Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1222953
38 | March - April 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com Self-lubricating bearings can offer good wear and low-friction performance in harsh conditions. ree bearing segments serve as the primary suspension components for the drill spindle on the Mars Curiosity rover. You r ma intena nc e depa r t- ment might not have to travel 141 million miles to service your equipment, but that doesn't mean plain bearings can't also reduce your maintenance and labor costs while increasing equipment service life. ese components are used virtually everywhere in industrial applications. However, the most common industrial applications for self-lubricating plain bearings include pivot points and slideways. Why Bearings Fail When traditional bearings fail or are replaced would be the perfect time to eva luate your bearing needs as well as to determine what happened in the application that led to a failure. If bearings are properly designed and applied, the most frequent cause of failure is inadequate lubrication, which often results from seal damage or inadequate seal performance. Poor maintenance can also be a cause of inadequate lubrication. e next most common cause of bearing failure is spalling on the raceway or rolling elements. is can occur as a result of fatigue stress or system deflections that lead to localized high-stress concentrations on the edges of the rolling elements and/or raceways. Reducing Downtime Plain bearings may even be able to assist in your efforts to reduce maintenance downtime. e slim, one-piece design allows substan- tial space and weight savings by decreasing the housing size. e straightforward installation into simple machined housings also helps to prevent fitting damage compared with rolling-element bearings. In contrast, industrial bearings are complex and require exact installa- tion, making them better suited to applications requiring a precise shaft location and/or extremely low fric- tion. In addition, the non-metallic plain bearings can offer improved corrosion resistance compared to standard rolling-element bearings. Plain Bearing Benefits One of the greatest advantages of plain bearings is the ability to reduce or eliminate the use of external lubricants. It's important to note that some plain bearings do require external lubricants, although often in much lower quantities than traditional bearings. Employing BEARING LUBRICATION Eliminating external lubricants can improve machine performance and make your operation more environmentally friendly.