Bridge Bearings - also called Structural Bearings, Load Bearings or Bearing Pads – are an essential component to any structure expected to face varying vertical and horizontal loads and internal movement.

Such bearings are primarily employed in bridges, roadways and pipelines. In many cases, such bearings are also used in buildings to offer additional support to load beams and girders.

Poly Fluoro Ltd. has combined its expertise in PTFE sheets with know-how on PTFE bonding techniques and metal fabrication to produce high quality and durable bridge bearings. Primarily, our bearings come in two forms:

Lubring Slideways (a proprietary PTFE formulation) is a superior bearing material developed specially for machine tool ways, gibs and other sliding applications.

Lubring has identical properties to Turcite-B® and is widely used by leading machine tool manufacturers, re-builders and in-plant personnel to restore existing equipment to like-new precision.

As a sliding bearing material this material is unequalled for providing high compressive strength and load carrying capabilities, low friction, precise positioning accuracy and minimal wear – with or without lubrication.

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Properties include:

• Extruded billet process – a reduced internal stress allows Lubring to lay flat for easier handling
• Superior etched surface – promotes easier, more reliable installation with superior adhesion
• Excellent vibration dampening – dampens cutting tool vibration from migrating throughout the machine tool
• Increased positional accuracy – lower friction increases positional accuracy and repeatability on linear ways
• Chemical resistance – resists aggressive coolants and lubricants
• High wear resistance – ensures long service life
• Low wear in the event of dry operation – protects mechanical components in cases of poor or failed lubrication
• Impervious to moisture

Poly Fluoro Piston Bands are designed for hydraulic and pneumatic equipment. Its unique design prevents equipment seizures that can arise with other forms of guidance materials. Poly Fluoro Piston Bands offer extremely low friction and breakaway forces. This material is also resistant to all hydraulic fluids, and is suitable for temperatures up to 200°C.

Poly Fluoro piston bands are the solution to costly cylinder re-machining and repairs for large diameter equipment. Coils are available in common sizes and are easy to use, cut and install. Parts can also be punched to a specific profile, in case large volumes are needed.

The bearing material is made from PTFE with a 40% Bronze filling and is specifically designed to support heavy loads. The exceptional physical properties and PTFE lubricants make the piston bands suitable for use on rams or pistons in reciprocating applications. Key advantages include:

1. Prevents metal to metal scoring and prolongs equipment life
2. Reduces radial movement on both rams and pistons to extend seal life
3. PTFE lubricant allows for lower coefficient of friction between mating surfaces
4. Retrofits existing bearing groves and eliminates unnecessary modifications
5. Available in common groove width dimensions, minimizing inventory costs
6. Strips can be cut to size from the coil
7. Accommodates equipment over 300 mm in diameter

PTFE Bushes are used in applications where standard metal bearings cannot be employed due to high coefficients of friction and where other polymer bearings fail due to high loads or temperatures.

PTFE bush bearings offer dry-running lubrication-free behaviour. Our bushings provide the step from a simple plastic bushing to a proven and tested, and thereby predictable and quickly available, machined component. Properties include:

1. Oil-free running – an idea choice in areas where constant lubrication is not possible, but heat build up due to friction is an issue
2. Variety of grades – each grade of PTFE offers different properties. Depending on the application requirements, the appropriate grade can be selected
3. Durability – high wear resistance, low moisture absorption and minimal deformation make this a choice that needs to be made only once
4. Cost effective – although more expensive when compared with metal, the low specific gravity combined with the long life of the bearing makes it a very viable option economically

Regular PTFE Bushes also offer a comparable, cost-effective solution to more expensive branded polymer bearings made using Rulon or Turcite

Polymer bearings exhibit a range of unique properties, making them suited to a number of end-applications.

. Self-lubrication
. High strength to weight ratios
. High temperature resistance
. Chemical resistance

Bearings can be made to match regular bearing products – such as bush bearings or standard metallic bearings – or as customised bearing products as defined by the customer’s end-application requirements

Bearings are available in all grades of PTFE, PEEK, Delrin, Kynar (PVDF) PA66 and specialized materials such as Rulon and Turcite