3,380 students in 119 teams from 25 nations met at the Hockenheimring from August 5 to 11 for Formula Student Germany 2019. The international design competition for students brings together young engineers from all over the world to test their racing cars in the categories combustion engine, electric drive and autonomous driving. The requirements in all three categories are the same: the mechanics must be lightweight, maintenance-free and durable. This is why many teams have been relying on Iglidur plain bearing technology for years.

The control system of the PWR Racing Team of the TU Wroclaw, for example, uses lubricant-free and maintenance-free Iglidur plain bearings made from the tribo-polymer Iglidur X. These replace heavy and large metal bearings, for which a special mounting tool was required. The corrosion-free plain bearings can even withstand high mechanical loads and moisture. However, the young designers rely on Iglidur bearings and self-adjusting Igubal spherical plain bearings not only in the control system, but also in the suspension.

Small installation space requires compact solutions
The team from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology was also looking for a compact solution for their pedal box. "As the pedal box has to be built in an extremely small space, but the components twist against each other, we needed a space-saving solution," explains Hannah Decker, from the chassis department of the KA Racing team. "We were able to achieve this with the Iglidur plain bearings." But the bearings are not only used in the pedal box; the wear-resistant bearings are also used in the brake pedal and accelerator pedal bearings as well as in the brake pedal sensor connection.

In addition to these three teams, Igus' young engineers support (yes) sponsors numerous Formula Student teams worldwide. With its university initiative, the company aims to support pupils, students and lecturers with free samples, sponsorship and the development of innovative projects. as