Self-lubricating sintered bearings

self-lubricating sintered bearing is a metallic component with high porosity (20-25% in volume), impregnated in a lubricant oil. The oil contained in the porosity provides a constant lubrication between bearing and shaft, so the system does not need any additional external lubricant. Self-lubrication allows this type of sliding bearing to work under hydrodynamic conditions, resulting in a very low friction coefficient.

Self-lubricating sintered bearings have some advantages compared to other types of dry sliding bearings:

Reliability.
The constant oil presence eliminates the risk of seizure, and allows the bearing to work during thousands of hours without wear.

Economy.
Maintenance-free, no need for lubricants.

Performance.
Able to work under loads of up to 10 MPa, and speeds up to 8 m/s.
The maximum working PV is is the range of 10 MPa·m/s, but can be surpassed in special cases.
The dimensional precision is very high (up to IT 5 in diameter), and produces extremely low noise.

  • BEARINGS BY DESIGN

    Their shape, material and oil are specifically designed for a given equipment.

    More information
  • SELFOIL® STANDARD BEARINGS

    Their shape, material and dimensions are standard. SELFOIL® is the best solution for retail, and is available off the shelf.

    More information
  • SELFOIL® RODS FOR MACHINING

    These bearings are solid or hollow cylinders, to be machined to final dimensions when the system is not ready for standard SELFOIL® bearings.

    More information

AMES manufactures the self-lubricating bearings at AMES Solsona plant, which is specialised in this product. This plant includes a R&D laboratory specialised in bearings, able to provide customized solutions to their customers, in terms of material choice, oil, shapes, tolerances, and assembly method.

The main applications for self-lubricating sintered bearings are:

AUTOMOTIVE

Wiper motors, power windows, sunroofs, seats, rear-view mirrors, etc.

INDUSTRIAL

Electromagnetic (Solenoids), pneumatic or hydraulic actuators

Washing machines, fans, extractor fans, shaving machines, depilators, juicers, rostisserie, air conditioning, handtools, coffee machines, wishking machines, vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, boilers, etc.

Locks, garage doors, awnings, roller shutters, sliding windows, office swivel chairs, trolley rolling wheels, hinges, furnitures, gardening, etc.

Bottling machinery, carpenter machinery, assembly machinery in general, automation, key duplicating machines, sewing machines, industrial vehicles, electrical switchgears, mobility, medical, catering, farm machinery, toys, etc.

AMES may recommend the most appropiate material and design to meet your needs

powder metal manufacturing process
Basic manufacturing process
Sintered components should be designed based on several shape recommendations, aimed at making compacting feasible, as well as to minimize manufacturing costs
Recommended shapes
Advantages of sinterng
Advantages of sintering
typical dimensional tolerances achievable in a sintered part
Dimensional accuracy