White Paper
An Introduction to Fluid Film Bearing Materials
The selection of the bearing materials plays a significant role in the performance of fluid film bearings. Load, speed, operating temperature, insulation requirements, and lubricant type and cleanliness may all play into the material choice.
Continuing materials development has expanded the ability of fluid film bearings to meet stringent application goals, whether increased load capacity, reduced power loss, operation in process fluids, the ability to handle contaminants, or others. In turbomachinery, fluid film bearing material options now include:
- Babbitt (whitemetal)
- Bronze
- Aluminum tin
- Engineered polymers
- Ceramics and cermets
- Polycrystalline diamond (PCD)
Download our “Introduction to Fluid Film Bearing Materials” white paper, authored by members of the Waukesha Bearings R&D team, for an overview of these materials’ characteristics, benefits and limitations in fluid film bearing use.
You will also receive an email with a link to the paper.
Journal (Radial) Bearings
With fixed profile and tilt pad designs, and options such as hydrostatic jacking, ‘Directed Lubrication’ and combined thrust capability, Waukesha Bearings has journal bearing solutions for turbomachinery large and small.
Thrust (Axial) Bearings
From fixed profile designs for lightly loaded applications to advanced tilting pad configurations for high loads and speeds, Waukesha Bearings delivers optimized thrust bearing solutions.
