Advantages and Applications of Self-Lubricating Plastic Bearings

Abstract

Self-lubricating sliding bearings are widely used in industrial applications and we could assort them in several groups towards manufacturing or lubrication. Some of them, such are oil-retaining porous bearings have been long time studied, but plastic bearings are not enough investigated where we have just some of experimental results. Self-lubricating plastic bearings are produced on polymer basis which is optimized with fiber reinforcement and solid lubricants. They are an ideal solution for machinery that require clean and oil-free operation. Plastic bearings also perform well in dirty environments since there is no oil to attract dust and dirt. Authors of this paper describe main performances and reasons why this kind of bearings are current widely used. A few typical applications of plastic bearings are presented in the paper, taking into account advantages in lubrication, production and maintenance costs in comparison with classical rolling and sliding bearings.