Amish farmers make hay with plastic bearings

Farming is a tough business that requires heartiness and endurance from man and machine alike. Nowhere is this truer than in Ohio’s Amish community, where farmers face the elements without the aid of electricity or gas-powered equipment. An Ohio-based manufacturer of horse-drawn farming equipment primarily used by Amish communities uses iglide plastic plain bearings from igus Inc., New Providence, R.I., on a crumbler mechanism; the device is used to crush clods of dirt during the tilling process.

The bearings replaced a system of metal shafts and collars that required messy lubricants and frequent maintenance. iglide G300 bearings are used on each of the crumbler’s eight rolling elements. Previously, grease fittings made the rollers susceptible to dirt build-up, which eventually led to the formation of a thick sludge as the tool sat idle between harvests. Fortunately, the iglide bearings are lubrication-free and dust-resistant making them a fit for this outdoor application. For more information, visit igus Inc.