Precisely adjustable plastic plain bearings in LED medical surgical lights

Problem:

The TRUMPF Group is a renowned manufacturer of machine tools. However, the company also covers other sectors, such as medical technology. In the field of surgical lights, TRUMPF develops and produces the iLED series, which features innovative concepts, long-lasting LED technology, adjustable colour temperatures, integrated camera technology or shadow correction.  Another important feature of such surgical lights is the motorised, flexibly adjustable LED wings, which are designed to provide the best possible illumination of the patient during surgery.

For the pivoting movement, plain bearings are required which, especially in the highly sterile environments in which the surgical lights are found, are subject to the highest demands in terms of hygiene and freedom from lubricants. Likewise, they must always function reliably and maintenance-free.

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Solution:

This task is fulfilled today by preloaded bearings made of the high-performance material iglidur. Like all bearings from the iglidur product range, they work reliably over the long term without any external lubrication and are therefore maintenance-free. In addition to long service life, the bearings also stand for maximum comfort in terms of noise development. So that the surgeon can concentrate fully on his work, there is no cause for distraction whatsoever from the moving components of the surgical lights.

Here, the very low coefficients of friction in dry operation and the very low stick-slip tendency benefit the operating room staff. The clearance-free arrangement of the plain bearings was also required here in order to ensure precise and problem-free adjustment of the luminaires at any time according to the user's wishes.