Machined to PM - Slow Moving Bearing Sleeves
A leader in the heavy machinery industry
An engineer from a thriving heavy machinery company contacted our team to help create an innovative solution. Previously, this company relied on steel bearings that were cut from tubes or bars and then machined to size. While these bearings did the job, they had a downside–they required regular maintenance and manual lubrication. As a result, the company’s customers faced valuable working time being lost to frequent servicing and maintenance.
A leader in the heavy machinery industry
An engineer from a thriving heavy machinery company contacted our team to help create an innovative solution. Previously, this company relied on steel bearings that were cut from tubes or bars and then machined to size. While these bearings did the job, they had a downside–they required regular maintenance and manual lubrication. As a result, the company’s customers faced valuable working time being lost to frequent servicing and maintenance.
To address this challenge, we introduced a game-changing solution: powder metal bearings crafted from a high-quality hybrid bronze steel that allowed for oil impregnation. By leveraging the capillary action of the powder metal part, we were able to create a self-lubricating, oil impregnated bearing. This innovation greatly enhanced wear properties, reducing sticking issues during cold starts or infrequent use. Moreover, the shift to powdered metal bearings significantly minimized waste generated through machining processes involved in steel bearings.
Eliminating maintenance, saving time and money
The implementation of the new self-lubricated bearings resulted in remarkable cost savings ranging from 30% to 50%. The porous bronze powdered metal used in the bearings ensured continuous lubrication during cold starts or infrequent usage, thereby eliminating the need for frequent maintenance lubrication of steel bearings and the downtime previously experienced by customers. This breakthrough not only reduced the overall maintenance burden but also provided a leap in design flexibility for machinery chassis, as customers no longer required frequent access to the bearings.