Elges or INA Bearings

About Elges or INA Bearings

Elges Bearings is a brand of bearings and rod ends acquired by the Schaeffler Group (INA) in 1984 through the company's investment in Helmut ELGES GmbH, a German manufacturer of maintenance-free spherical plain bearings and rod ends.

Maintenance-free ELGES spherical plain bearings

Maintenance-free ELGES spherical plain bearings are used where a long operating life is a requirement or where bearings with a metallic sliding contact surface are not suitable because of lubrication issues, such as under unilateral load. Spherical plain bearings allow spatial adjustment movements and, depending on the bearing type (radial, angular contact or axial spherical plain bearing), can support, radial, combined or axial loads.

Maintenance-free ELGES spherical plain bearings have special sliding layers based on PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). In descending order of performance, these are:

* ELGOGLIDE the highest performance sliding layer

* PTFE composite

* PTFE-bronze film.

These materials form the slideway of the outer ring or shaft locating washer. They transmit the forces occurring and provide lubrication - the bearings must not be lubricated by any other means.

ELGES spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance

Bearings requiring maintenance must, due to the steel/steel or steel/bronze sliding contact surface, be lubricated. The lubricant reduces friction, decreases wear, increases the operating life and gives protection against corrosion. When designing the bearing arrangement, it must be ensured that the bearing position is adequately provided with grease. The bearings are available as radial, angular contact and axial bearings.

Maintenance-free ELGES rod ends

Maintenance-free rod ends comprise a housing with an integral shank and a maintenance-free spherical plain bearing. The housing with integral shank has an external or internal thread. The spherical plain bearing is firmly seated and located in the housing. Rod ends are protected against corrosion by a zinc plating.

ELGES rod ends requiring maintenance

These rod ends comprise a housing with an integral shank and a spherical plain bearing requiring maintenance. The housing with integral shank has an external or internal thread. The spherical plain bearing is firmly seated and located in the housing. Rod ends are protected against corrosion by a zinc plating.

ELGES hydraulic rod ends

Hydraulic rod ends are fitted with radial spherical plain bearings GE..-LO or GE..-DO. They have a steel/steel sliding contact surface, can support radial forces in a tensile or compressive direction, transmit movements and forces with low moment levels and are suitable for alternating radial loads. The rod ends can be screwed into place by means of a thread in the shank or welded in place by means of round or square welding faces.