Plain bearing

shaft or any other two matching surfaces (e.g., a slide

plate).[1]
Thrust bearing: A thrust bearing provides a bearing
surface for forces acting axial to the shaft.[1]

1.1 Integral
Integral plain bearings are built into the object of use. It
is a hole that has been prepared into a bearing surface.
Industrial integral bearings are usually made from cast
iron or babbitt and a hardened steel shaft is used in the
bearing.[6][7]
Integral bearings are not as common because bushings are
easy to accommodate and can be replaced if necessary.[1]
Depending on the material, an integral bearing may be
less expensive but it cannot be replaced. If an integral
bearing wears out then the item may be replaced or reworked to accept a bushing. Integral bearings were very
common in 19th-century machinery, but became progressively less common as interchangeable manufacture
permeated the industry.

Plain bearing on a 1906 S-Motor showing the axle, bearing, oil

supply and oiling pad.

A plain bearing (in railroading sometimes called a solid

bearing) is the simplest type of bearing, comprising just
a bearing surface and no rolling elements. Therefore the
journal (i.e., the part of the shaft in contact with the bearing) slides over the bearing surface. The simplest example
of a plain bearing is a shaft rotating in a hole. A simple
linear bearing can be a pair of at surfaces designed to An example of a common integral plain bearing is the
allow motion; e.g., a drawer and the slides it rests on[1] or hinge, which is both a thrust bearing and a journal bearthe ways on the bed of a lathe.
ing.
Plain bearings, in general, are the least expensive type of
bearing. They are also compact and lightweight, and they
1.2 Bushing
have a high load-carrying capacity.[2]

A bushing, also known as a bush, is an independent plain

bearing that is inserted into a housing to provide a bearing
surface for rotary applications; this is the most common
form of a plain bearing.[8] Common designs include solid
(sleeve and anged), split, and clenched bushings. A
sleeve, split, or clenched bushing is only a sleeve of material with an inner diameter (ID), outer diameter (OD),
and length. The dierence between the three types is
that a solid sleeved bushing is solid all the way around,
a split bushing has a cut along its length, and a clenched
bearing is similar to a split bushing but with a clench (or
clinch) across the cut. A anged bushing is a sleeve bushing with a ange at one end extending radially outward
from the OD. The ange is used to positively locate the
bushing when it is installed or to provide a thrust bearing
surface.[9]

Design

The design of a plain bearing depends on the type of motion the bearing must provide. The three types of motions
possible are:

Journal (friction, radial or rotary) bearing: This is

the most common type of plain bearing; it is simply
a shaft rotating in a bearing.[1] In locomotive and
railroad car applications a journal bearing specically referred to the plain bearing once used at the
ends of the axles of railroad wheel sets, enclosed
by journal boxes (axleboxes).[3][4] Axlebox bearings
today are no longer plain bearings but rather are
rolling-element bearings.[5]
Sleeve bearings of inch dimensions are almost exclusively
dimensioned using the SAE numbering system. The
Linear bearing: This bearing provides linear mo- numbering system uses the format -XXYY-ZZ, where
tion; it may take the form of a circular bearing and XX is the ID in sixteenths of an inch, YY is the OD in
1

3 MATERIALS

sixteenths of an inch, and ZZ is the length in eights of an

inch.[10] Metric sizes also exist.

Crankshaft plain bearing shells (two piece bushing)

A linear bushing is not usually pressed into a housing, but

1. ^ a b CSX Dictionary J
rather secured with a radial feature. Two such examples
include two retaining rings, or a ring that is molded onto
the OD of the bushing that matches with a groove in the
housing. This is usually a more durable way to retain the 3 Materials
bushing, because the forces acting on the bushing could
press it out.
Plain bearings must be made from a material that is
The thrust form of a bushing is conventionally called a durable, low friction, low wear to the bearing and shaft,
resistant to elevated temperatures, and corrosion resisthrust washer.
tant. Often the bearing is made up of at least two constituents, where one is soft and the other is hard. The
1.3 Two-piece
hard constituent supports the load while the soft constituent supports the hard constituent. In general, the
Two-piece plain bearings, known as full bearings in in- harder the surfaces in contact the lower the coecient of
dustrial machinery,[11] are commonly used for larger di- friction and the greater the pressure required for the two
ameters, such as crankshaft bearings. The two halves are to seize.[8][14][15]
called shells.[12] There are various systems used to keep
the shells located. The most common method is a tab on
the parting line edge that correlates with a notch in the 3.1 Babbitt
housing to prevent axial movement after installation. For
large, thick shells a button stop or dowel pin is used. The
Main article: Babbitt (metal)
button stop is screwed to the housing, while the dowel
pin keys the two shells together. Another less common
method uses a dowel pin that keys the shell to the housing Babbitt is usually used in integral bearings. It is coated
over the bore, usually to a thickness of 1 to 100 thou
through a hole or slot in the shell.[13]
(0.025 to 2.540 mm), depending on the diameter. BabThe distance from one parting edge to the other is slightly
bitt bearings are designed to not damage the journal durlarger than the corresponding distance in the housing so
ing direct contact and to collect any contaminants in the
that a light amount of pressure is required to install the
lubrication.[11]
bearing. This keeps the bearing in place as the two halves
of the housing are installed. Finally, the shells circumference is also slightly larger than the housing circumference
so that when the two halves are bolted together the bear- 3.2 Bi-material
ing crushes slightly. This creates a large amount of radial
force around the entire bearing which keeps it from spinning. It also forms a good interface for heat to travel out
of the bearings into the housing.[12]

Gallery
A linear table with four linear bearings (1)
A wheelset from a GWR wagon showing a plain, or
journal, bearing end[1]
Split bi-material bushings: a metal exterior with an inner plastic
coating

Archbar type truck with journal bearings in journal

boxes as used on some steam locomotive tenders.
A version of the archbar truck was at one time also Bi-material bearings consist of two materials, a metal
shell and a plastic bearing surface. Common combiused on US freight cars
nations include a steel-backed PTFE-coated bronze and
Diagram of a railroad Journal box[1]
aluminum-backed Frelon.[16] Steel-backed PTFE-coated
bronze bearings are rated for more load than most other
A solid sleeve bushing
bi-metal bearings and are used for rotary and oscillating
motions. Aluminum-backed frelon are commonly used in
A anged bushing
corrosive environments because the Frelon is chemically
A clenched (or clinched) bushing
inert.[17]

3.8

3.3

Others

Bronze

swelling due to moisture absorption. While most bearinggrade plastics/polymers are designed to reduce these deA common plain bearing design utilizes a hardened and sign cautions, they still exist and should be carefully conpolished steel shaft and a softer bronze bushing. The sidered before specifying a solid polymer (plastic) type.
bushing is replaced whenever it has worn too much.
Plastic bearings are now everywhere from photocopy maCommon bronze alloys used for bearings include: SAE chines to the tills in the supermarket. Other applications
841, SAE 660 (CDA 932), SAE 863, and CDA 954.[18] include farm equipment, textile machinery, medical devices, food and packaging machines, car seating, marine
equipment and many more.

3.4

Cast iron

3.5

Graphite

polyacetal,
Common plastics include nylon,
polytetrauoroethylene
(PTFE),
ultra-highA cast iron bearing can be used with a hardened steel shaft molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), rulon,
because the coecient of friction is relatively low. The PEEK, urethane, and vespel (a high-performance
cast iron glazes over therefore wear becomes negligible.[6] polyimide).[20][21][22]

In harsh environments, such as ovens and dryers, a copper

and graphite alloy, commonly known by the trademarked
name graphalloy, is used. The graphite is a dry lubricant,
therefore it is low friction and low maintenance. The copper adds strength, durability, and provides heat dissipation characteristics.

3.8 Others
Ceramic bearings are very hard so sand and other
grit which enter the bearing are simply ground to a
ne powder which does not inhibit the operation of
the bearing.
Lubrite[26]

Unalloyed graphite bearings are used in special applications, such as locations that are submerged in water.[19]

Lignum vitae is a self lubricating wood and in clocks

it gives extremely long life.

3.6

In a piano, various (usually) wooden parts of the

keyboard and action are linked together by center
pins typically made of German silver. These linkages usually have felt, or more rarely, leather bushings.

Jewels

Main article: Jewel bearing

Known as jewel bearings, these bearings use jewels, such
as sapphire, ruby, and garnet.

4 Lubrication

3.7

See also: oiler (occupation)

The types of lubrication system can be categorized into

Plastic

Solid plastic plain bearings are now increasingly popular

due to dry-running lubrication-free behavior. Solid polymer plain bearings are low weight, corrosion resistant,
and maintenance free. After studies spanning decades, an
accurate calculation of the service life of polymer plain
bearings is possible today. Designing with solid polymer
plain bearings is complicated by the wide range, and nonlinearity, of coecient of thermal expansion. These materials can heat rapidly when used in applications outside
the recommended pV limits.
Solid polymer type bearings are limited by the injection
molding process. Not all shapes are possible with this
process and the shapes which are possible are limited
to what is considered good design practice for injection
molding. Plastic bearings are subject to the same design
cautions as all other plastic parts: creep, high thermal expansion, softening (increased wear/reduced life) at elevated temperature, brittle fractures at cold temperatures, A graphite-lled groove bushing

three groups:[10]

in a uid bearing when operating outside of its normal

operating conditions; e.g., at startup and shutdown.

Class I bearings that require the application of a

lubricant from an external source (e.g., oil, grease,
4.1
etc.).
Class II Bearings that contain a lubricant within
the walls of the bearing (e.g., bronze, graphite,
etc.,). Typically these bearings require an outside
lubricant to achieve maximum performance.

LUBRICATION

Fluid lubrication
BEARING

JOURNAL

Class III bearings made of materials that are the

lubricant. These bearings are typically considered
self-lubricating and can run without an external
lubricant.
Examples of the second type of bearing are Oilites and
plastic bearings made from polyacetal; examples of the
third type are metalized graphite bearings and PTFE
bearings.[10]
Most plain bearings have a plain inner surface, however
some are grooved. The grooves help lubrication enter the
bearing and cover the whole journal.[27]
Self-lubricating plain bearings have a lubricant contained
within the bearing walls. There are many forms of selflubricating bearings. The rst, and most common, are
sintered metal bearings, which have porous walls. The
porous walls draw oil in via capillary action[28] and release the oil when pressure or heat is applied.[29] An example of a sintered metal bearing in action can be seen
in self-lubricating chains, which require no additional lubrication during operation. Another form is a solid onepiece metal bushing with a gure eight groove channel on
the inner diameter that is lled with graphite. A similar
bearing replaces the gure eight groove with holes that are
plugged with graphite; this allows the bearing to be lubricated inside and out.[30] The last form is a plastic bearing,
which has the lubricant molded into the bearing. The lubricant is released as the bearing is run in.[31]
There are three main types of lubrication: full-lm condition, boundary condition, and dry condition. Full-lm
conditions are when the bearings load is carried solely by
a lm of uid lubricant and there is no contact between
the two bearing surfaces. In mix or boundary conditions,
load is carried partly by direct surface contact and partly
by a lm forming between the two. In a dry condition,
the full load is carried by surface-to-surface contact.
Bearings that are made from bearing grade materials always run in the dry condition. The other two classes of
plain bearings can run in all three conditions; the condition in which a bearing runs is dependent on the operating
conditions, load, relative surface speed, clearance within
the bearing, quality and quantity of lubricant, and temperature (aecting lubricant viscosity). If the plain bearing is not designed to run in the dry or boundary condition
it will wear out and have a high coecient of friction.
Dry and boundary conditions may be experienced even

LUBRICATION
ATTITUDE
ANGLE
A schematic of a journal bearing under a hydrodynamic lubrication state showing how the journal centerline shifts from the
bearing centerline.

See also: Fluid bearing

Fluid lubrication results in a full-lm or a boundary condition lubrication mode. A properly designed bearing
system reduces friction by eliminating surface-to-surface
contact between the journal and bearing through uid dynamic eects.
Fluid bearings can be hydrostatically or hydrodynamically
lubricated. Hydrostatically lubricated bearings are lubricated by an external pump which always keeps a static
amount of pressure. In a hydrodynamic bearing the pressure in the oil lm is maintained by the rotation of the
journal. Hydrostatic bearings enter a hydrodynamic state
when the journal is rotating.[11] Hydrostatic bearings usually use oil, while hydrodynamic bearings can use oil or
grease, however bearings can be designed to use whatever uid is available, and several pump designs use the
pumped uid as a lubricant.
Hydrodynamic bearings require greater care in design and
operation than hydrostatic bearings. They are also more
prone to initial wear because lubrication does not occur until there is rotation of the shaft. At low rotational
speeds the lubrication may not attain complete separation
between shaft and bushing. As a result, hydrodynamic
bearings may be aided by secondary bearings which support the shaft during start and stop periods, protecting the
ne tolerance machined surfaces of the journal bearing.

5
On the other hand, hydrodynamic bearings are simpler to whirl. One such is called the lemon bore or elliptical bore.
install and are less expensive.
In this design, shims are installed between the two halves
In the hydrodynamic state a lubrication wedge forms, of the bearing housing and then the bore is machined to
which lifts the journal. The journal also slightly shifts size. After the shims are removed, the bore resembles
horizontally in the direction of rotation. The location a lemon shape, which decreases the clearance in one diof the journal is measured by the attitude angle, which rection of the bore and increases the pre-load in that diis the angle formed between the vertical and a line that rection. The disadvantage of this design is its lower load
crosses through the center of the journal and the center carrying capacity, as compared to typical journal bearings. It is also still susceptible to oil whirl at high speeds,
of the bearing, and the eccentricity ratio, which is the
[11]
ratio of the distance of the centre of the journal from however its cost is relatively low.
the centre of the bearing, to the overall radial clearance.
The attitude angle and eccentricity ratio are dependent
on the direction and speed of rotation and the load. In
hydrostatic bearings the oil pressure also aects the eccentricity ratio. In electromagnetic equipment like motors, electromagnetic forces can counteract gravity loads,
causing the journal to take up unusual positions.[11]

GROOVE

JOURNAL
One disadvantage specic to uid-lubricated, hydrodynamic journal bearings in high-speed machinery is oil
whirl which is a self-excited vibration of the journal.
Oil whirl occurs when the lubrication wedge becomes unstable: small disturbances of the journal result in reaction forces from the oil lm which cause further movement, causing both the oil lm and the journal to whirl
around the bearing shell. Typically the whirl frequency
is around 42% of the journal turning speed. In extreme
cases oil whirl leads to direct contact between the journal
and the bearing, which quickly wears out the bearing. In
some cases the frequency of the whirl coincides with and
locks on to the critical speed of the machine shaft; this A pressure dam
condition is known as oil whip. Oil whip can be very
Another design is the pressure dam or dammed groove,[33]
destructive.[11][32]
which has a shallow relief cut in the center of the bearing over the top half of the bearing. The groove abruptly
stops in order to create a downward force to stabilize the
journal. This design has a high load capacity and corrects
most oil whirl situations. The disadvantage is that it only
works in one direction. Osetting the bearing halves does
the same thing as the pressure dam. The only dierence
is the load capacity increases as the oset increases.[11]
JOURNAL
A more radical design is the tilting-pad design, which uses
multiple pads that are designed to move with changing
loads. It is usually used in very large applications but also
nds extensive application in modern turbomachinery because it almost completely eliminates oil whirl.

5 Related components
BEARING
A lemon bore

Oil whirl can be prevented by a stabilising force applied

to the journal. A number of bearing designs seek to
use bearing geometry to either provide an obstacle to the
whirling uid or to provide a stabilising load to minimize

Other components that are commonly used with plain

bearings include:
Pillow block: These are standardized bearing
mounts designed to accept plain bearings. They are
designed to mount to a at surface.
Ring oiler: A lubricating mechanism used in the rst

EXTERNAL LINKS

half of the 20th century for medium speed applications.

[20] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.

1110, retrieved 2009-12-22.

Stung box: A sealing system used to keep uid

from leaking out of a pressurized system through the
plain bearing.

[21] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.

1114, retrieved 2009-12-21.

See also
Hot box
Pillow block bearing
Plastigauge

References

[1] Bearings and bearing metals 1921, p. 1

[2] Journal Bearings, archived from the original on 2009-1229, retrieved 2009-12-29.

[22] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.

1121, retrieved 2009-12-21.
[23] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.
1111, retrieved 2009-12-22.
[24] Frelon lined linear bushings, March 1997, archived from
the original on 2010-11-26, retrieved 2010-11-26.
[25] Frelon lined linear bearings, archived from the original on
2010-11-26, retrieved 2010-11-26.
[26] Silano, Louis (1993). Bridge Inspection and Rehabilitation. Wiley. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-471-53262-0.
[27] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.
1119, retrieved 2009-12-20.
[28] Oilite, archived from the original on 2009-12-16, retrieved
2009-12-16.

[4] Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia Of American Practice

[29] Curcio, Vincent (2001), Chrysler: The Life and Times

of an Automotive Genius, Oxford University Press US, p.
485, ISBN 978-0-19-514705-6.

[5] The Evolution of Railway Axlebox Technology. Evolution (SKF). 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2014-09-18.

[30] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.

1118, retrieved 2009-12-20.

[6] Bearings and bearing metals 1921, p. 15

[31] Iglide, pp. 1.21.3, archived from the original on 200912-10, retrieved 2009-12-10.

[3]

[7] Bearings and bearing metals 1921, p. 18

[8] Brumbach, Michael E.; Clade, Jerey A. (2003),
Industrial Maintenance, Cengage Learning, p. 199, ISBN
978-0-7668-2695-3.

[32] Fundamentals of Rotating Machinery Diagnostics,

pps480 - 489. (2002), Bently.D. & Hatch.C. The Bently
Pressurised Bearing Co. ISBN 0-9714081-0-6
[33] Neale 1995, p. A10.4.

[9] Neale 1995, p. A12.1.

[10] Weichsel, Dick (1994-10-03), Plane bearings, ESC Report 5 (1): 12, archived from the original on 2009-12-10.

7.1 Bibliography

[11] Journal Bearings, archived from the original on 2010-0508, retrieved 2010-05-08.

Bearings and bearing metals, The Industrial Press,

1921.

[12] Mobley, R. Keith (2001), Plant engineers handbook (5th

ed.), Butterworth-Heinemann, p. 1094, ISBN 978-07506-7328-0.

Neale, Michael John (1995), The tribology handbook (2nd ed.), Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN
978-0-7506-1198-5.

[13] Neale 1995, p. A11.6.

[14] Bearings and bearing metals 1921, p. 29
[15] Bearings and bearing metals 1921, p. 30
[16] Frelon bushings
[17] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.
1115, retrieved 2009-12-21.
[18] McMaster-Carr catalog (115th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p.
1116, retrieved 2009-12-17.
[19] Glaeser, William A. (1992), Materials for tribology, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-444-88495-4.

8 External links
Kinematic Models for Design Digital Library
(KMODDL) - Movies and photos of hundreds of
working mechanical-systems models at Cornell University. Also includes an e-book library of classic
texts on mechanical design and engineering.
CSX Dictionary J

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

Text

Plain bearing Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain%20bearing?oldid=634913762 Contributors: CatherineMunro, Greglocock,

Rvollmert, Alan Liefting, Wolfkeeper, BenFrantzDale, Mcapdevila, Foobar, Sonett72, Rich Farmbrough, Duk, Hooperbloob, Jost Riedel,
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9.2

Images

File:Assorted_Doppelmayr_glacier_bushings.jpg
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Doppelmayr_glacier_bushings.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
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bushing.png License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Wizard191
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File:NYC_100-driving-axle-friction-bearing.jpg
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9.3

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