Bearings

Bearings are machine elements that permit directed relative motion between two parts, while
transmitting forces from one part to the other without allowing motion in the direction of the applied
loads.

Uses and Characteristics of Plain Bearings

- Lower first cost

- Simple design of both shaft and housing
- Small radial space required
- Quiet operation
- Not very sensitive to dust and grit
- Less subject to fatigue failure
- Less subject to fretting fatigue failure when small-amplitude, cyclic, relative motion is involved
- Relatively lightweight
- Easy to replace

Potential Failure Modes

- Yielding
- Corrosion
- Adhesive wear
- Abrasive wear
- Corrosive wear
- Surface fatigue wear
- Fretting wear
- Creep or galling
- Seizure

Plain Bearing Materials

- Bronze bearing alloys

- Babbitt metal
- Self-lubricating nonmetallic materials

Lubrication concepts

Ideally, lubrication of plain bearings involves supplying a sufficient quantity of clean, uncontaminated
lubricant (usually oil) to the sliding interface in the hope of separating the two rubbing surfaces enough
so that no asperity contacts occur during operation.