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For most people, Halloween comes only once a year, but for Scareparts, a leading manufacturer of animated props, Halloween is an everyday affair. The company has carved itself a unique niche in the entertainment and amusement industry by focusing on the creation of animated props designed to frighten, scare and spook viewers. Scareparts offers a wide array of terrifying props that crawl, jump and grab, including the Jester, a full-size skeleton action figure, Sluggo, the half body of a man with exposed mettle, and Resurrection, which features skeleton figures lunging at patrons from beyond the grave.

To ensure the reliability and longevity of its characters, Scareparts uses iglide® plain and igubal® spherical high-performance plastic bearings from igus®. Each Scareparts character uses as many as twenty igus bearings to enable rotating and oscillating movements on various parts, which range from bloody pop-out pieces to gruesome, grabbing hands to swing-open coffin doors. Igus bearings are used on every line of animated characters, including those designed to be quick and easy for at-home haunters.

“If the piece has movement, it uses igus bearings,” said Keith Korner, president of Scareparts. “In 2003, we replaced oil-impregnated bearings with igus plastic bearings and we have seen benefits from the switch ever since.”

Scareparts uses iglide J and iglide M250 bearings, both of which are made of plastic and therefore lubrication- and maintenance-free. Scareparts especially enjoys the versatility of iglide bearings. Unlike metal or bronze bearings, iglide will not corrode or fail as a result of varying temperatures or conditions and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Iglide bearings can withstand the severe weather, dirt, mud and extremely humid environments that many Scareparts characters are exposed to.

“We have seen a competitor’s product fail in one season, which is only 15 to 16 days,” continued Korner. “With iglide bearings, our products last indefinitely.”

In addition to iglide, Scareparts also uses igubal spherical flange, pillow-block and rod-end bearings. Igubal bearings are self-aligning, easy to install and have reduced manufacturing costs for Scareparts. Igubal eliminated the need for custom-made housings, as the bearings simply bolt into place. This saves Scareparts both time and money.

Aside from the financial advantages, igus products also boast a number of additional benefits. By using the lightweight plastic bearings, Scareparts was able to reduce the weight of its characters. Igus bearings also are aesthetically pleasing and do not detract from the life-like, or rather dead-like look of the props.

“We started using igus bearings because of the tremendous value they offer us,” concluded Korner. “They are durable, lightweight, reliable and easy to maintain. Not to mention, they look cool. When our customers consider how our products are built, they know our characters are the Cadillac® of the industry.”

Recently, Scareparts designed an interactive character for display at igus’ booth at the 2006 Hanover Fair in Germany. A life-size skeleton greeter named Jester, which uses both iglide and igubal bearings, ghoulishly greeted guests and explained some of the benefits of plastic components.

“The Scareparts greeter served as an excellent product demonstration for the visitors at the Hanover booth,” explained Farrah Phillipo, marketing manager for igus. “The props are a unique application and the greeter’s presence at Hanover was three-fold: it gave visitors the opportunity to see igus products in action, to learn some of benefits and merits of plastic components and also added some allure to the booth.”

Scareparts focuses on sales and production from March through September, dedicating the remainder of the year to prototyping new products. The company is constantly working on new characters and ideas, most of which incorporate igus components. To learn more about Scareparts and all of its Halloween-inspired creations, visit www.scareparts.com.