An aluminum version of its drylin NT-60 telescopic rail has been introduced by igus, eliminating the use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and over 100 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

A safer choice for customers, this rail system extends up to 2 m and is suitable for many applications, including vehicles, furniture and medical technology.

PTFE is part of a group of chemicals known as PFAS, which could be facing stricter regulations or bans in theThe drylin NT-60-4 telescopic rail system is PTFE-free and doesn’t require lubrication. Source: igus future. Despite incorporating a new, PTFE-free plain bearing, the drylin NT-60-4 telescopic rail does not compromise performance. Experts from Igus have tested the robustness of the material at its in-house test laboratory. Rails carried a centric load of 200 Newtons (N) in a vertical installation, and the system remained functional after 25,000 opening/closing cycles.

“Our material experts have succeeded in manufacturing the sliding elements from a new type of high-performance plastic called iglide JGPF, which does not use polytetrafluoroethylene,” says Michael Hornung, product manager, drylin linear and drive technology at igus.

“The sliding elements made of iglide JGPF impress the NT-60-4 with a smooth and dry operation without additional lubricants. The telescopic rails can be pulled out much more reliably, with less maintenance, and more hygienically than classic telescopic extensions with ball bearings. They are now also available without PTFE,” said Hornung.

Consisting of three interlocking aluminum profiles, the drylin NT-60 rail system has a width of 60 mm and height of 24 mm. Full-extension and partial-extension versions are available. Rail profiles are available in silver or black anodized, and igus offers flat variants (NTKA-60), as well as versions with high-end caps (NTKB-60) for edge protection. Installation sizes NT-35 and NT-27 are also available in a PTFE-free version.

“We attach great importance to successively expanding the drylin linear technology portfolio to include these robust, PTFE-free variants,” said Hornung. “In addition to the telescopic rail series, the PTFE-free product range also includes drylin W solid plastic carriages, flat and pre-loaded prism carriages from the drylin N family, and carriages from the drylin T series, which can also be retrofitted with PTFE-free sliding elements in existing systems.”