Calibratable Plain Bearing Material with Low Yield Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plain bearing materials require high manufacturing accuracy for bearing housings, leading to increased production costs and rejects due to stringent tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A plain bearing material with a metallic substrate having a yield point <100 N/mm², specifically an aluminum alloy like AA3005, allowing for easy plastic deformation and calibration, eliminating the need for metal mesh or expanded metal inserts, and featuring a structured surface for improved adhesion and deformability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a pronounced structure on the substrate surface is used to prevent sliding layer creeping under high pressure loads, then the compressive strength and creep resistance are improved, but the manufacturing accuracy requirements for bearing housings increase and production costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the yield point parameter of the metallic substrate material to be less than 100 N/mm², making the material more plastically deformable. This allows the substrate to be easily calibrated to match bearing housing geometry, thereby reducing manufacturing accuracy requirements while maintaining structural integrity and preventing sliding layer creeping through the material's inherent deformability rather than relying solely on surface structuring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs calibration of the plain bearing material as a preliminary action before installation into the bearing housing. By pre-forming the material to the desired geometry through plastic deformation, the material adapts to the bearing housing shape in advance, ensuring proper fit and function while accommodating coarser manufacturing tolerances in the housing
2Strength
If metal mesh or expanded metal inserts are used to prevent sliding layer creeping, then the compressive strength is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the metal mesh or expanded metal inserts from the plain bearing material structure. Instead of using these complex reinforcing elements, the invention relies on the inherent plastic deformability of the metallic substrate material with yield point <100 N/mm² to provide the necessary structural support and prevent sliding layer creeping, thereby simplifying the overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a metallic substrate material with specific yield point characteristics combined with a sliding layer. This composite material design allows the substrate to provide structural strength and deformability while the sliding layer provides low-friction surfaces, eliminating the need for separate metal mesh reinforcements
3Strength
If the metallic substrate material has high yield point for structural strength, then the compressive strength is improved, but the calibratability and plastic deformability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifically changes the yield point parameter of the metallic substrate material to be less than 100 N/mm². This parameter optimization allows the material to exhibit sufficient plastic deformability for easy calibration while maintaining adequate compressive strength for structural applications. The substrate can be readily formed and calibrated to match bearing housing geometry without requiring excessive force or complex calibration procedures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables cost-effective mass production with relaxed manufacturing tolerances, reduced risk of contact corrosion, and enhanced service life due to improved calibratability and heat dissipation, suitable for applications with low pressure loads.
Implementation Method 1
the metallic substrate material can be plastically deformed comparatively easily. This enables a particularly simple calibration of the plain bearing material
Implementation Method 2
The plain bearing material is designed for high pressure loads in the range of 200 MPa. In order to prevent the sliding layer, which preferably contains a fluoropolymer, in particular polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), from creeping under such pressure loads
Implementation Method 3
this plain bearing material is designed to have a pronounced structure on the surface of the substrate material, so that the sliding layer laminated onto the substrate material is firmly anchored in it
Implementation Method 4
aluminum is a substrate material that conducts heat particularly well, so that the frictional heat generated during operation can be dissipated quickly
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a calibratable plain bearing material comprising a metallic substrate material (1) having a surface and a bearing coating (3) covering the surface of the substrate material (1). The inventive plain bearing material is characterised in that the metallic substrate material (1) has a yield point < 100 N/NM2, generating a high calibration capacity. The invention also relates to a plain bearing bush and to an advantageous use of a plain bearing material.