Plain bearings from norelem

Plain bearings have proven themselves in all areas of electrical appliance, machine and plant construction. Plain bearings are indispensable in motors, pumps, gearboxes, shafts, transport and feed systems, as well as in household and hand-held appliances such as mixers, drills and PC fans.

Ready-to-install plain bearings made of steel-bronze-plastic composite or pure sintered bronze are robust, virtually wear-free and maintenance-free and offer many advantages. They run quietly and, depending on the version, are insensitive to dirt and resistant to chemical substances and vibrations. As dry or self-lubricating plain bearings, they provide reliable service in the smallest electric motors as well as in large pumps, presses or gearboxes. Choose the right solution for you from our catalogue.

   
     
How plain bearings work

In contrast to ball bearings, two surfaces rub against each other in plain bearings: the resistance can be reduced by selecting a low-friction material combination or by lubrication. The advantage of plain bearings: due to their simple design, they are more cost-effective than roller bearings.

Plain bearings: material mix of metals, plastics, ceramics

Plain bearings are made of metal, plastic or a combination of the two, and ceramics are also used. Typical materials are sintered bronze, iron, steel, brass, ceramic, Iglidur® and other plastics. Plain bearings made of stable sintered bronze can withstand high loads and are better suited to environments with high levels of contamination than roller bearings. Their advantages:

• No maintenance
• No additional lubrication
• Low wear
• Suitable for continuous operation in electric motors, fans, household appliances
• High chemical resistance
• Compliant with the EU RoHS Directive
• Available from norelem directly from stock as bushes and flanged bushes with an internal diameter of 3 - 50 mm and as thrust washer

Typical applications of plain bearings

For designers and engineers, the easy-to-install plain bearings are all-rounders in all areas of electrical appliance, machine and plant construction. At norelem, the plain bearings available with internal diameters of 3 - 50 mm are an essential part of the drive technology product group. In general, plain bearings are the right choice for high loads and speed requirements in the medium to low range – especially if vibrations are to be expected during rotary, swivelling or linear movements. If the installation situation is also cramped, there are many arguments in favour of using a composite plain bearing. Composite plain bearings can also be used to realise lubricated applications as well as rotational and oscillating movements without stick-slip effect or absorption of water.

Rolled composite plain bearings made of steel-sintered bronze-plastic from norelem are suitable for dry running. Here, a copper-tin layer protects the carrier plate from corrosion, while the PTFE layer with sliding additives on the inside ensures virtually frictionless rotation: after a short start-up phase, the PTFE layer forms a fine lubricating film.

Dry-running bearings are ideal where contamination by lubricants would be unacceptable, such as for drive solutions in medical technology or for sports and fitness equipment. In our plain bearing shop you will find a wide range of variants to suit your application.

Plain bearings: all-rounders with many advantages

In the automotive and aviation industries, plain bearings help to reduce overall weight and energy consumption. In wind and hydroelectric power plants, plain bearings can be used to realise practically maintenance-free operation with maximum corrosion resistance. In fluid technology, they are the ideal choice for gear and piston pumps, as wear is low even when operating in hydraulic fluids.

A number of drive solutions are dependent on oil lubrication for load or speed reasons. Self-lubricating bearing bushes from norelem, sintered from bronze or iron, have the ability to store oil due to their capillary system. When the shaft rotates, the material releases oil and builds up a sliding layer between the shaft and the bearing wall. When stationary, the sintered bearing absorbs excess oil again, making the bearing practically maintenance-free.

Order plain bearings online from norelem

In our plain bearing shop, you will find a large selection and numerous variants and types of plain bearings and plain bearing bushes to suit your application. In addition to plain bearings, we also offer over 70,000 standardised standard and machine elements. As a full-range supplier, we see ourselves as an innovative partner and solution provider for technicians, designers and engineers.