1. Summary Description Selection characteristics Advantages/Disadvantages
Applications

2. Plain Bearings Journal Bearings Bushings
Sleeve Bearings
Plain Bearings
Journal Bearings
Bushings

3. Sleeve Bearing

4. Description:
Bearing used to constrain, guide, or reduce friction in rotary applications.
Work by means of sliding action as opposed to the rolling action used by ball, roller and needle bearings.
Proper lubrication is required to reduce wear and friction.

5. Selection Characteristics
Inner Diameter
Outer Diameter
Length
Material
Type of Lubrication
Tolerances
PV rating

6. Press Fit and Shaft Clearance Considerations

7. Sleeve Bearing Materials
Relative softness (to absorb foreign particles), reasonable strength, machinability (to maintain tolerances), lubricity, temperature and corrosion resistance, and in some cases, porosity (to absorb lubricant).
A bearing element should be less than one-third as hard as the material running against it in order to provide embedability of abrasive particles.

8. Materials
Whitemetal - usually used as a lining bonded to bronze, steel or cast iron.
Copper Based alloys - most common alloys are copper tin, copper lead, phosphor bronze: harder and stronger than whitemetal: can be used un-backed as a solid bearing.
Aluminium based alloys - running properties not as good as copper based alloys but cheaper.

9. Materials (cont’d) Ptfe - suitable in very light applications
Sintered bronze - Sintered bronze is a porous material which can be impregnated with oil, graphite or Ptfe. Not suitable for heavily loaded applications but useful where lubrication is inconvenient.
Nylon - similar to Ptfe but slightly harder: used only in very light applications.

10. Types of Lubrication Hydrostatic Hydrodynamic Boundary Lubrication
Dry Bearings

11. Hydrodynamic Lubrication

12. PV Rating P - Bearing Pressure (psi)
V - velocity in feet per minute of the wear surface
PV is then obtained by multiplying P x V as shown in the following example:
3/4" 341 RPM, 90 lb. total load, bearing length 1".
V = .262 x RPM x shaft diameter, or .262 x 341 x .750 = 67 sfpm.
P = total load ÷ projected area (area = .750 x 1.0 = .75 in.), or 90 lbs. ÷ .75 = 120 psi.
PV = 120 psi x 67 sfpm = 8040 PV

13. Design Considerations
Plain bearings should be kept as short as possible. (Length/diameter ratio of )
Two well-spaced short bearings are better than one long one.
Dry bearings of the impregnated sintered bronze type are available in stock sizes and these should be used if possible.

14. Advantages of Sleeve Bearings over Roller Bearings
Won’t fail from fatigue
Require less space in radial direction
Good damping ability
Lower noise level
Less severe alignment requirements
Lower cost
Lower Friction (hydrodynamic) (Norton, )

15. Other Advantages Good capacity to absorb shock loading
Accept oscillating motion
Load is distributed over larger area
Operate efficiently over a wider range of PV values than any other type (up to 3,000,000+ with the proper lubrication)
Load-carrying capability of bronze oil lubricated sleeve bearings increase with rpm

16. Typical Applications
Automotive Industry: transmission shafts, links, pins, crankshafts and camshafts
Marine Industry: thrust bearings of ship driveshafts
Bike Industry: rear suspension linkages, suspension forks, brake arms, shifters
Ideal for oscillating, intermittent-motion or less-than 360-degree rotation

17. Available Sizes

18. Interesting Application
Space Shuttle Transport Vehicle:
wheels turn on bronze sleeve bearings