RENCOL® Tolerance Rings and NORGLIDE® Bearings for Automotive Steering Systems
Driving Down Vehicle Weight
Rapidly rising fuel prices are forcing car manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their cars by any means possible. Development of new systems with complete rethinking of design elements requires extensive R&D for tailoring the system.
Fact -- Increases in small car demand to drive down average vehicle weight, with a reduction of 8 to 15kg year-on-year in the U.S. and Europe.
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Lightweight electric power assisted steering systems (EPAS) are already being adopted by automotive manufacturers. To help car manufacturers meet the ever challenging CO2 emission targets, the traditional hydraulic steering system is being replaced by the lighter and more cost-effective EPAS systems. So much so, some analysts predict that a staggering 10.7 million EPAS systems will be fitted to vehicles built in Western Europe by 2013.
As fuel prices continue to rise, manufacturers are keen to consider each and every technique that can decrease the overall weight of the car in order to increase efficiency further.
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics' NORGLIDE® bearings and RENCOL® tolerance rings are beneficial in accommodating these weight reduction demands.
RENCOL® and NORGLIDE® products are used in automotive steering systems as identified below. Further product information and details are available by selecting the product links at the bottom of the page.
Driving Future Steering SolutionsSelect Steering Component number at right to jump to component explanation and photo. 
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Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to provide overload protection to the lock collar in the case of a vehicle theft -- meets current EU legislation
| Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing to directly replace the needle bearings within the pinion gear |
Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to provide axial resistance in the steering column during a vehicle collision
| Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing as a liner on the inside of the steering yoke to give the driver a smoother feel of the steering system |
Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to mount a bearing to the column while adjusting the NVH properties of the column
| Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing to provide a low friction surface in which column height adjustment can occur |
Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to control the torque of the drive gear (acts as a simple fuse) in a column mounted Electric Power Steering System
| Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing to directly replace the rolling element bearings within the steering column |
Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to simply fix the magnet sensor to the Electric Power Steering motor | Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing to directly replace the needle bearings within the worm drive |
Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to simply fix the stator to the shaft / housing | Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing to directly replace a rolling element bearing |
Uses a RENCOL® tolerance ring to simply fix the drive pulley to the shaft in a rack drive Electric Power Steering system | Uses a NORGLIDE® bearing to directly replace the needle bearings within the universal joint |
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Design and Development
We have extensive in-house design, test and R&D capabilities and using our international technical centres for local customer support, we are able to rapidly develop RENCOL® Tolerance Rings and NORGLIDE® Bearings to meet individual customer requirements around the world. This enables us to offer the following benefits:
- Customised solutions to solve your design engineering problems
- In-house design and development department allows for rapid prototyping
- Comprehensive testing equipment allowing for early stage validation of designs in customer components. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics' advanced testing includes:
- Steering Yoke Test Equipment
- Spring Rate Test Equipment
- Anti-Theft Torque Test Equipment
Using theoretical design calculations and Finite Element Analysis enables us to design practical solutions for customer's engineering problems.
Product Demonstration Videos
| View our Automotive Product Videos |
Automotive Anti-Theft -- Video 
| Automotive Bearing Mount -- Video 
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Automotive Collapsible Steering Column -- Video 
| Automotive EPAS -- Video 
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Automotive Telescopic Steering Adjustment -- Video 
| Automotive Steering Yoke -- Video
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» To contact us about Automotive Steering products, please visit Sales and Support for regional contact information, or Email Us directly with your enquiry.