When it comes to bushes, also known as plain bearings, the variety is impressive. It’s hard to find an industry which doesn’t need a certain type of bearing for their equipment or production process.
Their low cost and simplicity makes bushes suitable for intermittent motion applications and linear motions. They find their place in low-speed shafts, many types of turbomachines, compressors, and much more.
Even though a bushing is a basic and straightforward element, capable of running for many years, a sudden failure can cause grave consequences for the equipment. Bushes are made of different materials, including lead-bronze, steel, PTFE, acetal and nylon.
At Woodley Engineering, we manufacture different types of bushes for our clients’ needs. Even though metal bushes are the most common, we also work with other materials to suit the requirements of the production process.
PTFE (Teflon) Bushes
PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) has many useful properties. Commonly known as Teflon, it can resist chemicals, operate at high temperatures, and has excellent properties as an insulator. The melting point of PTFE is 327°C. Pure Teflon can be easily used between -200°C and +260°C without degradation.
High flexural strength at the lowest temperatures, high electrical resistance, water resistance, and a low friction coefficient make this material an excellent choice for plain bearings. The only thing it’s “afraid of” is high energy radiation.
We can manufacture bushes with a Teflon lining, which can easily handle corrosive chemicals, increase the lifetime of your spare part and the machinery it’s made for. A PTFE-coated bush is heat and friction resistant, reducing the frequency of replacement to a minimum.
Taking advantage of PTFE bushes reduces the risk of production downtime while lowering lifetime spare part replacement costs.
Nylon Bushes
Nylon is a synthetic material which has a great number of uses, from stockings to car tyres. Nylon bushes are durable, resistant to abrasion, and repel moisture. Often nylon bushes are used as a substitute for steel or bronze bushes. For example, nylon bushes are an excellent choice for engines since they are strong and high temperature resistant. The material is flexible and resists a range of chemicals.
Nylon can be combined with other materials to produce suitable spare parts for different kinds of equipment. This feature allows it to be extremely flexible and adjust to numerous production needs.
Nylon bushings are popular for their low-friction properties, possessing one of the lowest co-efficients of friction in a plastic and providing an excellent sacrificial part owing to the low cost of production.
Leaded Bronze Bushes
Leaded bronze bushes are among our most popular spare parts. Leaded bronze offers excellent wear resistance, increasing the lifespan of more critical parts. Leaded bronze bushes are suitable for use under a medium load with minimum lubrication. This material has a good thermal conductivity. While being highly durable, leaded bronze maintains sufficient plasticity, making it an excellent choice for machining bushings and bearings.
At Woodley Engineering, we work with numerous materials to help create the bushes you need. For more information about our precision engineering services and capabilities, please download our free Precision Engineering Guide.
