The SELFOIL® Self-Lubricating Sintered Bearings are porous metallic components made of bronze or iron, impregnated with a lubricant oil. The oil contained in the porosity provides a constant lubrication between bearing and shaft, so the system does not need any additional external lubricant.
The next figure explains how the SELFOIL® bearings work, detailing the self-lubrication mechanism.
1
START:
The system is initially composed of a sintered bearing with the porosity filled with a lubricant oil, and a shaft which is supported on the inner diameter of the bearing. The bearing is fitted in a rigid housing.
2
WORK:
The shaft rotation creates a reduced pressure that aspirate the oil from the bearing pores. This oil forms a lubricant film between bearing and shaft. The oil film is continously renewed from the oil retained in the porous structure
3
STOP:
The oil is reabsorbed in the pores by capillarity, but the oil film remains on the working surface without reabsorption.
2
WORK:
The shaft rotation creates a reduced pressure that aspirate the oil from the bearing pores. This oil forms a lubricant film between bearing and shaft. The oil film is continously renewed from the oil retained in the porous structure
3
STOP:
The oil is reabsorbed in the pores by capillarity, but the oil film remains on the working surface without reabsorption.
4
NEW WORKING CYCLE:
The bearing is already working in steady-state once a new cycle starts. The mechanism occurs during an unlimited number of cycles,during the whole of the bearing.
