Design Principles

The design principle behind bearing blocks is to provide support and housing for sliding bearings. The working principle of sliding bearings is to maintain a lubricating film between the shaft and the bearing to reduce friction and carry the load. Bearing blocks typically include two halves, the upper and lower shells, which join together to form a cylindrical casing around the shaft. The inner surface of the bearing often features one or more bearing shells with smooth surfaces, often made of special materials or coatings that help form and maintain the lubrication film.

Performance Features

The performance features of bearing blocks include:

• Low friction coefficient: With proper lubrication, sliding bearings can achieve very low friction coefficients.
• High load capacity: Sliding bearings typically can withstand high loads.
• Wear resistance: Bearing shell materials are usually chosen for their wear resistance to enhance longevity.
• Tolerance for misalignment: Sliding bearings may tolerate contaminants and misalignment better than rolling bearings under certain conditions.
• Maintenance requirements: Sliding bearings may require regular maintenance, including lubrication and monitoring for wear.

Applications

Bearing blocks are suitable for the following scenarios:

• High-load, low-speed applications: Such as heavy machinery and industrial equipment, for example, turbines in power plants, large motors, mining equipment, etc.
• Marine and offshore platforms: Propeller shafts for large ships and other offshore equipment.
• Hydropower: Such as bearings for water turbines.
• Fluid film formation: In applications where a lubricating oil film can be effectively formed to reduce metal-to-metal contact.