Safe storage of landing doors: Highly resilient plain bearings for hinges in shipbuilding

• What was needed: iglidur ® X plain bearing
• Requirements: Lubrication- and maintenance-free, corrosion-resistant and highly resilient plain bearing for use in hinges for bulwark doors
• Industry: Shipbuilding
• Success for the customer: The heavy-duty hinges not only look good, but also offer flawless functionality. The bearings are resilient, weatherproof, lubrication- and maintenance-free and have a low coefficient of friction.

Opening and closing heavy bulwark doors on yachts easily over an angle of 180° and swinging them safely over the smooth panelling surfaces. For a long time, there was no satisfactory solution to this problem in shipbuilding.
Based on a bulwark door hinge from Vosper Thornycroft, the company responsible for the manufacture of the world's largest single-masted yacht, the idea of even lighter alternatives was born. When lightweight hinges for heavy boat doors still represented a clear niche in the market, PE Marine Designz Ltd developed new force-supporting, slim and concealed hinges for high load-bearing capacity and improved functionality. 
The design brief was for the hinge to be concealed when the bulwark door was closed, but still look good when it was open. It also had to allow the door to open outwards automatically, making it feel light to the operator. To achieve this, PE Designz developed a patented gas strut to increase the efficiency of opening the bulwark door. The hinge has also been integrated into the door so that it does not obstruct the door opening. As aesthetics are just as important in the shipping industry as durability and function, stainless steel was chosen as the material.
Completely different materials had to be selected for the bearings, which were to be installed in the hinges at a total of seven pivot points. In order to permanently withstand the harsh environments on the high seas and reliably support the heavy weight of the doors, both a resilient and corrosion-resistant solution was required.

To ensure that the heavy bulwark doors can be moved easily, PE Designz has developed a patented gas pressure spring that supports the movement. The seven pivot points of the hinge ensure that all fittings and bends on the front of the yacht are not damaged by the door or hinge, even when turning 180°.
Polymer bearings made from the material iglidur® X are used in these pivot points. As the material is completely lubrication-free, external grease and therefore unsightly oil stains on the teak and light-coloured boat panelling are avoided. They also have a low coefficient of friction and can absorb very high loads. Since iglidur® X is a polymer, other loads on the high seas such as salt water also pose no problem. In addition to their appearance, the high-load hinges also impress with their flawless functionality, even under the adverse conditions on boats and yachts.
With the new design in the field of high-end hinges for heavy doors, PE Designz now mainly realises bulwark, tube and hatch hinges, but also hinges in special designs for specific projects in the marine and architectural industries.