Machined to PM - Slow Moving Bearing Sleeves
A leader in the heavy machinery industry
This customer previously used steel bearings cut from a tube or a bar that were then machined to size. While these bearings functioned well, they required regular maintenance and manual lubrication. This meant that the company’s customers lost valuable working time to service and maintenance.
A leader in the heavy machinery industry
This customer previously used steel bearings cut from a tube or a bar that were then machined to size. While these bearings functioned well, they required regular maintenance and manual lubrication. This meant that the company’s customers lost valuable working time to service and maintenance.
Our solution was to offer powder metal bearings made from high-bred bronze steel that allowed for oil impregnation. Because of the capillary action of the powder metal part, a self-lubricating, oil impregnated bearing would improve wear properties and reduce sticking issues during cold or infrequent use. Switching to a powdered metal bearing also reduces the waste created of machining found in the steel bearings.
Eliminating maintenance, saving time and money
The new self-lubricated bearing created an overall cost savings of 30-50%. Because the bearings are now produced with porous bronze powdered metal, they stay lubricated during cold startups or infrequent use, decreasing the maintenance time to lubricate steel bearings and the down time customers previously experienced to replace the steel bearings. Reducing the need for frequent maintenance also provided increased design flexibility in the machinery’s chassis because customers do not need to access the bearings as frequently.