Specialist bearing material finds many applications

Citation

(2000), "Specialist bearing material finds many applications", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 52 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2000.01852bad.007

Specialist bearing material finds many applications

Specialist bearing material finds many applications

Keywords: Bearings, Glacier

Glacier DP4 bearing material, which was developed specifically for automotive suspension struts, is proving an excellent material for many other applications, both lubricated and dry (see Plate 2). Since its introduction for struts in the mid 1990s, Glacier DP4 has been used very successfully in other high-duty oil-lubricated applications such as hydraulic cylinders, automotive transmissions and hydraulic pumps. It has also developed a significant market for unlubricated applications such as industrial switchgear and solenoids.

Plate 2Glacier DP4 bearing material is proving an excellent material for many other applications, both lubricated and dry

For many years Glacier DU was the preferred bearing material for automotive suspension struts. Vehicle manufacturers anticipated a need for strut guide bushes with even greater durability and several years of development work resulted in Glacier DP4. It has since become the benchmark bearing material for automotive suspension struts and shock absorbers against which other materials are judged. It is used or is under development testing by almost every major strut manufacturer around the world.

Glacier DP4 is a composite material with a steel backing, a porous bronze interlayer that is impregnated and overlaid with the PTFE based bearing surface. The steel backing provides strength and dimensional stability whilst the bronze layer provides the mechanical bond for the lining. The PTFE fillers provide a durable working surface with excellent resistance to wear as well as cavitation and flow erosion damage. Glacier has now issued a second edition of its designers' handbook covering this bearing material. The 42 page book includes information on the material's performance, particularly for unlubricated applications. It is available from Glacier Industrial Bearings, Riccarton, Kilmarnock KAI SNA. Glacier Industrial Bearings is part of the Dana Corporation, the engineering and automotive components group with worldwide sales of $12.5 billion.

For further information contact Alex Graham on +44 (0) 1563 539999.