SINTERBRONZE BUSHING: HOW IS IT MADE? HOW IS IT SELF-LUBRICATE?

Our offer includes AMES Selfoil® sintered self-lubricating bearings.

But what are these? How are they made and how do they ensure continuous lubrication? If you have the above questions, you are in the right place, you will find the answer to everything in our article below.

In the industry, many products are produced using the powder metallurgy process: carbide inserts for cutting tools, piston rings, and also self-lubricating bearings. During the process, metals ground into fine powder, i.e. metal powders, are mixed with each other, pressed into the desired shape under high pressure, and then shrunk by heat treatment in special ovens.

The latter operation is sintering, during which the different grains are recrystallized and connected to each other as a result of a solid diffusion process. Powder metallurgy technology allows the manufacturer to mix metallic and non-metallic materials together. In this way, metal alloys that cannot be produced using traditional technology can also be produced.

The self-lubricating bearing is a metal part with high porosity (20-25%) impregnated with lubricating oil. During the post-treatment of shrunk products, the pores of the parts are filled with oil. Leaking between the bearing and the shaft during use, this lubricant ensures continuous lubrication throughout the product’s lifetime, resulting in quiet operation. The use of additional lubricating oil is therefore not necessary, which is why it is extremely economical.

The self-lubricating bearing is reliable because it does not overheat and works for thousands of hours without wear. Its performance is high, up to a load of 10 MPa and a speed of 8 m/s.

The application of sliding bushings is very wide, here are some examples:

• Automotive equipment: starters, power windows, pedals, wipers, fuel systems, cooling systems, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), brakes, transmission, mirrors, sunroof, seating systems, etc.
• Medium and low power electric motors and gearboxes
• Household appliances: washing machines, fans, extractor hoods, shavers, epilators, juicers, rotary machines, air conditioners, portable power tools, coffee makers, whisks, vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, boilers, etc.
• Around the house: locks, garage doors, awnings, shutters, sliding doors/windows, office swivel chairs, castor wheels, hinges, furniture, etc.
• Industrial sector: bottling machines, woodworking machines, gardening machines, vending machines, key duplicating machines, sewing machines, industrial vehicles, electrical switchgear, etc.
• Other markets: medical, catering, industrial machinery, agricultural machinery, toys, etc.

You can find more information about the standard sizes in the AMES Selfoil® sintered self-lubricating bearings manufacturer’s catalog

Sintered parts are suitable for post-processing, all traditional processing operations can be used: turning, milling, drilling, threading, grinding, grinding, expanding, polishing, etc.

If you are also looking for such a practical solution for your machines, choose from our online store or from the manufacturer’s catalog below.

You can find more information about standard sizes in the AMES Selfoil® sintered self-lubricating bearing manufacturer’s catalog.

Feel free to contact us with any questions!