Bomber Industries located in Silverthorne, Colo. manufactures high-end telemark ski bindings and has been in the business for more than 12 years. Five years ago they developed a telemark binding that continually experienced breakage and failure.

Bomber started using iglide® L280 and iglide® J plastic bearings from igus® Inc. which enabled them to develop a tough, maintenance-free product. The constraints list for the telemark ski bindings was long and included:

• Small over-all profile and size. Must fit into a tight and limited space
• Light weight as telemark skiers are very weight conscious
• Must last the life expectancy of the entire product or be easy to replace
• High tensile strength material that can handle high impact loads
• Low-moisture absorption to maintain tolerance in we climate
• Extreme low temperature application
• Easy and quick to install with simple fixtures and tools
• Can be used for the various shaft materials being used
• Low-cost

The iglide bearings were the only ones that fit every requirement. The iglide L280 is used in the knuckle of which there are two per binding set. The knuckle enables the heel of the skier’s boot to raise and lower with each turn. The iglide J bearings are used in the rear case with two rear cases per binding set. Failure while using the product could mean the risk of health or even death to the user so it is vitally important the moving parts work.

Fin Doyle, President, Bomber Industries said, “The iglide series of bearing have worked flawlessly for the past three winters and we have seen no failures at all with the bearing. Hundreds of skiers are now using the product all over the world with confidence in large part due to the iglide bearings.”

To learn more about Bomber Industries, visit www.bombertele.com.