The lubricant-free high-performance plastic iglidur A351 enables the design of BPA-free components in accordance with EU Regulation 2024/3190.
EU Regulation 2024/3190 is forcing manufacturers of food industry machinery to rethink their designs. Starting in July 2026, components that come into contact with food products may no longer contain the hormone-disrupting plastic component bisphenol A. The ban applies to all machines newly introduced to the market. For existing product lines, the deadline is January 2028. Many designers are already looking for alternatives. At the 2026 Hannover Messe, igus will present the bisphenol-free plain bearing material iglidur A351, to which designers can switch without technical compromises or additional modifications.
iglidur A351 can be used to manufacture, among other things, plain bearings for conveyor systems, gears for packaging machines, and components in direct contact with the product, such as guides or spacers in filling and packaging systems. igus produces the material in several forms: as plastic granules for injection molding, as semi-finished products for CNC machining, and as filament for 3D printing. “Design engineers will be able to continue working in compliance with standards using iglidur A351. This is because the material is not only FDA-compliant but also free of bisphenol A and bisphenol S,” explains Lars Butenschön, Head of the iglidur Plain Bearings Division at igus. “We want to make the transition easier for designers. Many tell us that the new EU Regulation 2024/3190 is causing major challenges in sourcing suitable components.”
High stability, low weight
iglidur A351 meets the high demands of the food industry through a combination of several properties. The material has a density of approximately 1.42 g/cm³(). This gives it high stability combined with low weight compared to metal solutions. At the same time, the material achieves a compressive strength of around 78 MPa, enabling components to operate reliably even under higher surface pressures. Another advantage is its low moisture absorption of about 0.6 percent. This ensures dimensional stability and operational reliability even in humid production environments. Furthermore, iglidur A351 is designed for continuous temperatures between -100 °C and +180 °C. The material thus withstands high process temperatures in the food industry and intensive cleaning cycles.
Self-lubricating effect for more economical machines
“As part of the iglidur product family, iglidur A351 also relies on integrated solid lubricants. Unlike metal bearings, these enable hygienic dry running without external lubricants. ‘This self-lubricating effect significantly reduces maintenance work, allowing machines to operate more economically and with greater reliability,’ says Lars Butenschön. Another characteristic is the material’s blue color. In the food industry, this enhances detectability via optical systems and thus improves product safety. Like all igus materials, the new iglidur A351 material has been tested in the company’s own 5,500-square-meter laboratory in Cologne.