Hey guys, brief intro to the subject for the uninitiated in the bearing world.
There is a (I want to say modern) type of bearing used in heavy duty machines that consists of a number of pads assembled around a heavy casing. The beauty of these is that they actually move (tilt) and can compensate for small misalignment in the shaft. These are Tilting Pad Bearings and they are used for thrust and journal support (see picture example that I found on the net).
I was thinking about starting to service those bearings (very commonly found in my area) but there is a part of the job that puzzles me: how to apply the babbitt to the pads.
I have been trying to find literature and some science behind this without going to Metallurgy 101 and taking it from there, but I've been fairly unsuccessful.
For refurbishing each bearing I would have to disassemble them completely (for inspection of any internals that may be worn out) and work with each pad separately to keep the job easy. Casting the babbitt on these pads seems a bit impractical, and I've read that spinning the bearing while pouring creates a very good bond between the babbit and the casing, however this would only work for elliptical bearings which have uniform surfaces. Not our case.
I have worked with HVOF before, and I know that there are machines that can spray babbitt metal from wire, I just wonder how well is the babbitt going to stick to the pad. Anybody with this kind of experience?
Any other ways you guys know this can be done?
Thanks for your comments,
Luis
There is a (I want to say modern) type of bearing used in heavy duty machines that consists of a number of pads assembled around a heavy casing. The beauty of these is that they actually move (tilt) and can compensate for small misalignment in the shaft. These are Tilting Pad Bearings and they are used for thrust and journal support (see picture example that I found on the net).
I was thinking about starting to service those bearings (very commonly found in my area) but there is a part of the job that puzzles me: how to apply the babbitt to the pads.
I have been trying to find literature and some science behind this without going to Metallurgy 101 and taking it from there, but I've been fairly unsuccessful.
For refurbishing each bearing I would have to disassemble them completely (for inspection of any internals that may be worn out) and work with each pad separately to keep the job easy. Casting the babbitt on these pads seems a bit impractical, and I've read that spinning the bearing while pouring creates a very good bond between the babbit and the casing, however this would only work for elliptical bearings which have uniform surfaces. Not our case.
I have worked with HVOF before, and I know that there are machines that can spray babbitt metal from wire, I just wonder how well is the babbitt going to stick to the pad. Anybody with this kind of experience?
Any other ways you guys know this can be done?
Thanks for your comments,
Luis