding applications. These small parts make a big difference to end product quality and performance, allowing manufacturers to enhance the smart design of their mechanisms by achieving weight and space savings. The unique composition of the engineered components ensures a perfect fit between mating parts compensating for tolerance expansion and simplifying the assembly process. By reducing vibration and harshness, Saint-Gobain’s components offer noise free solutions while controlled friction and resistance to wear and temperature guarantee mechanisms’ long life.

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit http://www.saint-gobain.com, http://www.makingabigdifference.com and twitter: @saintgobain

For more information contact:
Editorial contact:
Julia Preeg
ABI marketing public relations
+44 (0)20 7014 3500
jpreeg@abipr.com