We thought a look at how people vote for bearings was in order.
When it comes down to making a bearing selection how do you vote? Supplier, product reputation, availability, design performance, cost, ease of use – or some combination thereof? Many technical factors must be met in order for an engineer to select their first choice.
Engineers examine the essential features and benefits to justify their choice. Bushing selection is usually the result of an in-depth search that includes:
- Self-lubricating bushings, such as metal back, bronze back, other alloy backings
- Selection of wear liners, like filled PTFE’s, polymers and composites
- Liner layer integrity and connection mechanism
- Plating & coating selection
- Shafting
- Dimensional characteristics (housing types)
- Clearances
- Temperature capability
- Life expectancy
- Cost
Often times voting on the best type of bushing for a design relies on experience and engineering know-how, as well as a manufacturer who has historical resources, staffing and technical capability to bring forth the best product advantages to the customer.