Lightweight Low Friction Thermoplastic Composite Bearings

Lightweight Low Friction Thermoplastic Composite Bearings
Trelleborg has recently launched its new lightweight thermoplastic composite bearing, HiMod? Advanced Composite Bearing Plus, a reinforced double-layer bearing featuring a low-friction modified polyether ether ketone (PEEK) layer that reduces friction and improves wear resistance for bearings, wear rings and bushing applications.

Trelleborg's patented Automatic Fibre Placement (AFP) technology is used to create low-friction thin liners that can be bonded to the inner diameter of the bearing or added to the outer diameter of the bearing, providing a high-quality solution for a wide range of industry applications. Unlike metal bearings, HiMod? Advanced Composite Bearing Plus will not seize or wear, which reduces the likelihood of pump damage in chemical processing applications.HiMod? Advanced Composite Bearing Plus has a low coefficient of friction and can also withstand extreme temperature ranges.

Thermoplastic bearings offer high durability and toughness for demanding applications," said Reid Hislop, product manager for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. With the addition of a low-friction layer in our HiMod?Premium Composite Bearing, we have reduced sliding friction by 50 per cent compared to standard bearings, designed to improve performance and prevent damage to hardware components."
"These unique bearings are capable of operating in extreme temperatures ranging from -156°C to +274°C, and will last even in humid environments with virtually zero water absorption. Unlike other non-metallic bearings, these bearings do not crack or swell under extreme conditions, making them a reliable choice for numerous applications."

Trelleborg's Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) technology is part of a continuous fibre thermoplastic composite manufacturing process that uses unidirectional prepreg tapes to produce strong, lightweight composite bearings and other components.

The manufacturing process uses in-situ consolidation (ISC) technology, eliminating the need for autoclaves or other post-treatment processes to eliminate fibre wrinkles and offering a wide choice of fibre angles. Components can be rapidly moulded through the melt bonding process without the use of adhesives, fasteners or welding, and the ISC technology is able to bond different materials to create new composite structures.

Hislop concludes, "Our low-friction PEEK liners can also be used as highly impermeable sealing surfaces, offer a wide range of chemical compatibility including solvents and environmental contaminants and, unlike traditional thermoset composites, thermoplastic composites can be recycled at the end of their service life."

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