Corrosion-Resistant Parts for Underwater Applications

Designing moving mechanical systems for underwater operation is an especially challenging prospect due to the impact water has on metal components and the lubricants they rely on. However, dry-running plastic components from igus are ideal for underwater use. These components don’t require lubricating greases or oils, allowing for consistent performance underwater without the need for relubrication or risk of failure due to lubricant being washed away. Product offerings include iglide® plain bearings — which can be paired with our 304 or 316 stainless steel shafting for superior performance in underwater applications — drylin® linear bearings and actuators, xiros® ball bearings, and more. Various online tools and calculators are available to help you design your own solution based on specific application requirements.

Benefits:

Grease-free & dry-running
Corrosion-resistant
Maintenance-free
Low moisture absorption
Online configurators

Applications:

Sailboats
Pool cleaners
Underwater welding
Underwater torque tools
Underwater ROVs

Application Stories

Ball bearings in pool vacuums

The Poolwonder pool cleaner makes cleaning pools in the winter months easy, but requires ball bearings that can withstand constant underwater operation. xiros ball bearings were used for their corrosion-resistance and maintenance-free operation.

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Lead screw nuts for racing sailboats

Students at the Polytechnic University of Turin designed racing sailboats that required plain bearings, rod ends, and lead screws from igus that could both withstand dynamic movements and resist corrosion and damage from saltwater.

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Bearings in underwater torque tool

In order to design an underwater torque tool that could operate in sea water, design engineering company Rovtech used iglide plastic bearings. Other alternatives such as bronze would have been too expensive, too heavy, and required lubrication.

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Browse Underwater Applicable Parts

PRT slewing rings

Easy installation, wear-resistant
Replaceable, maintenance-free
Aluminum or 316 stainless steel

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drylin W linear rails, guides

Corrosion-resistant and durable
Easy to assemble
Lightweight and quiet-running

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drylin R linear bearings

Compatible with standard bearings
Interchangeable liners
Highly wear-resistant

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ZLW belt-driven actuators

Stainless steel & aluminum
FDA-compliant version
Optional waterproof motor

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iglide H370 bearings

Wear-resistant under water
Long service life under water
High chemical resistance

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iglide UW bearings

For fast and constant motion
Long service life under water
Dry-running & maintenance-free

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xiros ball bearings

Low moisture absorption
Resistant to chemicals & seawater
Good wear resistance

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stainless steel lead screws

High load capacity
304 and 316 stainless steel
Paired with waterproof motors

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Blog:
Making underwater welding safer with robotics

Underwater welding (also known as hyperbaric welding) is one of the most dangerous professions out there. Divers face dangers not only during the welding process itself, but throughout the entire dive. This blog is going to examine some of those dangers, and how robotics and automation can be utilized to mitigate them and make the profession safer and more efficient.

Read the blog